This graphic novel starts off with a shock. In the darkness of upstate New York, a teenager brings home a kitten. At first, it appears to be a simple matter of a boy rescuing a small animal (I can remember doing that when I was a youngster). But then the images slowly reveal the boy is covered in blood…a lot of blood. And it’s not from the cat.
From this startling twist, we are shunted into bright sunny California home of one Emsy, a 16-year-old girl with the magical power of pyrokinesis. It’s no big deal for her. Her talents are on the level of Samantha from “Bewitched”. A twitch of her fingers and it’s flame on, baby.
We get the image of a well-adjusted, happy girl. Her room is decorated in pastel colors of hot pink, turquoise blue and white. She’s got friends, a cute girlfriend and fun times at the beach. She loves to surf and enjoys doing so in company. In short, she’s got everything she could ever want.
So, in true storybook style, matters take a turn for the dire. Suddenly, being a witch becomes of paramount importance and Esme is uprooted from her life. She reacts with typical adolescent behavior. She’s defiant, sullen, moody and furious with her parents. Being a witch has never been significant before; why is it such a big deal now?
We feel for her. The author and graphic artist go far in detailing just how Esmy has been uprooted from her glowing life and the pain she experiences at the rupture. She’s not just losing her friends, she’s being taken from the love of her life. So she goes into shutdown mode, turning up the volume on her music and ignoring her mother’s attempts at communication and reassurance.
This graphic novel is terrific at introducing and sustaining suspense, revealing character and displaying images of interior rooms, exterior foliage and architecture and scenery. The characters are distinct, realistic without being heavy handed and expressions are expertly delineated. Even as Emsy’s parents state those dreaded four words “We need to talk”, we know something awful has happened.
I look forward to seeing what happens to Emsy and the beleaguered Ben. Magic or no magic, both have a rough road ahead of them.
From this startling twist, we are shunted into bright sunny California home of one Emsy, a 16-year-old girl with the magical power of pyrokinesis. It’s no big deal for her. Her talents are on the level of Samantha from “Bewitched”. A twitch of her fingers and it’s flame on, baby.
We get the image of a well-adjusted, happy girl. Her room is decorated in pastel colors of hot pink, turquoise blue and white. She’s got friends, a cute girlfriend and fun times at the beach. She loves to surf and enjoys doing so in company. In short, she’s got everything she could ever want.
So, in true storybook style, matters take a turn for the dire. Suddenly, being a witch becomes of paramount importance and Esme is uprooted from her life. She reacts with typical adolescent behavior. She’s defiant, sullen, moody and furious with her parents. Being a witch has never been significant before; why is it such a big deal now?
We feel for her. The author and graphic artist go far in detailing just how Esmy has been uprooted from her glowing life and the pain she experiences at the rupture. She’s not just losing her friends, she’s being taken from the love of her life. So she goes into shutdown mode, turning up the volume on her music and ignoring her mother’s attempts at communication and reassurance.
This graphic novel is terrific at introducing and sustaining suspense, revealing character and displaying images of interior rooms, exterior foliage and architecture and scenery. The characters are distinct, realistic without being heavy handed and expressions are expertly delineated. Even as Emsy’s parents state those dreaded four words “We need to talk”, we know something awful has happened.
I look forward to seeing what happens to Emsy and the beleaguered Ben. Magic or no magic, both have a rough road ahead of them.