Graphic Novel Review: Locke and Key Volume 1. – Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

17/11/2014, CelineNyx, Review , 7

Summary: When their father gets shot down, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode move to Lovecraft with their mother. But in the house not everything is as it seems, and powerful enemies lurk in the shadows.

What I liked:

• The narration of Welcome to Lovecraft was fantastic. Built from six chapters, the different chapters have different points of view, each of them unique and adding a new perspective to the story. It’s the best I’ve seen in a graphic novel so far
• It’s creepy! Although we don’t get into real scare territory, there are some pretty nail-biting moments in this book
• All three of the kids and their mom as well have their own personalities, and it’s great finding out about them in the course of the story
• The plot unfolds in a steady manner that answers questions from earlier in the book, but also opens the door to many new ones that will get answered in the next instalments
• Especially the first chapter of the book is heartbreaking. You really feel for these characters

What I didn’t like:

• The drawing style didn’t always agree with me. I prefer cleaner lines rather than this almost caricature style of human faces
• I wish we would see more of the house. I feel like so much of it is still unexplored
• The beginning of the book was extremely strong, but I don’t feel like the ending lived up to that. The climax was great, but the aftermath was a bit lifeless and only seemed meant to kick-start the second volume

Verdict: Great first volume in the Locke and Key series, with amazing narration and a refreshing cast of characters. My bar is very high now for the second book in the series.

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…

4 stars, book review, fantasy, graphic novel review, horror, joe hill, locke and key, series, thriller, welcome to lovecraft, young-adult

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