Book Review: Through the Woods Author: Emily Carroll Published: July 2014

There is never a dull moment when reading a good horror story. The chills and anxiety that they cause can be exhilarating, especially before going to bed. There are those who are gory and full of demons, and then there are those who are more on the creepy side. To me, a good horror story is one that ignites a feeling of uneasiness. An excellent example of a disturbing book is Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. This book is not only a creepy read, but it also rewards readers with beautiful artwork that is certain to take people’s breath away.

Through the Woods is a graphic novel that is compacted with short stories filled with twists and turns. A dead woman comes back to life; a mysterious neighbor steals away three sisters for menacing reasons, and a beautiful young lady has a terrible secret hidden under her skin. The artwork is beautiful, as if every color adds meaning to the story. There is a smoky feeling to the drawings, making the stories spookier and disturbing. The book tells its stories in a swift and short way, still surprising readers with every ending of each story. This graphic novel is a great read that should be read before going to bed with the lights off, just to get the full feeling of it.

My favorite of all the stories is “A Lady’s Hands Are Cold” because of the song the dead woman sings. The song is spine-tingling and tells the story of a dismembered woman whose body parts are hidden within the walls of a mansion. The artwork and changes of color are amazing, which is why I love this chapter. The change from blue to bloody red is eerie and beautiful, just like the rest of the book. Despite my appraisal for the book, some say that the novel is not very scary, and I will admit that it isn’t. However, Through the Woods does give me the creeps whenever I read it. A horror story for me has to be creepy and hold the ability to make me feel uneasy. I feel like this graphic novel has that power to make people squirm and feel a bit tense, and if a book has that much control over someone’s emotions, then it is definitely a good read.