2 stars
I really wanted to like this graphic novel. It had me hooked at the start, but as I continued I felt myself slowly disengaging.
The premise is cool and I like the idea of the story. But it just doesn’t feel developed enough. A lot happens, but everything feels disconnected. The shifting narrators also makes things pretty chaotic. The characters didn’t feel very developed either because of the switching. Mostly, I found everyone fairly annoying.
Overall, I liked the artwork, but the representation of female characters was disheartening. This is what really made me lose interest. All of the women are highly sexualized, often appearing anonymously in sexual roles (prostitute, orgy member). I don’t mind nudity and sex in graphic novels, but the images came off as more pornographic than storytelling. Plus you know there’s a problem when the only way to differentiate between a mother and her daughter is by their hair color.
I’m really disappointed that I couldn’t get into this book. It had so much going for it, but the execution just doesnt live up to the promise. I may check out the second book, but I’m pretty much expecting the same blatant sexualization of women and and lack of development.