Darkness

First note: I have never heard of or seen the movie for Jennifer's Body before reading this graphic book. Jennifer Check is an incredibly popular and attractive high school female with a dark, horrific secret - she is currently possessed by a hungry demon with an insatiable appetite. I found the novel fun and enjoyable with the right amount of blood splatter. I thought the plot was lacking but in light of it being an adaption of what appears to be a pretty typical horror film, I feel as though this is not the fault of the Mr. Rick Spears. I love the concept of a graphic novel incorporating several different artists to depict a single story HOWEVER I personally thought the illustrations in the first chapter (by Jim Mahfood, I believe) just didn't meld as nicely together as each of the other chapters/illustrators. All in all though, a nice sit down horror and gore to fill in my day.

I think this is now one of my favourite fairy tale retellings. It is modern and romantic and fantastical and such a wonderful tribute to the original telling of The Little Mermaid. I can not tell you how wonderful I thought it was. Oh, and did I mention that it's LGBTQ? The story follows Kathleen who suffers some very familiar symptoms of stabbing pain in her feet, an obsession with the sea, and the sensation that her tongue is being cut out. She also has an astounding singing voice which has made her into an up and coming opera star. Her girlfriend Harry, has constant concerns about Kathleen's unexplainable problems. In an attempt to uncover the cause of the symptoms, Harry helps Kathleen to track her family history and understand the curse of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. More than anything, I just cannot get over Claycomb's ability to instill the magic and fantasy from Hans Christian Andersen's original tale.

Please be aware this book addresses issues such as suicide and depression which may be triggering for some audiences. As someone who has had first hand experience in depression and suicide I really appreciate this book. Unlike some books that tackle this issue for the YA audience (not looking at you '13 Reasons Why' and all the debates/backlash/arguments NB: I have not taken sides in this response to the book/TV show). Forman clearly depicts the confusion of suicide for the survivors, and the impact the world may contribute. Also, the book deserves a standing ovation for it's ending - I think it is critical for such a topic to not leave a damaging impact on its reader and this book does it beautifully. The characters were developed spectacularly, as they struggle to come to turns with the loss of their friend/daughter/sister/housemate. The impact that such an event has on those who are not close, for example the development of Tree who was not even a housemate of Meg, but merely an acquaintance really won me over. The beautiful and true to life way that this book tackles suicide in so many outlets is a treasure.