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geekwayne's review
4.0
Will O' The Wisp takes place in the southern swamps and is full of hoodoo and the creepy happenings that take place on the islands of the dead. When a young newcomer comes to the island, she has to learn to get along, and to learn to protect herself.
When Aurora Grimeon's parents die of mushroom poisoning, she is sent to live with her estranged grandfather on Ossuary Isle. He lives in a creepy old house and makes his living collecting specimens and providing anatomical skeletons that he cleans with beetles. He is a man of science living in a world of superstition. He's also got a cool pet raccoon named Missy that eventually takes to Aurora as she wanders around meeting the locals.
When the locals start showing up dead, and Aurora starts seeing blue lights in the swamps, she starts investigating. She is soon over her head and starts learning how to protect herself from local hoodoo priestess Mama Noonie. The mystery deepens and is quite creepy.
The whole thing has a great atmosphere to it. The art by Megan Hutchinson is great and the story by Tom Hammock is one of the more original ones I've run across in a graphic novel. It was a good story and I'm glad I read it.
I was given a review copy by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
When Aurora Grimeon's parents die of mushroom poisoning, she is sent to live with her estranged grandfather on Ossuary Isle. He lives in a creepy old house and makes his living collecting specimens and providing anatomical skeletons that he cleans with beetles. He is a man of science living in a world of superstition. He's also got a cool pet raccoon named Missy that eventually takes to Aurora as she wanders around meeting the locals.
When the locals start showing up dead, and Aurora starts seeing blue lights in the swamps, she starts investigating. She is soon over her head and starts learning how to protect herself from local hoodoo priestess Mama Noonie. The mystery deepens and is quite creepy.
The whole thing has a great atmosphere to it. The art by Megan Hutchinson is great and the story by Tom Hammock is one of the more original ones I've run across in a graphic novel. It was a good story and I'm glad I read it.
I was given a review copy by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
mehitabels's review
5.0
A beautiful graphic novel, bound in a beautiful binding. So pretty it took me three extra days to start it, because I did not want to break the seal. Once I opened it, it was a young adult swamp tale, with a vengeful ghost and grumpy caretaker and hoodoo witch.
The art is lovely, the story entrancing and over too soon. I am seriously tempted to steal the binding design for all my graphics . . .
The art is lovely, the story entrancing and over too soon. I am seriously tempted to steal the binding design for all my graphics . . .
bengriffin's review
4.0
Beautiful hardbound presentation complete with a little metal clasp, great artwork inside, an atypical setting, strong characters and plenty of heart with a splash of elegy. I will definitely read another if one were to appear.
droar's review
3.0
This fancy looking graphic novel set in the swamps of Louisiana is a quick spooky read. The story is entertaining though predictable, and the art is colorful but a bit amateur looking (I think it's the coloring style maybe?). Worth picking up from the library, but probably not worth buying.
I will say that this book is not bound very well. It's got a fancy cover and a lock on it, but the glue in the spine is mostly gone and the stitching is super loose.
I will say that this book is not bound very well. It's got a fancy cover and a lock on it, but the glue in the spine is mostly gone and the stitching is super loose.
wanderaven's review
3.0
One of my book challenges I've set for myself this year is to read more graphic novels (though I'm still trying to decide if something I'm greatly looking forward to falls under the description of a challenge? Should something described as a challenge always have an onerous element?). I was pleased to start out with Will O' the Wisp, provided to me by Archaia via Netgalley.
Aurora's parents die by frying up some poisoned mushrooms, and she is saved only by the benevolent and mysterious gift of some forbidden milk thistle. She's sent to live with a grandfather she's never met on the Ossuary Isle, in the swamps (not only is she not checked on by CPS, there's no other teenagers or children and, most of all, no school).
What I wasn't thrilled with: the storyline seemed somewhat disjointed to me. There were several times that I read a page and then went on to the next only to think I'd skipped a few pages, as the scene was different when I'd fully expected a continuation. Having not read so many graphic novels at this point, I'm uncertain if this is common or a valid complaint. Several times, I thought, "Wait, is that scene over?" I was (just) slightly put off by some of the grammar, including some stereotypical context (the black hoodoo woman says things like, "don't none of you.." when she seems otherwise wise and educated).
But I did enjoy reading the novel and always looked forward to returning to it in my otherwise currently busy life. The illustrations were elegant and flowing, the characters both sweet and sketchy. The storyline was enjoyable and included a romance, which didn't end in a stereotypical, expected way, which I appreciated, particularly as this book is apparently primarily targeted to a young adult audience.
As this appears to be the beginning of the series, I do look forward to checking out the next volume and enjoyed the opportunity to read this one!
Aurora's parents die by frying up some poisoned mushrooms, and she is saved only by the benevolent and mysterious gift of some forbidden milk thistle. She's sent to live with a grandfather she's never met on the Ossuary Isle, in the swamps (not only is she not checked on by CPS, there's no other teenagers or children and, most of all, no school).
What I wasn't thrilled with: the storyline seemed somewhat disjointed to me. There were several times that I read a page and then went on to the next only to think I'd skipped a few pages, as the scene was different when I'd fully expected a continuation. Having not read so many graphic novels at this point, I'm uncertain if this is common or a valid complaint. Several times, I thought, "Wait, is that scene over?" I was (just) slightly put off by some of the grammar, including some stereotypical context (the black hoodoo woman says things like, "don't none of you.." when she seems otherwise wise and educated).
But I did enjoy reading the novel and always looked forward to returning to it in my otherwise currently busy life. The illustrations were elegant and flowing, the characters both sweet and sketchy. The storyline was enjoyable and included a romance, which didn't end in a stereotypical, expected way, which I appreciated, particularly as this book is apparently primarily targeted to a young adult audience.
As this appears to be the beginning of the series, I do look forward to checking out the next volume and enjoyed the opportunity to read this one!
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