Graphic Novels: The Girl From the Other Side - Book 1

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This is my first review of a graphic novel! I don't feel like you can talk about them in quite the same way as a standard print novel, so I'm going to change things up a bit.

amazon.com

What it's about:

A little girl and a dark monster are companions - but how did they become this way? The girl, Shiva, is sweet and curious - interested in the world, and waiting for her grandmother to come and take her home. "Teacher," a beast with a curse, watches over her - but the two can never touch, lest Shiva become cursed as well. How do these two coexist, separated by this affliction?

Storyline:

• Haunting and beautiful, it absolutely draws you in right away.
• There is a fair bit of mystery surrounding what is going on, but at the same point it is also constantly giving you answers, so this isn't one of those frustrating novels where it takes 8 volumes to have any clue about the main plot.
• It's a bit dark and eerie at times, but not so much that preteen readers couldn't easily enjoy it as well as teens and adults.

Art:

• Black and white, stark, and perfectly bleak. The artwork really sets the mood. The contrast clearly shows that there are two sides, light and dark, in this graphic novel.
• In a lot of ways, the art is simplistic and mysterious, but it is also actually quite detailed. There is a lot of expression in the eyes and smaller details really impact the way the story comes across.
• It is all at once beautiful and freaky. I don't know how Nagabe managed it, but you get invested in the sweet characters instantly from the art, and then still feel a bit creeped out. It's not a horror graphic novel, but it definitely is eery!

Final Thoughts:

I am in love. Honestly, this was one of the most incredible starts to a series I have read in a long time, and definitely one of the most beautiful and impactful graphic novels I have had the pleasure of reading. I am so excited to read more of this series, but as there are only seven out right now, I should probably pace myself. I don't know if there is a plan of how long this series is going to be, but my goodness am I grabbing these anyway. I will say that you probably don't want to finish this one just before bed if you spook easily...I had a couple of nights where I got myself a bit freaked out with my vivid imagination!