Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Review of Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Title: Anya's Ghost
Author: Vera Brosgol
Format: Hardcover Graphic Novel
Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Publisher: First Second (An Imprint of MacMillian)
Source: Library
Pages In This Edition: 224
Rating:
 /5


On the Cover:



Beyond the Cover:

Summary from Goodreads:

"Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn’t kidding about the “Forever” part . . . Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya’s normal life might actually be worse. She’s embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she’s pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs. Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya’s Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol"

Review:
This is the first graphic novel that I've ever read, and I'm happy to say I'm not disappointed! I was afraid that if I read something that was written and illustrated by the same person, It would be lacking in the plot department. And I was SO wrong.


There were plot twists in this one even I wasn't expecting. I'm usually one of those people who's good at predicting what comes next. (I hate that I am most of the time.) But Brosgol managed to pull the rug from right under my feet quite a few times! And the ending was so creepy there aren't even words to describe it. I don't want to give anything away, but for awhile there I was afraid that I was going to have nightmares. And that's what adds the real horror elements; the pictures.


The pictures were my favorite part of the book, which I'm guessing is a good thing considering that it's a graphic novel. There were times that there weren't even any words on a page, but the way the pictures came together made it easy to understand and follow along. I was never left guessing "Wait, what happened there?" The whole thing was great, and seemed to flow together in perfect harmony.


Anya as a main character was also amazing. She was believable, and that's one of my favorite traits in a book character. Anya has her flaws, but she also seems to have a good grasp on what's right and wrong, so she had me rooting for her the whole book; I wanted her to be happy, to solve the mysteries that may present themselves...


A note on graphic novels: don't flip through the pages. YOU WILL BE SPOILED. Trust me on this. I learned the hard way


In summary, Anya's Ghost was an amazing graphic novel as far as I'm concerned, as it pulled together the best of both worlds; amazing plot and characters, and breathtaking art. I would recommend it to anybody who likes and good story, and to reluctant readers too. I picked it up and finished it in an hour.

--Alexis


P.S. Have you entered my current giveaway yet? Enter HERE.

2 comments:

Kris said...

I've never read a graphic novel before but I think you have inspired me to finally do so. I thought images could be distracting from the story but I guess if it's done so well the the images tell the story without words, I think that's amazing.
I might actually grab myself a copy of this.
You have a great way of describing the books you read, makes me want to buy them all.
Fabulous blog!

Also thanks for your comment on mine!
Kris

Abookfromsnowyriver.blogspot.com

Alexis Ladig said...

It really was a great read! Humorous and well thought out. :)
Thanks for the comment!

--Alexis

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Hi I'm Alexis and I love sharing my love of reading and writing with the world.This blog is an outlet for me to express myself and my opinions, and show other bookish people some awesome things to explore in the world of literature!
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