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aiden51's review against another edition
5.0
When I was a kid my dad didn't have a lot of money, so on weekends the big thing was going to Goodwill or Value Village where he would let me pick out a book. I chose this one when I was maybe nine or ten. It had a stamp on it from a school library and had clearly been very well-loved.
I carried this book around for years and years. Other books came and went, but Courtney stayed. I read it over and over, in the backyard, in the car, under the blankets by flashlight. Courtney is a tween girl navigating the move into her Uncle Aloysius' huge creepy mansion in a new town. No one understands her and she has a hard time making friends. When she discovers there are monsters and dark things living in the shadows, called Night Things, she isn't afraid. There are other dark things in town too: there are boys who will try to kiss her even though she says no. There are adults who don't notice at all when there's something wrong with their kid. At the end of the book she defeats a dark creature who is stealing her essence and becoming a clone of her. Pseudo-Courtney is prettier, excelling at school, popular. Courtney's parents even prefer Pseudo-Courtney (dark!). She doesn't defeat this demon using magic, or even cleverness. She just stands up to it and tells it that no one can ever replace her, no one can ever be her, and that she likes herself just the way she is.
As kids and as adults, we discover a lot of Night Things. There are terrifying and difficult things lurking around every corner. Sometimes being yourself doesn't make people like you. Sometimes being yourself means being alone. I love you Courtney. Thanks for travelling with me, all this time and distance. Thanks for curing my fear of the dark, and for being my friend.
I carried this book around for years and years. Other books came and went, but Courtney stayed. I read it over and over, in the backyard, in the car, under the blankets by flashlight. Courtney is a tween girl navigating the move into her Uncle Aloysius' huge creepy mansion in a new town. No one understands her and she has a hard time making friends. When she discovers there are monsters and dark things living in the shadows, called Night Things, she isn't afraid. There are other dark things in town too: there are boys who will try to kiss her even though she says no. There are adults who don't notice at all when there's something wrong with their kid. At the end of the book she defeats a dark creature who is stealing her essence and becoming a clone of her. Pseudo-Courtney is prettier, excelling at school, popular. Courtney's parents even prefer Pseudo-Courtney (dark!). She doesn't defeat this demon using magic, or even cleverness. She just stands up to it and tells it that no one can ever replace her, no one can ever be her, and that she likes herself just the way she is.
As kids and as adults, we discover a lot of Night Things. There are terrifying and difficult things lurking around every corner. Sometimes being yourself doesn't make people like you. Sometimes being yourself means being alone. I love you Courtney. Thanks for travelling with me, all this time and distance. Thanks for curing my fear of the dark, and for being my friend.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars! This is a graphic collection of four stories centered around Courtney Crumrin. Courtney is a grumpy, intelligent, courageous middle-schooler that doesn't take crap from anyone or any thing. I love her attitude, and was hooked by the weirdish storyline. Courtney's shallow, suck-up parents move in with Courtney's Great-Uncle, who lives in an affluent area, though his house seems like a dark, creepy old castle. Things aren't what they seem, but only Courtney and her Great-Uncle seem to notice. The artwork nicely matches the mood of the story. I can't wait to read more about Courtney!
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
Evil and fun. At first it bothered me that Courtney didn't have a nose, but now I like the fact that she doesn't have a nose. Naifeh can draw a lot of expression out of her noseless face!
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
5.0
Courtney and her parents moves into her grand uncle's (or is it her father's grand uncle?)mansion on the pretense of taking care of him. Courtney soon finds out that he is not your typical relative, but rather a witch. Courtney finds she too has some talent in the art and find it comes in handy is a variety of situations.
sarahdenn27's review against another edition
4.0
I think I say this about every graphic novel I read, but I loved the artwork! I found the whole thing to be really cute. The main character was not a very likeable girl, but I liked that about her. She was a more honest representation of average girls like me, and I liked how she was clearly introverted and comfortable being alone and it didn't bother her. Overall, I really liked this book and I definitely want to read more of the series!
sunshinemagik's review against another edition
3.0
Beautiful artwork and a curmudgeonly tween. Really enjoying the series.
craicerjack's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
avery_switch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25