Book Review | Anya's Ghost

Alright. Going to try and make my graphic novel reviews ten thousand times shorter than regular novel reviews. Moving on.

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part. . .

Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century. 

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.

Or so she thinks.

I traveled on over to Barnes & Noble about a month ago. While I was there, I bought this neat little graphic novel frequenting posts on various social media sites. I felt an extensive amount of victory when I grabbed the last copy. I didn't dare read it on the car ride home but holy shoot, did I want to. My grandmother, the woman I get my bookworm gene from, pulled into the driveway.

Like lightning, I bolted. I collapsed onto the living room couch and turned to the first page.

Twenty five minutes later...

Saying that this is a fast read is an understatement. I hadn't read a graphic novel since my early teen years when Manga was more my style. Anya's Ghost was undoubtedly well written and beautifully illustrated. It sure beat my previous Manga reads. Watch out for Vera Brosgol, she is a force to be reckon with. Lovely storytelling. Wonderful illustrations. Great character development with limited dialogue. What more can you ask for?

The synopsis on the built in dust jacket gives away the main conflict but the way in which Vera Brosgol arrives at that point is what's unique aside from the artwork. In spite of the fact that I knew what the main struggle would be from the get-go, I wasn't positive as to how the main character would resolve it. Other than that, the characters were awesome, and I liked that the author infused Russian culture into it since that stems from her actual background. I recommend that everyone read this, for sure!

Even though I really liked this graphic novel, certain aspects weren't enough to make it the "ultimate grand supreme" if you catch my drift. The illustrations and non-linear plot set it apart but I knew what was going to happen two thirds of the time. All in all, it's a great, quick read.

4 out of 5 stars