I went to the library today and promised myself I wouldn’t pick up any more graphic novels until I finished the ones I already had. Then I saw Lint Boy and all bets were off. The good news is, I absolutely loved this book.

The style is in the same vein as Tim Burton/ Neil Gaiman. Very creepy in a charismatic way.

The story itself is pretty simple, yet whimsical. Lint Boy and Lint Bear are born in the dryer and play together every day until Lint Bear is pulled into another world by mean, gnarled fingers. Lint Boy goes off to rescue his brother. This is an adorable story (adorable and horrifying, but in a good way? It’s hard to explain.)

With the help of such allies as a doll with pins sticking out of her head, bald stuffed animals, and some lost socks, Lint Boy learns about friendship, forgiveness, and perseverance. This book contains a cast of surprisingly loveable characters.

The villain, of course, is the exactly opposite. She is perfectly hateable. I’ll admit, she’s a bit two-dimensional (why is she so mean? what is her backstory? what made her this way?), but for a simplistic children’s story, I think it works. I really fall for villains that you feel at least some sympathy for, but Tortura/Mrs. PinchnSqueeze is not that villain.

A little bit sad, a little bit scary, a lot a bit heartwarming, this is a fantastic read.

Goodreads