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A review by emtobiasz
Ghost Hog by Joey Weiser
3.0
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing a review copy.
When Truff is killed by a hunter, all the young boar can think about is getting her revenge-- but can she manage to protect those she loves, too?
The plot of this book is fine, but doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. Children's books about ghosts have a fine line to walk, and whether they veer silly or scary or melancholy they still need to acknowledge death. This book spends very little time on Truff's death, so there's no chance of grisly scenes. Instead, the forest sprites introduce the idea of hunting to sustain a family, and cool Truff's anger at humans in general. (There's no mention, within this complicated idea of hunting, about how the forest animals are all bipedal and often clothed. I'm not sure how that fits into the idea of hunting for food, when your prey is walking and talking with you in the forest.) The plot shifts quickly to Truff becoming a protector, with a few satisfying fight scenes against a mountain troll and his minions, and sidesteps any grief from her family about Truff's death by having her stay on as a guardian. The idea of Truff disappearing hadn't really been addressed until this point, though, so there hadn't been any risk of losing her.
The artwork is bold and cartoony, with large panels and not too much text. That will certainly appeal to a young audience. But while readers at my library will try pretty much anything on the graphic novels shelf, I don't think there's enough story here to keep them coming back for more.
When Truff is killed by a hunter, all the young boar can think about is getting her revenge-- but can she manage to protect those she loves, too?
The plot of this book is fine, but doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. Children's books about ghosts have a fine line to walk, and whether they veer silly or scary or melancholy they still need to acknowledge death. This book spends very little time on Truff's death, so there's no chance of grisly scenes. Instead, the forest sprites introduce the idea of hunting to sustain a family, and cool Truff's anger at humans in general. (There's no mention, within this complicated idea of hunting, about how the forest animals are all bipedal and often clothed. I'm not sure how that fits into the idea of hunting for food, when your prey is walking and talking with you in the forest.) The plot shifts quickly to Truff becoming a protector, with a few satisfying fight scenes against a mountain troll and his minions, and sidesteps any grief from her family about Truff's death by having her stay on as a guardian. The idea of Truff disappearing hadn't really been addressed until this point, though, so there hadn't been any risk of losing her.
The artwork is bold and cartoony, with large panels and not too much text. That will certainly appeal to a young audience. But while readers at my library will try pretty much anything on the graphic novels shelf, I don't think there's enough story here to keep them coming back for more.