Bad Magic: A Skulduggery Pleasant graphic novel by Derek Landy
A review by Kate O’Brien.
Derek Landy fans should look out because a brand new, original graphic novel has just hit the shelves.
Landy has created a stand-alone story about a small Irish town that is haunted by monsters and dark secrets. There is a monster causing havoc. There has been one unexplained death after another, so now Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain have arrived in town to investigate.
They’ll discover that there is not just a monster on the loose, but there are monsters lurking inside many people. With every turn of the page, horror and mystery lures readers further into the bright, vivid, sometimes scary world of Skulduggery Pleasant.
I enjoyed this graphic novel. It was very eye-catching. I am a fan of graphic novels because I am a fan of visual storytelling. I actually really enjoyed seeing this world in this format. I think that more graphic novels from Landy would be welcomed, especially by readers who are just entering into the YA audience.
I really enjoyed the concept and premise. The idea of a monster being fuelled and brought to life by the cruel, hateful things people say was a really interesting, if not completely groundbreaking one. It was an interesting way to highlight how things that some may see as small things build up to become a bigger problem that hurts other people. Landy’s portrayal of prejudice is not the most subtle, he is quite straightforward and obvious in the way he writes about it. I think this makes sense as this graphic novel is aimed at a younger audience. I’m not suggesting that younger readers cannot understand and/or appreciate nuance, however this novel is for readers who are just starting to make their way into the adult world.
I think that older readers may find things a bit too obvious, however I also think that prejudice, sadly, is not a nuanced issue. Sometimes it is. Sometimes there are complex layers to things and we have to disentangle ourselves from prejudices we may have held subconsciously. Other times, sadly, prejudice is loud and obnoxious. Sometimes people will be loud and proud about their hateful views, and I do think it is important for teen readers to see this type of behaviour obviously called out. It is important that prejudice is obviously protested.
Sometimes metaphors have a right to be heavy handed.
I would recommend this novel for readers aged 12-15.
Thank you to HarperCollins Ireland for sending me a review copy.
Please note, this review contains all of my own opinions. It is not an ad, it is not sponsored in any way. It is not paid promotion.
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