Reviews with content warning for Body horror - The Low, Low Woods

The concept was intriguing, the athmosphere was deliciously unsettling and the art was absolutely gorgeous. The artist and the colorist worked incredibly well together.

I really enjoyed the first half. It took time to establish the world and set the mood.

Unfortunately, the ending felt like reading a brief summary of the events. I wanted it to slow down.

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enyltiak's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Such a gorgeous and haunting graphic novel—the horror of it compounds as you read and discover what is truly happening in Shudder-to-Think. Strange and horrifying and I absolutely loved it.

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perleerose's review

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dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Had to read the first two chapters for school, found a digital copy to finish it
I really enjoyed the ending of the story, it was kinda hopeful to see those women take a hold of their own futures and for the solidarity among them. The graphics were sick in a good way.

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aknah5's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Everything about this book is beautifully crafted and haunting. For someone who is very cautious when approaching horror, I found The Low, Low Woods to be oddly welcoming. It's as though it goes deep into the psyche, draws out a repressed nightmare, and says "It's okay, you're not alone--we've imagined this too." Using magical realism, TLLW unleashes the horror of an unchallenged, unrestrained patriarchal society in the confines of a small Pennsylvanian town and, through the lives of our young adult heroines, moves through the enduring generational violence of that society as well as the critical awakening and resistance against it. I recommend this book as a potent piece of contemporary Gothic literature and with that recommendation, I would post this one notice: Sexual assault is not just a vague haunting theme in this novel; it is immediate and it is throughout.

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notthatlibrarian's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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charrlee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Queer women of color and uncanny horror, what more can you ask from a graphic novel?

Carmen Maria Machado and Dani have created a wondrous narrative around monstrosity and autonomy through an exploration of the corporeal. Truly, there is so much to interrogate and tease from within these pages; questions of temporality/spatiality, the relationship between women & the environment, the choice of memory (and privilege of forgetting), and the heartbreaking realities of sociopolitical and gendered violence. After finishing the comic, I have still been pondering and realizing new connections and avenues of thought; that, my friends, is the mark of a pretty damn good story. It's difficult to exactly mark how many astounding (yet horrific and challenging) themes are covered in so few pages, and the visuals only mark to further emphasize these points. That being said, The Low, Low Woods is one of the darkest -- I mean down right horrific -- graphic novels I have read, so do read with caution. Machado is masterful in utilizing the power of silence, and her work (along with Dani's brilliant art) is a beautiful, yet tragic homage to all victims of abusive power.

Also if you like:
*Greek mythology
*Magical mushrooms
*Witchcraft
*Deer women <3
AND SO MUCH MORE

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