Book Review: “Through The Woods” by Emily Carroll

“Through The Woods” by Emily Carroll (2014)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Page Length: 208 pages (paperback edition)

Synopsis:

‘It came from the woods. Most strange things do.’

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there…

Review:

So I loved this book! Being a fan of graphic novels and seeing how many good reviews it got from fellow readers, I decided to pick it up at my local book store. I will also honestly tell you as much horror moves, video games, etc. that I love to watch this book did genuinely freak me out. I just got into habit of reading horror novels versus having been watching them all these years, and it’s a completely different experience (that discussion I’ll save for anther post).

I really enjoyed Carroll’s art style, design, and color scheme used to bring out the suspense, eerie, and dark tones of the novel. All the different shades of red, black, and white kind of remind me of all those “Emily The Strange” comics I used to read. I think her drawings are definitely unique among other artists.

As for the five stories in the novel, each story depicts its own unique theme such as jealously between brothers and arranged marriages. Some of the stories are genuinely scary and leave you feeling unsettled, while others are more subtle and discuss things that go bump in the night. My top two favorite stories were: “A Lady’s Hands Are Cold” and “Our Neighbor’s House”.

Final Verdict:

Loved the art, the eerie factor, and the stories. This book left me feeling a pit paranoid (some of the stories actually got to me!). I give it 5 out of 5 stars! If you enjoyed this book I highly recommend checking out Carroll’s website which has got other short stories as well: http://www.emcarroll.com/