The keen sense of visual design contrasts the childlike aspects of the character art. That’s not due to a lack of skill; this is clearly deliberate. There really is a striking degree of intentionality, here. The level of detail and the superabundance of decoration in the art and the page layouts makes that very clear.
“And it is in the execution of the familiar conception that I think writer/director Louise Sherrill achieves something wonderful and eerie on a microscopic budget.”
The novel is hugely entertaining and compulsively readable, while achieving a great deal of moral depth and nuances in its characters and plot, as well as some fascinating world-building.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this novella is that, like What Moves the Dead, the investigation and subsequent reactions felt very much like an ensemble effort from the characters.
It’s full of heart, romance, and friendship, despite the miserable angst of several characters; it’s full of magic, despite gritty reality that includes financial strain and attempted roofies; and it contains some amazing revelations, along with some things that I was sure all along must be true.
I was incredibly impressed with how great this novel is, both something that I would have enjoyed when younger and still easily enjoy now.
