An out of practice reader discussing the books I get around to reading.
I LOVE this graphic novel so, so much. I found it by chance at Barnes and Noble last year and read it and was just amazed by it. I read it again this weekend when I learned it took place in New England and thus fulfilled a bingo square. I would have reread it anyway. I just love it.
Wytches is about a family that moves to a small town with a mysterious past. The cause of the move is the death of a classmate of Sailor's, the daughter. Sailor swears she saw monsters pull the girl into a tree where she was killed, but that can't be right. Monsters don't exist, after all. Right? Both Sailor and her father, who I would say is the main protagonist, try to unravel the mystery of the woods they now live by as someone - or something - is hunting Sailor.
Seriously, everything about this novel is my cup of tea, especially the cursed woods angle. Woods freak me out. I don't know why for sure but I'm willing to blame a camping trip from my childhood where I woke up to the sound of something screams. It was probably a mountain lion. Probably. So I love books and movies about haunted/cursed woods. Unfortunately for me, I have a hard time finding books on the material, especially satisfying ones. Usually it's just a creep in a mask killing people when what I really want is a monster. In this respect, Wytches serves all my needs and more.
The art style is amazing. It took a little getting used to for me since it's different from the superhero/Archie comic style I'm used to but once I did I loved it. The characters are all extremely endearing, especially Charlie and Sailor. I'm a sucker for daddy/daughter relationships and their's is so well written. It's not perfect, they have their problems, but that's what makes it feel so real. Finally the wytches themselves are SO cool. I've never seen a concept like it before and I love the way Snyder, the main writer, incorporated fairy tale myths into his world, like the gingerbread house detail. I just love it.
Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars. I love this one. Go read it.