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jmshirtz's review
4.0
I knew I had to read this when I realized it was a western graphic novel for teens. You don't find many of those! To top it all off, it's very well-written with twists I didn't see coming! A time or two the dialogue seemed a little too much back-and-forth, which is hard to avoid in a graphic novel, but I think a few extra frames may have helped with that. The artwork is fantastic and fits the gritty feel of the novel well. I have to admit that the decomposing bodies left me a little nauseated, but that's normal for me and a sign of a well-rendered corpse. Chester is a well-rounded character who would prefer to sleep on the floor with his horse than in a bed without him, and who would knock someone out so he didn't have to deal with them, but wouldn't think of being impolite to a strange woman. Overall, I really liked this book, but for me it was just missing something that I can't quite put my finger on. I think this will really appeal to teenaged boys and girls who don't mind gore.
hollowspine's review
3.0
The story of a boy by the name of Chester Kates (or Lady Kate as he seems to be known in the bar) begins as the boy picks himself up from the gutter, stumbles into a bar, then is summarily beaten and tossed back to the gutter.
"Bloody" Chester matches his name, from the first page to the last he weaves a bloody story from end to end. It was a bit of a twisted story, but all the threads came together in the end. Though it may have been a hangman's noose we were weaving.
The story is wonderfully bleak and the art a great match. Chester is paid to burn a town to the ground in the name of progress, but what haunts the town, disease, a supernatural curse, or something far more human?
And what is it with Chester's horse, Chester? They seem to have some deep and interesting back story. All the characters had grit. And booze. So a good western ghost story all around.
"Bloody" Chester matches his name, from the first page to the last he weaves a bloody story from end to end. It was a bit of a twisted story, but all the threads came together in the end. Though it may have been a hangman's noose we were weaving.
The story is wonderfully bleak and the art a great match. Chester is paid to burn a town to the ground in the name of progress, but what haunts the town, disease, a supernatural curse, or something far more human?
And what is it with Chester's horse, Chester? They seem to have some deep and interesting back story. All the characters had grit. And booze. So a good western ghost story all around.
geekery's review
4.0
These are my just my raw thoughts on the book. I'll get around to compiling them into a coherent review when I don't have finals to prepare for.
*I like the art. It's a very simplified style, yet it also conveys details at times. The colors are also simplified with no shadows or lighting, which make the colors bold.
*Hopefully there's a sequel, because there are various plot threads/questions (or maybe they're red herrings?) that need tying up.
*The ending, the last few pages in particular, feels rushed. It seems like there is more story to tell than pages to tell it.
**Character/relationship development also feels rushed.
*How is this considered horror? Granted, I am a desensitized horror fan, and I don't even bat an eyelid anymore at things that make my friends squirm. But I would never had guessed that this is considered horror if I had picked it up without reading its Goodreads page.
*I like the art. It's a very simplified style, yet it also conveys details at times. The colors are also simplified with no shadows or lighting, which make the colors bold.
*Hopefully there's a sequel, because there are various plot threads/questions (or maybe they're red herrings?) that need tying up.
*The ending, the last few pages in particular, feels rushed. It seems like there is more story to tell than pages to tell it.
**Character/relationship development also feels rushed.
*How is this considered horror? Granted, I am a desensitized horror fan, and I don't even bat an eyelid anymore at things that make my friends squirm. But I would never had guessed that this is considered horror if I had picked it up without reading its Goodreads page.
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