Still from the novel
Full name: An Aurora Grimeon Story: Will O' the WispGenre: Graphic Novel/ParanormalStory by: Tom HammockArt by: Megan HutchisonPublisher: Archaia EntertainmentPublication date: 28 January 2014Reading level: Young adultTotal pages: 216Cover price: $24.95 US
A couple of days back I received an email asking me if I would be interested in reviewing a new graphic novel. Although I do not read such genre of books but the summary and the idea of this dark goth inspired graphic novel excited me and I gladly accepted the offer.
Will o' the Wisp is a story of a young girl named Aurora. Although she is just twelve years old, there is no trace of naivety in her character. The story revolves around this heroine who is orphaned after her parents died from mushroom poisoning. She is then sent to her estranged grandfather in a place called Ossuary Isle. It doesn't take much time for her to realize that this new found family and her new home is a bit unusual. Filled with graveyards, it is a spooky environment to be in and she is sure that she does not fit in but once she gets the lay of the land and understand the local traditions with the help of a nearby Hoodoo woman, she realizes that not only she likes it there but wants to help get rid of the souls that haunts the place. Joined with her grandfather pet raccoon named Missy (which is an exciting addition to the story), Aurora pushes herself in the middle of the mystery uncovering secrets after mysterious ghostly things starts happening in the island.
Still from the novel
The story is pretty engaging and very original, although it lacks depth and it is hard to understand how such a young girl of age twelve can very well accept her parents death and adjust to all those deaths happening around her. There were times when I personally felt that the story jumped to an another level all of a sudden leaving me behind. It's marvelous how the characters in the book quickly show their different personalities and grow themselves.
When it comes down to the illustrations, it matched with the story and the atmosphere perfectly. The entire book has a dark, goth feel to it due to Hutchinson color palette. As someone who has never been to this place, I felt like I could picture this very well in front of my eyes. The characters are very well illustrated too especially Aurora who is often seen wearing skirts and knee socks (dresses like a goth). In a nutshell, the illustrations gave the story a perfect atmosphere and is the only reason it kept me hooked on till the very end.
Verdict:Overall it is a good story with some wonderful graphics and I would say there would be people who would love this book but I won't be one of them. I liked the book but did not absolutely loved it. There is a lot of room for improvement in the novel. I enjoyed reading but it did not completely blow me away.
Note:Till the end of the story, there are a lot of dead bodies which might scare small kids. Plus some explanation of science and hoodoo can get complicated for young kids.
Stars I would like to give: 3/5
