A disturbing but engrossing read that deftly uses fiction to make relevant real-world social commentary.
The concluding volume of Mulligan’s World of Witchland supernatural horror graphic novel trilogy.
With the toxic wasteland of Richland, Washington—site of a billion-dollar nuclear cleanup and remediation project—as backdrop, Van and his daughter Ali have seen their fair share of tragedy living in Richland. The city’s proximity to a nuclear reactor has led to numerous recent radiation-related sicknesses and deaths. After Van’s husband—who worked at the power plant—died under questionable circumstances, Van has finally moved on and come to grips with his life as a widower. But with 50 million gallons of “toxic shit” still buried underground, Van and his friend Jennifer (a former power plant employee) are questioning their decision to remain in Richland. When one of Ali’s friends (Brett) appears to become addicted to a new drug decimating the community, Ali and her father—along with Jennifer’s daughter Linda—join forces to investigate Brett’s bizarre transformation. What the amateur sleuths discover not only has links to the nuclear waste tanks but also has the potential to destroy countless lives. While the horror storyline with its mutant bogeymen isn’t exactly original, the power of this narrative comes from the well-developed cast of characters, who bring emotional intensity, dynamism, and authenticity to the story. Additionally, the distinctive illustrations by Pyrink perfectly complement the story’s thematic impact (their utilization of contrasting color, in particular, is noteworthy). Scenes in the local doughnut shop, for example, are depicted in vibrant yellows, pinks, and oranges while sequences at the nuclear reactor site and in shadowy back alleys feature unnatural greens and purples. Lastly, the (timely) subject of the country’s drug overdose epidemic was woven into the storyline with an interesting supernatural twist, and Richland itself was based on the real city of Richland with its dark history.
A disturbing but engrossing read that deftly uses fiction to make relevant real-world social commentary.Pub Date: July 7, 2025
ISBN: 9798998972003
Page Count: 114
Publisher: Highpoint LIT
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
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
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times...
A bland, uninspired graphic adaptation of the Bard’s renowned love story.
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times oddly psychedelic-tinged backgrounds of cool blues and purples, the mood is strange, and the overall ambiance of the story markedly absent. Appealing to what could only be a high-interest/low–reading level audience, McDonald falls short of the mark. He explains a scene in an open-air tavern with a footnote—“a place where people gather to drink”—but he declines to offer definitions for more difficult words, such as “dirges.” While the adaptation does follow the foundation of the play, the contemporary language offers nothing; cringeworthy lines include Benvolio saying to Romeo at the party where he first meets Juliet, “Let’s go. It’s best to leave now, while the party’s in full swing.” Nagar’s faces swirl between dishwater and grotesque, adding another layer of lost passion in a story that should boil with romantic intensity. Each page number is enclosed in a little red heart; while the object of this little nuance is obvious, it’s also unpleasantly saccharine. Notes after the story include such edifying tidbits about Taylor Swift and “ ‘Wow’ dialogs from the play” (which culls out the famous quotes).Pub Date: May 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-93-80028-58-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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