Graphic Novel Review: Kin by Holly Black

Kin (The Good Neighbors, #1)

by Holly Black; Ted Naifeh (Illustrator)

Genre: Paranormal/Faery Graphic Novel

Reading Grade: YA

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: October 2008

Source: public library

Rated: Teen (13+)

Amazon.com

Rue Silver's mother has disappeared . . . and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing her. But it's not as straightforward as that. Because Rue is a faerie, like her mother was. And her father didn't kill her mother—instead, he broke a promise to Rue's faerie king grandfather, which caused Rue's mother to be flung back to the faerie world. Now Rue must go to save her—and must also defeat a dark faerie that threatens our very mortal world.

My Review

Rue Silver is your garden-variety goth teenager who thinks she's just another normal human being. But, when her mother suddenly disappears, she starts to notice that a lot of people look odd to her. They have horns, pointy ears, leafy skin. No one else sees this but her. Soon she discovers that her mother is a faerie and that her father is considered the suspect in her murder. Rue believes her father is innocent and tries to go about finding evidence to support her case, all the while discovering her own unique heritage.

When I first started to read this graphic novel, I was liking it. I got about halfway through it and it seemed interesting. I don't like the art all that much because the artist makes all the teenagers look like they're in their forties, but he draws the faeries extremely well, so that might be why he was hired for the job. But, what started to bother me when I finished up the story was how it got a bit too confusing with the comic panels.

I was confused about the story for a while, too, but it was cleared up as I finished it. The story is interesting and it's more paranormal than fantasy in that the faerie realm is beginning to encroach upon the normal human world, and the protagonist, Rue, is totally unaware of it all before the start of the story. But, something about it felt too weird for me. Maybe I just couldn't get past the artwork—I don't know! I wish I could put my finger on it, but it didn't jibe super well with me. Still, I liked it.

Although, if I were a fan of Holly Black's works (author of The Spiderwick Chronicles), I wouldn't want to pass this up. Definitely check out this graphic novel if you love her existing novels. And, those who love anything 'faerie' or 'fairy'—well, you might like this, too. I think it has a unique twist on the faerie/fairy realm. The ones presented in this book are quite dangerous and not very sympathetic to humans. They're kind of 'dark' faeries, in my opinion, and if that sounds great to you, then give this graphic novel a go.

My score: 3 out of 5 stars