Book Review – Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Do you dare to step into the woods?

Genre: Y/A, Fantasy, Graphic Novel

No. of pages: 208

From Goodreads:

‘It came from the woods. Most strange things do.’

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there… 

I’m not normally one to pick up a graphic novel – even though this is a compilation of five graphic short stories – but it was a welcome change from a usual steady diet of books.

Each story is set in a different time and has its own twist. ‘Our Neighbor’s House’ is quietly spooky and has a Blair Witch feel; where ‘A Lady’s Hands are Cold’ is a morbid cautionary tale. ‘His Face All Red’ is like body snatchers from deep in the woods and shudder-worthy; while ‘My Friend Janna’ is a freaky tale of a haunted medium and definitely my favourite story, both the drawings and storyline up the creep factor. And finally ‘The Nesting Place’ is the longest of the stories and the ssshhhkkk ssssshhhhkkkk of teeth still echo through my head.

The illustrations in ‘Through the Woods’ were scratchy and blotchy with only one or two colours – as equally ominous as the stories themselves. It was eerie and spooky and suitably gave me the shivers.

While not terrifying, ‘Through the Woods’ is morbid and creepy. Reminding me of Ronald Dahl – that same way the stories ended, or even ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe. Several moments had the hair standing up on the back of my neck.

It is a quick read, but I urge you to take your time and enjoy the artwork. There is so much atmosphere that projects off the page to suck you into the narrative.

For my first graphic novel – highly recommended!

Overall feeling: *shudder*

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