Review: HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES by Neil Gaiman

Release Date: July 5th, 2016

Type: Graphic Novel, Dark Horse, Science Fiction, Whaaaat?

About the Book: Enn is a sixteen-year-old boy who just doesn’t understand girls, while his friend Vic seems to have them all figured out. Both teenagers are in for the shock of their young lives, however, when they crash a local party only to discover that the girls there are far, far more than they appear!

From the Locus Award-winning short story by Neil Gaiman—one of the most celebrated authors of our time—and adapted in vibrant ink-and-watercolor illustrations by the Daytripper duo of Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, this original hardcover graphic novel is absolutely not to be missed! [Description provided by the publisher.]

My Review: First off, this story is odd and out there. But what else would you expect from Neil Gaiman? He is the king of "odd and out there." Weird is his version of normal. He knows how to take something that would be perfect normal, and shape it so that while you feel the strangeness, it doesn't really hit you until you're in the middle that something is wrong, or different. At first, I just assumed our narrator was so awkward that he wasn't really understanding what the girl was saying. But nope.

And second, you know what my favorite part about this was? The ending. It's left so completely open, that you're just sitting there, staring at the last page, waiting for it to give you some clue as to what the heck it all means. Gaiman does that to you. You sit there, wondering if you just missed something important. Like he has the secrets to the universe, and you just missed your chance to comprehend it.

And the art - the art is just as weird and angular as the story itself. Clearly, Gaiman and the illustrators - Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon - are a fantastic team.

Cover Lovin': Well done. The art is properly represented, and it only barely hints at the weirdness within.

Recommendation: You have to like open endings, and you have to like weird.

Final Rating: THREE AND A HALF out of FIVE stars! (3.5/5). An interesting, entertaining, fast read.

Make sure to pre-order your copy of How To Talk To Girls At Parties today!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

REVIEW: "Shadow Show: Stories In Celebration of Ray Bradbury" by Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, et al.

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Release Date: July 7th, 2015

Type: Graphic Novel, Comic Books, IDW Publishing, Anthology, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Ray Bradbury is the bomb

About the Book: In Shadow Show, acclaimed writers and artists such as Joe Hill, Mort Castle, Audrey Niffeneffer, Charles Paul Wilson III, Maria Frohlich, Eddie Campbell, Neil Gaiman, and more come together to pay tribute to the work of the one and only Ray Bradbury. In this collection are stories based on "By The Silver Water of Lake Champlain," "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury," "Backward in Seville," "Weariness," "Live Forever!," "Who Knocks?," "Earth (A Gift Shop)," "Altenmoor, Where the Dogs Dance," and "Conjure." [Description provided by Netgalley.com]

My Review: Reviewing anthologies can always be difficult, since there is multiple authors and therefore multiple styles. Usually they run either really amazing, or ultimately forgettable. Shadow Show falls right down the middle of the road. There was one story that scared me, another that made me very sad, and a few I couldn't wait to end because they were mildly boring.

Anthologies are tough enough, but imagine a graphic novel anthology, where each story has to be broken up into panels. As a collection of short stories celebrating the great Ray Bradbury, this anthology is just okay. But as a collection of comic shorts, this was very well done. The art was great, and each singular graphic novel flows well into the next one.

Cover Lovin': This cover is all over the place - which is very fitting considering that is how the book runs as well. This cover also looks very similar to the Unwritten series by Mike Carey.

Recommendation: For fans of Ray Bradbury, of course!

Final Rating: THREE out of FIVE stars (3/5). Like all anthologies, some stories were amazing, and some were... not-so. And therefore, it evens out to a solid, enjoyable three.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

Review: "Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" by Neil Gaiman, Alice Cooper, Michael Zulli, Dave McKean

Disclaimer: I received a free, advance e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Type: Graphic Novel, Anniversary Edition, Re-release, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Music, Comic Book, The Theatre from Heck

About the Book: Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Coraline, American Gods) brings shock rocker Alice Cooper's concept album to life in a surreal sideshow of the soul! Join a young boy named Steven on a surreal journey of the soul, as an enigmatic and potentially dangerous Showman seduces him into joining his carnival. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this seminal Gaiman work, returned to print for the first time in over a decade. Fully remastered in color, this Deluxe Edition incorporates complete scripts to all three chapters, black-and-white thumbnail art of pre-colored pages, an original outline of the project by Neil Gaiman, and a collection of letters between shock rocker Alice Cooper and the author! "I'm really happy that The Last Temptation is coming out for a new generation of readers, who have not seen Michael Zulli's glorious drawings, or know of the Showman and his wicked ways," says Neil Gaiman. "I wrote this a long time ago, driven by love of Ray Bradbury's dark carnivals and of Alice Cooper's own pandemonium shadow show. It's time for it to shuffle out onto a leaf-covered street and meet the people who don't know about Stephen and Mercy and show what's coming to town."

My Review: As a fan of Both Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper, I went into this graphic novel with high expectations... And I was definitely not disappointed! Working together, these two geniuses created a dark, haunting story that left me more than a little creeped out. The art was truly stunning, perfectly matching the storyline.

In full cover on my device, the pages were gorgeous, I can only imagine what this book looks like in all its physical glory. This is a must have for any true fan of these amazing artists. And even better, this story lends itself to re-reading, to catch all the subtle hints and tricks that have been weaved into the tale. I'm grateful I got the chance to go to read this graphic novel before it's re-release. Be sure to check it out when it comes out October 21, 2014!

Cover Lovin': Great cover - appropriately haunting, considering the masterminds behind the title.

Recommendation: For fans of Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper. For graphic novel readers that want something weird and creepy to go along with your Halloween read-a-thong. Or maybe for people who just like weird stuff.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Creepy, awesome, and made me have a nightmare or two - a perfect read for Halloween, or really, any time.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~