Review Detail

I am new to the genre of graphic novels. I'm really trying to break out of my reading shell. Anya's Ghost was my second graphic novel ever, and I have mixed feelings.

First off, the drawings were awesome! The author/illustrator is so talented. The characters' faces had so much great detail and expression. The color graphics made it easy to get "sucked into" this story.

Now, the plot itself... eh. The ghost story aspect was pretty clever. I did enjoy that. I thought it was a fresh take on a tired genre. Was it ground breaking or mind shattering? No. Not even close. Would younger readers like it and find it creepy enough? Probably. There was also a pretty good message about accepting who you are hidden in the mystery.

What I didn't care for was how mature this character--Anya--was for a high school student. She was drinking and smoking often. Yes, I know teenagers do that. I was one of those teenagers some of the time, but I still don't think it has a place in books. I'm just funny like that. And there is something about it being illustrated in books that doesn't sit well with me. It's much harder to glance over something or forget something that you actually see. I think taking those things out of the book wouldn't have changed the story at all. They really weren't needed. In fact, they would keep me from recommending this book to a younger reader. No sense in unneccessary exposure.