snowbenton's review against another edition
5.0
I have such a weakness for Lovecraftian lore. This story is an adventure about a golem and a girl, but also a treatise on meaning; death; and large, interdimensional, tentacled monsters. It is also sparsely illustrated.
thehmkane's review against another edition
5.0
I want -- no, okay, I NEED -- Guillermo del Toro to make this movie. Sure, Joe Golem is the title character, but scrappy, smart 14-year-old Molly McHugh is the star of this show. Her life consists of men trying to manipulate her, trying to get what they want (and Molly has no illusions about some of the more sinister things they desire of her), but she consistently thwarts their plans and comes out on top. Molly McHugh is my hero. Confronted with Lovecraftian (Mignolian?) horrors, disasters both natural and unnatural, and a crappy social situation, Molly McHugh overcomes the odds and saves her best friend - the man who has come to act as her father figure - and the world.
Seriously, Guillermo. Make this movie. I wish I'd had this story, and this kickass role model, when I was a kid.
The rest of you - READ IT. Mignola's illustrations completely floor me. I mean literally. There was one point where the art was so perfect I actually had to lay on the floor for a little bit (book in hand, of course). Once I started, I could hardly put it down. Definitely recommended, to, like, everybody.
Seriously, Guillermo. Make this movie. I wish I'd had this story, and this kickass role model, when I was a kid.
The rest of you - READ IT. Mignola's illustrations completely floor me. I mean literally. There was one point where the art was so perfect I actually had to lay on the floor for a little bit (book in hand, of course). Once I started, I could hardly put it down. Definitely recommended, to, like, everybody.
spmcleroy's review against another edition
4.0
great book, a little slow in the beginning, but the ending was nice.
antlersantlers's review against another edition
1.0
It makes me so sad how awful this book is. It's rotten. I love Mike Mignola so much (SO MUCH!) but this was total garbage. The prose was so insanely stilted, and it seemed like they just threw words together. Yikes. It bums me out so hard that this book was such a tremendous disappointment.
selfwinding's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with this one pretty early in the reading. I thought I had picked up something that would be a one-off, but pretty soon I realized I’d like to devour everything in this world. I’m a little skeptical when science and fantasy are blended—often one overtakes the other and the balance is lost—but this world is consistent in delineating a different between mechanical objects and augmented objects and straight magic. The care and consistency in the world building is one of my favorite aspects about this illustrated novel.
This story is steeped in atmosphere, which is a thing I’m looking to improve in my own writing. It bleeds through in simple lines like, “There was still theater in Lower Manhattan, but of a crude, make-shift sort, performed in front of audiences who desired distraction from the thinness of their lives, and who often did not understand the meaning of what they saw” (p. 11), giving a view of what life is like while also explaining how people react to it. I love this kind of efficiency!
Also admirable is that even though a dude’s name is in the title, the main character of this story is 100% Molly McHugh and she is a spunky, bad-ass character. The story really benefited from having her perspective in the lead since she was both insider and outsider to this world, extremely familiar with the Drowning City, but new to the level of magic that actually existed. It really felt like an excellent choice for a main POV character.
One more line I absolutely loved: “men and women whose behavior suggested that they had broken glass inside them where their conscience should have been” (p. 52).
This story is steeped in atmosphere, which is a thing I’m looking to improve in my own writing. It bleeds through in simple lines like, “There was still theater in Lower Manhattan, but of a crude, make-shift sort, performed in front of audiences who desired distraction from the thinness of their lives, and who often did not understand the meaning of what they saw” (p. 11), giving a view of what life is like while also explaining how people react to it. I love this kind of efficiency!
Also admirable is that even though a dude’s name is in the title, the main character of this story is 100% Molly McHugh and she is a spunky, bad-ass character. The story really benefited from having her perspective in the lead since she was both insider and outsider to this world, extremely familiar with the Drowning City, but new to the level of magic that actually existed. It really felt like an excellent choice for a main POV character.
One more line I absolutely loved: “men and women whose behavior suggested that they had broken glass inside them where their conscience should have been” (p. 52).
tiedyedude's review against another edition
3.0
I feel that the descriptor "illustrated" regarding this title is a bit misleading; the illustration are mostly trading-card-sized, sparsely inset to the margins. In addition, though he is the title character, Joe Golem is little more than a supporting character, absent for big chucks of the story. Misleading title aside, it is a good enough read. I don't see myself giving it much thought in the future, and I'm not even sure I'd consider recommending it to a fan of Mike Mignola.
pdz's review against another edition
4.0
This book works best in the history of the characters and the atmosphere of the different scenes. It is kind of lacking and slow when you get to the big action. A great fun read all together, though.
wingedpotato's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars for the art, 3 stars for the story. I've never been able to connect to Christopher Golden's writing, and this book was no exception. Fascinating concepts and characters with middling execution.