melhara's review
3.0
This was a pretty cute children's comic book about a little hog named Truff who haunts a plum tree while waiting for The Hunter so that she can get her revenge. Two forest spirits try to get her to move on and focus her energy on finding her family instead of The Hunter. Meanwhile, Truff's parents are looking for her and somehow end up in the clutches of a mountain demon.
Pros:
I thought the graphics were really cute, although I feel like Truff looks more like a young moose than a hog (seeing as moose is my favourite animal, I'm going to let that slide). I also really like the two forest spirits, especially Claude, who looks like an adorable tiny bundle of leaves. Finally, I really like how the story starts and ends with humans sharing scary stories about the legendary Ghost Hog.
Cons:
To be honest, I found the story to be too simple and juvenile - which I guess should be expected, seeing as it's a children's book. Even so, I felt like the key message (of moving on?) in this book was glossed over - Truff overcame her desire for revenge way too easily...
ARC provided by Oni Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
***#36 of my 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A ghost story***
Pros:
I thought the graphics were really cute, although I feel like Truff looks more like a young moose than a hog (seeing as moose is my favourite animal, I'm going to let that slide). I also really like the two forest spirits, especially Claude, who looks like an adorable tiny bundle of leaves. Finally, I really like how the story starts and ends with humans sharing scary stories about the legendary Ghost Hog.
Cons:
To be honest, I found the story to be too simple and juvenile - which I guess should be expected, seeing as it's a children's book. Even so, I felt like the key message (of moving on?) in this book was glossed over - Truff overcame her desire for revenge way too easily
Spoiler
and she doesn't actually end up moving on from being a ghostARC provided by Oni Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
***#36 of my 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A ghost story***
batsinthecastle's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Adorable, very lively drawings, and a weird forest ball that I picture sounding like Phil from Hercules.
Adorable, very lively drawings, and a weird forest ball that I picture sounding like Phil from Hercules.
erine's review
3.0
A light spook vibe as we approach Halloween with a solid underpinning of empathy and forgiveness.
mlucero's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
etienne02's review
1.0
Not good, not funny and not entertaining in any way! Very childish in every aspect, maybe a younger reader would have a different opinion, but for me this was just a lot of non sense «adventure». Sorry... but I really didn't like this one!
tyrshand's review
4.0
Very cute illustrations and fun humor. Certainly some important messages. But... I admit I’m a little skeeved that the hunter killed a child animal that walks on two legs and wears clothes. Presumably he fed her to his children. And the whole thing with her being dead was rather glossed over at a key point. I know I’m probably overthinking this sweet story about a little pig ghost.
emtobiasz's review
3.0
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing a review copy.
When Truff is killed by a hunter, all the young boar can think about is getting her revenge-- but can she manage to protect those she loves, too?
The plot of this book is fine, but doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. Children's books about ghosts have a fine line to walk, and whether they veer silly or scary or melancholy they still need to acknowledge death. This book spends very little time on Truff's death, so there's no chance of grisly scenes. Instead, the forest sprites introduce the idea of hunting to sustain a family, and cool Truff's anger at humans in general. (There's no mention, within this complicated idea of hunting, about how the forest animals are all bipedal and often clothed. I'm not sure how that fits into the idea of hunting for food, when your prey is walking and talking with you in the forest.) The plot shifts quickly to Truff becoming a protector, with a few satisfying fight scenes against a mountain troll and his minions, and sidesteps any grief from her family about Truff's death by having her stay on as a guardian. The idea of Truff disappearing hadn't really been addressed until this point, though, so there hadn't been any risk of losing her.
The artwork is bold and cartoony, with large panels and not too much text. That will certainly appeal to a young audience. But while readers at my library will try pretty much anything on the graphic novels shelf, I don't think there's enough story here to keep them coming back for more.
When Truff is killed by a hunter, all the young boar can think about is getting her revenge-- but can she manage to protect those she loves, too?
The plot of this book is fine, but doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. Children's books about ghosts have a fine line to walk, and whether they veer silly or scary or melancholy they still need to acknowledge death. This book spends very little time on Truff's death, so there's no chance of grisly scenes. Instead, the forest sprites introduce the idea of hunting to sustain a family, and cool Truff's anger at humans in general. (There's no mention, within this complicated idea of hunting, about how the forest animals are all bipedal and often clothed. I'm not sure how that fits into the idea of hunting for food, when your prey is walking and talking with you in the forest.) The plot shifts quickly to Truff becoming a protector, with a few satisfying fight scenes against a mountain troll and his minions, and sidesteps any grief from her family about Truff's death by having her stay on as a guardian. The idea of Truff disappearing hadn't really been addressed until this point, though, so there hadn't been any risk of losing her.
The artwork is bold and cartoony, with large panels and not too much text. That will certainly appeal to a young audience. But while readers at my library will try pretty much anything on the graphic novels shelf, I don't think there's enough story here to keep them coming back for more.
destdest's review
2.0
A quick lesson on not letting hatred consume you. The ghost business was confusing tho.
emyvrooom's review
2.0
There are so many great graphic novels for kids out there with depth and a clear narrative. This was a great premise that didn’t deliver on storied morals, characterization, or dialogue. It wanted to be too many things and address too many tropes, so it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Cute illustrations that kids can enjoy, but there’s nothing memorable about it.
tinkeringlibrarian's review
3.0
Very twee! An not so ghostly Truff is guided by two forest spirits to turn from plans of revenge against the hunter who killed her to love for her family. Good low text for struggling readers/ELL, but too moralizing for my taste. A lil wacky and I’m sure will be popular with precocious readers in 1-3rd grades.
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