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vaneluft's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
msnicolelee's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy this series, and this volume may be my favorite so far. It has a great mix of horror and family drama. The horror in particular tapped into some childhood fears of mine (shadows coming to life and trying to murder you?!) and I think the writing regarding the effects of parental alcoholism on families and children is well done and believable. The art is amazing, as always. For once in this story I felt like the kids may have finally gotten the upper hand on Dodge and I am excited to see what happens next!
chunksaurous's review against another edition
5.0
Gosh. This series is getting better as it goes. Did a literal inhale at the end of this book
whitneywho's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sruthis_bookland's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
elizabeth_paige's review against another edition
5.0
Holy shit! This is so freaking good and horrific and intense. Oh my goodness!
shanebergman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.5
mediaevalmuse's review against another edition
4.0
Same disclaimer as before - this review will cover things unique to this volume, not necessarily things that are constant across all trades. For whatever reason I liked this trade more than the others. There were some really touching moments of friendship as well as conflicts that put my heart through the wringer. I also liked that this volume addressed things that were merely side points in previous volumes, and we got some monsters that were beautifully illustrated.
Things I Liked
1. Honest Look at Alcoholism: Nina Locke has been struggling with alcoholism for the past few volumes, but it hasn’t really been addressed with any severity until this volume. I appreciated that the kids all had their own reactions to their mother’s drinking, and I like that it was acknowledged to be a problem that essentially allows the kids to have their shenanigans. There are also these great moments when the kids stand up to their mother, saying how her pain doesn’t give her free reign to be a jerk to everyone else. It makes my heart really break for them.
2. Shadow Key: I really dig shadow monsters, and this volume delivered. The art shines through here (pun intended), and there are a lot of cool shapes and silhouettes that are made interesting because of the monochrome palette.
3. Ghost Fight: Okay, that fight between Dodge and Sam was badass.
4. Kinsey’s Friendships: Kinsey hangs out with some people in this volume that Zach/Dodge judges to be losers and harbingers of social death. Kinsey doesn’t care. She hangs out with them anyway. You go girl.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Simplicity of the Shadow Key Plot: Dodge raises a shadow army. Okay. A bit simplistic for my tastes, but I guess because of this plot, more focus could be put onto Nina’s emotional state.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in monsters, shadow creatures, grief, emotional pain, trauma, and alcoholism.
Things I Liked
1. Honest Look at Alcoholism: Nina Locke has been struggling with alcoholism for the past few volumes, but it hasn’t really been addressed with any severity until this volume. I appreciated that the kids all had their own reactions to their mother’s drinking, and I like that it was acknowledged to be a problem that essentially allows the kids to have their shenanigans. There are also these great moments when the kids stand up to their mother, saying how her pain doesn’t give her free reign to be a jerk to everyone else. It makes my heart really break for them.
2. Shadow Key: I really dig shadow monsters, and this volume delivered. The art shines through here (pun intended), and there are a lot of cool shapes and silhouettes that are made interesting because of the monochrome palette.
3. Ghost Fight: Okay, that fight between Dodge and Sam was badass.
4. Kinsey’s Friendships: Kinsey hangs out with some people in this volume that Zach/Dodge judges to be losers and harbingers of social death. Kinsey doesn’t care. She hangs out with them anyway. You go girl.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Simplicity of the Shadow Key Plot: Dodge raises a shadow army. Okay. A bit simplistic for my tastes, but I guess because of this plot, more focus could be put onto Nina’s emotional state.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in monsters, shadow creatures, grief, emotional pain, trauma, and alcoholism.