Comic Review Bites

Saga Volume 3

The last volume ended with a stand-off that seemed to spell certain doom for our protagonists. I expected to step into the aftermath of this, but instead, Vaughan went backward, giving us the little human moments that make this little dysfunctional family so wonderfully endearing. From playing board games to arguments to questionable coping mechanisms, I adore the way Vaughan makes these out of this world creatures exactly like you and I. It’s impossible not to empathize with someone or some thing in this book, and it’s easy to get caught up in those moments—only to remember that certain doom is most likely heading their way. As future baby Hazel continues to narrate the story of her parents’ forbidden love, the dark reminder that this story will have a bittersweet ending still hovers quietly over every moment.

Alternate review: OH MY FEEEEEELS!!!

Extinction Parade

Max Brooks has given us a new spin on the zombie apocalypse with World War Z (the book, not the movie, which didn’t give us much of a new spin at all). In this comic, he does so again. Unlike WWZ, the “subdead” are front and centre in very gory detail, but there is something notably missing: the humans. That is, the humans as the main characters, whose adventures we usually follow as they try to survive. Instead, we have a very interesting twist: a pair of female vampires. Apex predators who have lived through decades, watching humanity grow and change and feeding on us all the while. Now that this plague has taken over, they are no longer bound to many of the rules they once were. But as the pair revel in this new world order, they are blissfully unaware of one simple fact: their food supply is dwindling.

With thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty Deadly Volume 1

This is a dark, western fairy tale of sorts about a love triangle gone wrong—as is to be expected when a beautiful woman has Death’s love child and that love child becomes a deadly assassin intent on hunting down the man who caused all the pain in the first place, who is busy trying to protect a little girl who…. Um… Let’s go back a bit. The first part of the story builds an ethereal mystery surrounding this love triangle and a little girl in a vulture mask, her companion, Fox, and the deadly women who are hunting them. There are a few other characters who become involved, and at about half way, when the major twist is revealed in a stunning moment, I really started to like this book. With that revelation, the pacing of the story picked up significantly, with all the mystery more or less solved as everyone rushes toward Death. This rush made the ending falter, with little time taken for the reader to get used to new direction, or time for the characters to make anything of themselves. Perhaps this will come in further issues, but for the moment, I felt the second half of the story was a let down simply because it moved too quickly.

With thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

There are a few major storylines from the ‘80s X-Men that I missed out on. With the movie now in theatres, it was time to catch up on one of the more iconic ones. I was disappointed to discover that this collection is not entirely focused on the Days of Future Past storyline. Instead, it opens with Jean Grey’s funeral (the very first one!), with Scott basically going through flashbacks of the X-Men and his love for Jean. The Days of Future Past story does not take place until the second or third issue in the collection, and is surprisingly not very long. But the important thing is that it establishes where human hate of mutants can and will lead if the X-Men don’t do their job well. It’s an interesting storyline, but I think the impact is lost for me because of the brevity. While I knew all the characters, there wasn’t enough time to appreciate them within this timeline and therefore mourn their losses when I knew the events would be remedied a few panels later. That said, sentinels and the anti-mutant sentiment certainly did become a major issue for the X-Men after this, so the impact of the theme made it worth the read.

Gotham Central Volume 1: In the Line of Duty

Gary Oldman ordered Ben McKenzie to do his homework when he was cast as Jim Gordon in the upcoming Gotham tv series, so it’s only fair that I do my homework too. While Gotham is considered to be losely based on this graphic novel series, the show will take place at the beginning of Gordon’s career, with Bruce Wayne and many other villains as children—meaning, there will be no Batman. Gotham Central takes place after Jim’s retirement and focuses on the various cops in the precinct and how they handle crime fighting under the shadow of a man they can’t admit exists. Some of them aren’t particularly happy that he does exist, and I love the balance between their animosity and their realization that, considering the utter crazy of their opponents, at times Batman is a necessary evil. The story does not rely on Batman’s existence, though, and he appears only briefly. There are many other crimes that don’t necessarily involve mentally deranged costumed freaks. There is a level of crime procedural drama involved, and, while the particular cases might not be all that inspired, it’s the GCPD themselves that make this story really work.

The Harlem Hellfighters

You’ve probably heard this story before: Coloured men who want to fight for their country, for their freedom, who are treated as less than garbage, but persevere to become the best of the best. We’ve seen this story told many times, in many different forms, from the Tuskegee Airmen, to the The United States Colored Troops. But that doesn’t mean the that the story of men who fought and died for the freedom of a country that hated them is any less important.

