Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Supernatural / Graphic novel
Notes for parents: Some mature scenes
The Back Cover
Ethan
Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is
haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena Duchannes – a
girl unlike anyone Jackson High has ever seen – moves into the town’s oldest
and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined
to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret
could change everything.
What the Back Cover
doesn’t tell you:
This
is the “illustrated adaptation” of Garcia and Stohl’s bestselling novel. The
artwork is by Cassandra Jean.
What’s good?
This
supernatural graphic novel moved quickly, with excellent black and white
drawings and a smooth, interesting plot. Although the concept itself isn’t
original, the story felt fresh thanks to likeable characters and a well-drawn, paranormal
world. Best part: I like the artist’s drawing style. It’s casual, but still very expressive.
What’s not so good?
Since
I haven’t read the original book, and I haven’t seen the movie, it’s
understandable that throughout the novel, I had a feeling I was missing out on
a lot of the nuances of the original story. I’m not a huge fan of established
novels being made into graphic novels because details of the written story
always have to be sacrificed for the sake of the visual story. I found some of
the dialogue difficult to follow, but I always managed to figure it out.Worst part: I have a feeling that the novel is much better.
Recommendations þþþoo
This kind of graphic story is probably intended more
for people who’ve read the novel and just want more. However, if you’re only
interested in getting the gist of the story without having to read the novel,
this one’s for you. I recommend it, but I suggest reading the written novel
instead of this graphic novel if you’re that interested in the story.Garcia, Kami & Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures: The Manga. New York: Yen Press, 2013. (Hardcover)
No comments:
Post a Comment