An intriguing graphic novel featuring a story of corporate irresponsibility with supernatural themes.
A young woman seeks justice for the exploited workers of her town in this graphic novel, written by Mulligan and illustrated by Pyrink.
The story begins at a funeral in Richland, Washington, where the late Jared Fleming’s husband, Van, and daughter, Ali, are delivering eulogies to their departed loved one. In these speeches, they both allude to mysterious illnesses that the townsfolk have been experiencing, and to the fact that Jared’s death was unnatural. After the ceremony, Jared’s coworker, who calls herself Jane, reaffirms this theory to Van, noting that Jared may have died due to cracks in a local tunnel. Ali becomes determined to find out more before she must return to college. Over the summer, her friends, Brett and Shannon, worked at the same company that Jared did, and they confirm that the company violated multiple health and safety regulations—specifically regarding the handling of toxic materials. They believe this contributed to Jared’s eventual death from cancer, as something similar happened to Shannon’s uncle. They also provide Ali with a lead via a group called Hanford Connect, made up of former employees of the company who dedicate themselves to pursuing restitution for wronged families. After several suspicious occurrences, Van and Ali conclude that Jared’s spirit is still with them—a fact that readers have known for some time, as his translucent presence often lingers at the margins of scenes. The novel concludes on a cliffhanger, suggesting that Brett has had an encounter with a very different kind of supernatural being while getting pizza. Overall, Pyrink’s art is well suited to the horror/suspense genre and its subject matter, and their characters all feel distinctive. Mulligan’s narrative excels at laying groundwork for an ongoing series while stoking odd mysteries, as when characters allude to previous encounters with a witch. However, a tangible antagonist never fully emerges, aside from one unnamed character who never confronts the heroes directly. Nonetheless, the overall theme of seeking accountability for exposing employees to hazardous working conditions is one that will resonate with many readers.
An intriguing graphic novel featuring a story of corporate irresponsibility with supernatural themes.Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9798990848849
Page Count: 110
Publisher: Highpoint LIT
Review Posted Online: Nov. 27, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced...
A pairing of the text of the Scottish Play with a filmed performance, designed with the Shakespeare novice in mind.
The left side of the screen of this enhanced e-book contains a full version of Macbeth, while the right side includes a performance of the dialogue shown (approximately 20 lines’ worth per page). This granular focus allows newcomers to experience the nuances of the play, which is rich in irony, hidden intentions and sudden shifts in emotional temperature. The set and costuming are deliberately simple: The background is white, and Macbeth’s “armor” is a leather jacket. But nobody’s dumbing down their performances. Francesca Faridany is particularly good as a tightly coiled Lady Macbeth; Raphael Nash-Thompson gives his roles as the drunken porter and a witch a garrulousness that carries an entertainingly sinister edge. The presentation is not without its hiccups. Matching the video on the right with the text on the left means routinely cutting off dramatic moments; at one point, users have to swipe to see and read the second half of a scene’s closing couplet—presumably an easy fix. A “tap to translate” button on each page puts the text into plain English, but the pop-up text covers up Shakespeare’s original, denying any attempts at comparison; moreover, the translation mainly redefines more obscure words, suggesting that smaller pop-ups for individual terms might be more meaningful.
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced e-book makes the play appealing and graspable to students . (Enhanced e-book. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The New Book Press LLC
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
Immensely enjoyable.
The debut graphic novel from Mohamed presents a modern Egypt full of magical realism where wishes have been industrialized and heavily regulated.
The story opens with a televised public service announcement from the General Committee of Wish Supervision and Licensing about the dangers of “third-class wishes”—wishes that come in soda cans and tend to backfire on wishers who aren’t specific enough (like a wish to lose weight resulting in limbs falling from the wisher’s body). Thus begins a brilliant play among magic, the mundane, and bureaucracy that centers around a newsstand kiosk where a devout Muslim is trying to unload the three “first-class wishes” (contained in elegant glass bottles and properly licensed by the government) that have come into his possession, since he believes his religion forbids him to use them. As he gradually unloads the first-class wishes on a poor, regretful widow (who then runs afoul of authorities determined to manipulate her out of her valuable commodity) and a university student who seeks a possibly magical solution to their mental health crisis (but struggles with whether a wish to always be happy might have unintended consequences), interstitials give infographic histories of wishes, showing how the Western wish-industrial complex has exploited the countries where wishes are mined (largely in the Middle East). The book is exceptionally imaginative while also being wonderfully grounded in touching human relationships, existential quandaries, and familiar geopolitical and socio-economic dynamics. Mohamed’s art balances perfectly between cartoon and realism, powerfully conveying emotions, and her strong, clean lines gorgeously depict everything from an anguished face to an ornate bottle. Charts and graphs nicely break up the reading experience while also concisely building this larger world of everyday wishes. Mohamed has a great sense of humor, which comes out in footnotes and casual asides throughout.
Immensely enjoyable.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-524-74841-8
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
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