I loved the choice of black and white artwork. There are some brutal scenes, typical of horrific events during a war, but the stark contrast of black and white makes the scenes more powerful and vivid than full colour.

Comic Review Bites

The People Inside by Ray Fawkes

This is a unique, poetic graphic novel that uses the medium in a seemingly simple way at first glance. The “story” is told through windows into the lives of several different couples of various backgrounds and arrangements as they move through the many different stages and nuances of their relationships. From first kiss, to safe words, to babies, to brutality, to divorce, happiness… the different couples go through all sorts of different moments in their lives as time goes by. The simplicity of image and form does not take away from the depth of the emotion presented and there are moments—both beautiful and painful—that any reader and sympathize or truly identify with.

 Three, Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen

Set after Frank Miller's 300, we are introduced to a Sparta that is not quite as pleasant and honourable as it once was. At the bottom of the scale, treated as less than slaves, are the helots. But three helots manage to escape the wrath of a legion of Spartans, after massacring the group and their esteemed leader. They are hunted for their actions, and in the course of their journey, we learn bits and pieces of actual history, as well as some of the secrets of the main characters, one of whom is more than he seems.

It is an interesting and somewhat informative story, but the amount of detail overwhelms the actual story. I never really understood why the Spartans would spend such time and resources hunting down three slaves, or why they felt the need to massacre the helots in this village in the first place. The character relationships were confusing, and it becomes unbelievable when one the slave with the warrior past takes on all those Spartans.

Star Trek: Khan by Mike Johnson

Ever wondered how Khan Noonian Singh came to be, and, more specifically, how he came to be a white guy? Well this graphic novel sets out to answer the burning question that I actually hadn’t been asking because I was totally fine with just listening to Benedict Cumberbatch say words. Turns out he was actually a young, Indian amputee who, among others around the world, were taken from their lives of destitution and placed in a special (not)eugenics program. Singh showed particular leadership aptitude, among other traits, and eventually took over and led his people to a new world order that the 24th century came to know as the Eugenics War. There is little information available about the event, so Captain Kirk, Spock and the people at the tribunal against Khan after the events of the movie, Into Darkness are just going to have to take Khan’s word for it.

Each issue begins at the tribunal, then falls back in time as Khan unravels a rather uninspired backstory involving superhuman children growing up to literally take over the world. We know they are superior in intelligence and physicality, but what I had really wanted to know, was why Khan considered them his family and went through such pains over the 72 survivors after the Eugenics War. Toward the end of the story, we vaguely touch on this, but having him toss around the word “family” a few times doesn’t really make it so when the story doesn’t really give us moments to reveal how much he supposedly cares for them, one way or the other. At most, they are people who works with and some of them, he fights with and kills. But he otherwise does not develop strong relationships with any of them.

Finally, the revelations about Admiral Marcus’ discovery of Khan and his friends on the Botany Bay and subsequent usery of Khan’s skill is lackluster and filled with as many questionable holes as the movie itself. But, while the movie was entertaining enough for me to overlook these problems, this comic is, unfortunately, rather unfulfilling.

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read advanced copies of these graphic novels in exchange for an honest review.

Comic Review Bites

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read advanced copies of these graphic novels, in exchange for honest reviews.

Red Sonja vol.1: Queen of Plagues

The Red Sonja movie is a guilty pleasure, yet I have never read the comic, perhaps for fear of what the industry would do with a metal bikini-clad heroine. When I learned that Gail Simone was rebooting the character, I decided it was about time I get on it. I am so glad I did. Sonja is still a metal-bikini clad warrior, but, unlike some equally dressed ladies from pulp scifi/fantasy (lookin’ at you, Dejah Thoris), she is a strong, take charge woman – without having to repeatedly proclaim that she has no need of a man in order to prove herself. Her reputation as a warrior is known and is respected, which is why the king enlists her aid in defending his kingdom. She proceeds to teach everyone to fight, men and women, but the battle itself is where things start to fall apart for her when she comes face to face with her friend and former fellow prisoner. Following a brutal loss, Sonja is exiled and learns and remembers a thing or two about humility, strength and overcoming her failures, in order to return to the defence of the kingdom and earn herself a long respite at the local tavern.

