My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 by Emil FerrisMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you need proof that graphic novels can be an adult format and not just for the kiddy crowd, this is the book to read. I'm personally a huge fan of graphic novels and the interplay of art and text. In this hefty volume, Emil Ferris creates a world within a world as we read the graphically illustrated dairy of 10-year-old Karen, who is growing up in 1968 Chicago. Karen's inner world is populated with the monsters of pulp comics that her older brother Deeze gives her, monsters that are more manageable than the real-world ones surrounding her and her fellow Chicago residents each day. We see Karen as she sees herself - part werewolf, part girl - throughout the the book and see Karen as others see her in only one striking panel.
Part detective novel, as Karen tries to find out what really happened to her upstairs neighbor, a Holocaust survivor named Anka who is murdered, and part coming-of-age story, My Favorite Thing is Monsters is immersive and well worth the time spent engaging with the art. With some heavy themes and nudity, this isn't a child's graphic novel, but I highly recommend it for mature teens and adults. I'm definitely pre-ordering Volume 2, which is due in September 2021.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment