BOOK: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol, 221 pages

RIP IV; Graphic Novel Challenge

Anya is a Russian immigrant trying in vain to just be a normal American teen. When she acquires a ghost after falling in a well, she feels that things are going to turn around. However, not all things are quite who they seem to be. Not the cute boy she crushes, not the nerdy other Russian immigrant, and not even the ghost.
I really liked the drawings and Anya's regular teenage angst, compounded by her differentness. Anya's Ghost is an example of how graphic novels work well -  the combination of story and images together make the great read.

The Adventuress by Audrey Niffeneggar,

Gothic Reading Challenge; RIP IV

Hmm. As a little story, it feels like a fairy tale - there is kidnapping, betrayal, castles, true love, a nunnery, and redemption. The artwork is definitely unique, and dramatic. The note explaining the art at the back gave me an appreciation for it. Niffeneggar made the art in the 1980s when she was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. So it's not a graphic novel, it's an illustrated novel like you'd get for a child, but it is for adults. Perhaps there should be more book like this written for adults, but this one flew over my head. Waaay over my head. Perhaps if I'd read Kafka, I would have understood why she turned into a moth. Or never wore a top. Oh well, it only took about 10 minutes to read, so it's practically gone from my head already.