Mass Effect: Foundations vol.1

Mass Effect fans know Maya Brooks from the Citadel DLC. In Mass Effect: Foundations, we learn how she came to be an agent of Cerberus, compiling dossiers on Shepard’s eclectic crew. Issue one was a very interesting look into that very process, but when the next issues began shoehorning Maya into what should simply have been origin stories for our favourite characters, things started to fall apart. I suspect the idea was to make Maya the Mara Jade of the Mass Effect world, but her presence lacked the subtlety of the Emperor’s Hand. I found Kaidan Alenko’s story particularly disappointing. Anyone who took the time to talk to him in the original game  already knew this story, so the issue felt more like an excuse to show Kaidan’s teacher being excessively mean and shouting a lot, within panels literally flooded with biotic powers, without telling anything new.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm Knights

Based on the covers of Grimm Fairy Tales, I hadn’t expected much, but was pleasantly surprised when I read volume one. Realm Knights takes a different spin on the fairy tales with fully realized characters as part of the real world. And when Chronos returns seeking vengeance against the gods that imprisoned him, Snow, Robyn Hood, Hook, Van Helsing and Red Riding Hood are brought together to defeat him. Fans of the series will undoubtedly recognize the characters and their powers, quirky personalities and relationships, but a new reader can have just as much fun on this wild ride, especially when the amusing Hades shows up to help or hinder them in the fight against his father.

Sheltered

One thing that immediately sets Sheltered apart from other post-apocalyptic stories is the fact that it’s actually a pre-apocalyptic story. It begins at a secluded camp of survivalists who have been busily preparing for the inevitable. What they didn't expect is how their preparations would affect their children. Lead by Lucas, who believes that the only chance the younger generation has for survival, is to take their parents' teachings to heart. Meanwhile, Hailey and Victoria, who were not part of the plan, end up doing a lot of nothing for most of the volume, while Lucas tries to maintain his fragile control.

While I really liked the idea behind Sheltered, I felt the motivations of the children were not strong enough to make it truly believable. The Lord of the Flies mentality is easy enough to comprehend, but not before the children bring their deadly plan to fruition. There is no clear reason for the children to follow through with Lucas' plan, no matter how much of a bully he might be or how convincing his end of the world scenario is.

Will-O-the-Wisp

Following the death of her parents, Aurora Grimeon is sent to live with her grandfather, Silver, in the mysterious Ossuary Isle. Upon her arrival, she is greeted by the haunting form of a blue flame. The neighbours refer to it as a will-o-the-wisp, but Silver dismisses it as science. And while Silver does not care much for the superstitious nature of his neighbours, he does consent to send her off to Mama Nonnie, the local hoodoo woman, for protection spells. Death surrounds the people of Ossuary Isle, and Aurora's arrival seems to herald more of it.

This is a an intriguing little tale, with quirky, beautiful art, perfectly suited to the dark, morbid environment. Graves and grave workers line the swamp and Silver's hobbies and research certainly are macabre. I really liked the way the superstitions, which at first seemed to be worthy only of dismissal, were used, taking on a life of their own as the mystery unwound and the story went places I did not quite expect. And then  there's Missy the raccoon...

Comic Review Bites: The NetGalley Haul

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read advanced copies of these graphic novels in exchange for honest reviews.

Spera vol.3 by Josh Tierney: Spera began as an online comic that is now on its third volume. It tells the story of two exiled princesses, Lono and Pira, who've escaped into the world of Spera. Working as adventurers, the friends and their companions, a cat, a fire spirit and Adel, go where adventure takes them! Adventure involves being trailed by members of Lono's court who blame her for betraying and abandoning her people in the face of war, and later, in trying to reignite a fire spirit.

The princesses initially seem like the typical princess and the princess who wants to defy the princess stereotypes, but there is so much more to them. My daughters and I were smitten/grossed out when the princesses attempted to eat bugs and anything else they could find like proper adventurers. Their quests play on RPGs and the entire main story is filled with a lot of quirkiness and heart. The artwork is also really impressive, particularly since there is a different artist for each section. The girls and I really enjoyed reading this and think this would make a fascinating cartoon.

My Little Pony - Pony Tales: I did say I wanted more Pinkie Pie and I definitely got lots with an entire story dedicated just to her - along with stories spotlighting each of the mane (lol) team. The moral of each story comes down to friendship, as per the apparent requirements of a series with "friendship is magic" as the subtitle. Unlike the other MLP comics I've read with the girls, the ponies don't use magical friendship to solve these problems. They use actual friendship, from Rarity helping out the hippies to Twilight Sparkle inspiring a recluse.

Once again a fun time spent reading this with my daughters. The MLP comics have proven to be fun for all three of us.

Cyborg 009: This is a re-imagining of Shotaro Ishinomori's original manga classic. I have not read the original, but this re-imagining seems to hold to the simplistic roots, while updating the story with more modern and mature art. This is about a cyborg named Joe to find his body worked over with technology and no memories of his past. His first test is to kill his predecessors, 001 through 008, but they have plans of their own and take him along on their escape from the evil company seeking to dominate the world with cyborg super soldiers.

This was a good introduction to the major players and plot of good versus evil, adding a bit of emotion and motivation by way of Joe pursuing his life after his memories return. It sets up for a promising story, while paying homage to its source.

Bandette vol.1: Presto by Paul Tobin: Bandette is a fun, charming Robin Hood-esque criminal who is as much a bane to the police as to the criminals she sometimes helps them apprehend. Bandette is a cat burglar with a love for art and literature but her heart lies with her "urchins," various groups of young people within the city whom she can summon to her aid as the perfect distractions. Everyone but the bad guys and the inspector she continuously foils loves Bandette, including the handsome Danny, whom she elegantly strings along.

This was a cute and campy read that continuously brought a smile to my face. Her banter was cute and I especially appreciated the technical pages at the end describing the process from word to image.

East of West vol.1: The Promise by Jonathan Hickman: The horsemen of the apocalypse are reborn only to find that one of their number is missing. Where oh where could Death be? Well, he's busy wreaking unholy vengeance on those who wronged him of course! But this isn't simply a tale of brutal violence. Death has a very valid purpose to his onslaught, and the revelation and the heights that revelation takes the story to is one of the amazing things about this graphic novel. Meanwhile, the remaining horsemen, in the form of very frightening children, are searching for him, and the Chosen are working to bring about the end of the world, as promised in The Message.

This is an alternate history that deviates 'round about the US civil war because of The Message and its contents. Initially, things are wonderfully unclear, with the mystery slowly teased out with some truly shocking reveals, none of which I could possibly expect. Needless to say, I am in definite need of more...

Review Bites: The Walking Dead Edition

The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman

 If you’re breathing, you’ve heard about The Walking Dead thanks to the critical success the television series has garnered. This book is basically about a group of survivors in Georgia trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. It focuses on the dynamics between the ever changing group as they try to survive their ordeal, not knowing where this path will ultimately lead them. Admittedly, I’m a little sick of zombies, and I have been for quite some time thanks to overexposure through books, games, and television/movies. However, every now and again, I’ll find something that’ll pique my interest in the genre, and I do love anything that explores characters and their machinations.

I’d been meaning to read this series for ages. However, I didn’t start reading this until the television show inspired me to get started. I think I didn’t rate this higher because my views of the comic have been tempered by the television series. It wasn’t a terrible comic. Far from it and I enjoyed it. The television series really added more depth of character while fattening up the story, of course. I loved how many of the scenes they did keep from this initial book. I just found that I thought the events in this book happened far quicker than I like because of the pacing I’d grown accustomed to with the television series, and the characters that I found compelling in the show felt very hollow here (ex: Carol and Shane). As I move forward with the series, my opinions may change, and I may be able to appreciate this without the television series looming over its shoulder.

Final Verdict: 

3 of 5 stars

The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman

Volume two follows the survivors as they make the decision to leave the camp near Atlanta and find a more secure location. The group has decided that, with the removal of Shane (who they were starting to distrust anyway), Rick should be their new leader. He isn't asked if he wants this position. He's just informed by Dale that the other survivors have talked, and they're going to put this burden on Rick. Rick accepts the position without a fuss. He actually just says, "Okay then." No questioning as to why this should happen, just meek acceptance. This volume also introduces the Greene family, Tyreese, and Tyreese's daughter Julie (and her boyfriend, Chris).

I am really starting to regret not reading this series before watching the show. I'm typically able to separate comics books/books from their television/movie counterparts, but I think I've just been too spoiled by the show. I like these comics, but I'm not moved by them as I am the television show. As I said in my bite about the first volume, everything moves too fast. The story feels gutted to me because things are happening in such rapid succession. Where on the show certain events were built up, such as Rick increasingly becoming the leader of the group and eventually forming a Ricktatorship, the comic just seems to hands these events to the characters. However, I really do love seeing many of the scenes from the show in these books.

Final Verdict:

3 of 5 stars

The Walking Dead: Michonne Special by Robert Kirkman

Disclosure. I've only  read the first two volumes and, as of this writing, I'm reading the novel, The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor. I figured it wouldn't hurt to read this because it was going to be all about Michonne's life before meeting up with Rick and the gang, and I wouldn't be lost. Right? Ha!

The story begins with Michonne running home from work during the start of the zombie apocalypse. We meet her boyfriend and his idiot best friend (who inadvertently doomed the both of them). We learn that she turned them into her pet zombies to help her bypass the walkers. We learn that she talks to them to remind herself of who they were before turning and to have someone to talk, but that's about it. After that, I'm guessing the rest of her story coincides with one of the comics in the main arc because she saves Otis and is granted admission into the prison. I don't think it's really accurate to say that this is a Michonne special since so few pages were actually dedicated to her actual personal story. It wasn't poorly written, but just disappointing and misleading.

Final Verdict: 

2.5 of 5 stars

Review Bites: DNF

I make a point of finishing every book I pick up. There have been some that I haven't made it through in the past, but since founding a book club and working on this site, I've felt compelled to make sure I get through every book, even if it sometimes means skimming pages of the less enjoyable ones.

But lately, I've had a few that, even after a significant chunk of pages under my belt, have failed to pull me in. I'm certainly not alone on this. Goodreads recently polled members on their "did not finish" reading habits. You can see the results here. It's not uncommon for books to start slow and end extremely well, but in these cases, my problem has been as much with style as with content. The content might become more interesting later on, but can I endure the style for 200+ more pages?

Reading is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby. If the thought of picking up that book on my currently-reading shelf is weighing on me, it means I have to reconsider my life choices. My to-read mountain is filled with lots of other books that are demanding my attention, so why should I waste my time on books that are not pleasing me?

The particular books in question are all critically acclaimed, but acclaim does not mean they are for everyone and no one should ever feel obliged to finish, much less like a book just because the rest of the world does. I'd intended these books to be part of my Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge, but I'd rather free up their slots for more enjoyable reads.

These three books all have one thing in common though: They are unique entries into their genres - in fact, their individuality might even transcend their respective genres and for that, I can appreciate the acclaim they receive. But at the end of the day, they just aren't for me. As LeVar Burton says, "Reading is a trip," but these aren't trips I really want to take.

The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan

This is actually the book that made me decide to write this post and create a DNF shelf on Goodreads. A recent Nebula Awards nominee, it won the vote as this month's read for my bookclub. While I like the concept of a haunted schizophrenic girl and the way art and fairy tales play so heavily in her memoiors of her own madness, I just could not take the writing. I didn't even mind the moments where Imp seems to stop and instruct herself. I just didn't enjoy the meandering, long paragraphs of her stream of consciousness.

This book is heading to my library for donation. hopefully someone else will find and enjoy it far more than I did.

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

This is as far away from urban fantasy as you can get, which is what made it appeal to me. Zinzi December lives in Zoo City, a slum for criminals, easily identified by the animal familiars emotionally/psychologically bonded to them. The creatures are manifestations of their guilt, though not necessarily their culpability. Somewhere along the way, we eventually learn that Zinzi's sloth is the result of her guilt over her brother's death that she did not seem to have caused, which makes it a little difficult to understand why she was imprisoned in the first place.

Zinzi has a talent for finding lost things but the first client in the story ends up brutally murdered and Zinzi is suspected. Only, that is not the main story line. In fact, the story walks away from this entirely and I had to go back to see if I actually had skimmed pages without intending to. But nope. Apparently, we've moved on to Zinzi finding a lost pop star despite her usual refusal to track people.

Where things go from there, well, I'm curious, but not enough to continue for now. I also have issue with the writing style, which contains a lot of local (Johannesburg) vernacular that is difficult to comprehend as the context rarely offers clarity beyond a word being an obvious insult, in some cases.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Reading The Handmaid's Tale in highschool and recently rereading and loving it made me want to finally try out one of Atwood's other books. Unfortunately, this one resulted in disappointment. I actually did finish The Blind Assassin, but I did skim a lot of pages. Or, I should say, I loved The Blind Assassin, but I skimmed the pages that weren't telling that story. This is a story within a story and I loved how everything tied together, but got tired of the monologues surrounding the story of the blind boy and tongueless girl. I just wanted to read about the latter!

Review Bites

Water Witches by Chris Bohjalian

Scottie Winston's wife, sister-in-law, and daughter are all dowsers or "water witches," meaning they can divine the location of water sources. He finds himself at odds with his family when he lobbies for a ski resort that wants to move into the drought stricken town and use the river to make snow for the resort.

This was an okay book. I was expecting a little more magical realism, but what I got was more of a conservative versus liberals, environmentalist versus non-environmentalist stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I thought I would learn more about dowsing. Now there are some real juicy tidbits in this story like Patience's belief that a man can't be a dowser because only women are connected to fluid and to the earth. But mostly it was just a book about differing political/environmental stances.

Final Verdict:

2 of 5 stars

Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman

The vampire queen choses a new host body every thousand years. She's chosen Snow White, a girl who's spent most of her life being teased about her fairytale name, to be that girl. Snow White is bitten by The Hunter and becomes a being that's neither human nor vampire.

Ugh, from the seven close male, rich friends living nearby to just EVERYTHING, I was annoyed by this. I know many people enjoyed this, but I'm not sure this story is for me. I think I've just moved beyond the phase where I would've really appreciated something like this. It managed to do every single thing I hate about some YA novels, but the premise was interesting, which is about its only saving grace right now with me. I'm putting the rest of these books (novellas really) on the bottom of my TBR pile where I will wait for the day I feel compelled to continue this story. Hopefully, later parts will make me forgive this part because it has potential, but this was not it for me.

Final Verdict:

1.5 of 5 stars

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

Jake is the world's last werewolf, and he just turned 201-years-old. Don't let the years fool you, though. Jake has aged well over the years. Sex and a good diet will do that for a werewolf. However, after finding that he's the last werewolf after hunters killed the only other remaining wolf, Jake begins to think about how lonely life is and maybe the time of the wolf is over. He decides that he'll choose his own death. However, there are people who are intent on keeping Jake alive for differing reasons.

I thought the book was well written. But it was a real struggle to get through for me. I had pretty much had to force myself to finish this because I hate quitting books, especially when they're not technically terrible. The language and style was exceptional, but I found myself spending so much of the book saying, "Can we get to the point, Jake?" which is so rare for because I tend to love rambling and wordiness in books. Jake is like that guy who gets caught up in his own romantic ruminations and obviously likes the sound of his own voice, and you just groan, roll your eyes, and start tapping your watch. I was just tired of him, literally worn out from reading all his thoughts, by the 8th chapter, and after that, the story would get good, but then pull back. I don't know what this book was trying to do to me. With that being said, I don't know if I'll be reading the second book or not right now.

Final Verdict:

2.5 of 5 stars

Tigerheart by Peter David

This is a retelling of Peter Pan, called The Boy in this story. Actually, this is the story of Paul Dear, a young boy who desperately wants to go to Anyplace (Neverland) to find something to help his mother who is miserable after the death of his one week old sister. However, his story is strongly tied to The Boy and Anyplace since he needs both to achieve his goals, and in some part of himself, Paul believes that he may actually be The Boy or some manifestation of him.

This was an audiobook listen narrated by Simon Vance. Yeah, you know I love the guy. Even though I'd listened to one book he narrated before this. This book made me realize how consistent and talented he was with his reading, and it helps that he was reading an imaginative retelling, which I love. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I was a little apprehensive at first that I might find it too juvenile for my tastes, but that wasn't the case at all. Peter David managed to make this book feel like a child who is on the cusp of adulthood. It was both naïve and worldy, innocent and experienced. It was truly an amazing, whimsical story with tones of darkness.

Mom Note: I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for younger children even if the tone, wording, and pacing "feels right" for younger children. This book is about children and told in that genial tone reserved for children's books. It's not necessarily a story that's "bad" for younger audiences, but they wouldn't understand the nuances in the story that require some level of maturity to already have been achieved. Examples of this include when the narrator mentions that Paul, being a child, would not understand a woman's figure or why they might not have wanted to be as "round in the hips" as Fiddlefix (Tinkerbell) or when the narrator notes that The Boy shares with grown men the inability to decide if he wants the significant non-mother female figure in his life, Gwennie (Wendy), to be his mother or his lifemate or when the narrator refers to maturity as "the destruction." So, for any parent/guardian/adult figure thinking this might be great for a younger audience, it's not. It's a book about children, but it's not necessarily a book for children. I'd say early teens, maybe even kids as young as 11-12, would better handle a book like this one.

Final Verdict:

4 of 5 stars