hali's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Elena Abbott is a kickass bisexual demon fighting journalist and I love her. This was an awesome read. The mystery mixed with the occult and the 70s detroit setting all came together to make a beautifully dark work. Someone needs to make this into an HBO series already!
tangiblereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Abbott was great love letter to Detroit, mixed with a crazy historical fiction story. I love a bad ass strong female lead with conviction. I mean it is not suicide when half the body is missing. Come on folks. Abbott is not taking no for an answer. I love she only wallowed in her misery for like a few days then said OK times up, time to fight this. I also like the book featured not only oppressors, but also some white allies. Book is gorey, has sexism, a strong queer representation and is very relevant today. Enjoyed it a lot. Had to read the next in the series.
rumireads's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dezthereader's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aimlesscolleen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Car accident, Murder, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Classism, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol and Confinement
essinink's review against another edition
4.0
Detroit, 1972
It’s a time of strife and tension, and reporter Elena Abbott’s landed right in the middle of things. After her last expose, which centered on a police brutality incident, she’s been encouraged to keep a low profile. But the latest story to cross her desk has her on the trail of the dark, supernatural forces that killed her first husband, and now have come gunning for her.
My last encounter with Ahmed’s work was Throne of the Crescent Moon, which landed firmly in my DNF pile after about 100 pages, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Abbott. But the art looked good, and the blurb sounded interesting enough.
The story is good. I love Elena’s character, and while the dialogue with side characters was occasionally corny, the art brought those interactions to life, so I found I didn’t mind it overmuch. Thematically, it’s not subtle (the Light of Elena’s investigation and the countering darkness of the Umbra reflected in the racially divided society around her, for example), but it’s also not overlong.
The art is excellent. Love the character models, love the atmosphere. Sami Kivelä and Jason Wordie are a great team, and their work tacks on a whole star just by itself.
Altogether, definitely worth a read.
It’s a time of strife and tension, and reporter Elena Abbott’s landed right in the middle of things. After her last expose, which centered on a police brutality incident, she’s been encouraged to keep a low profile. But the latest story to cross her desk has her on the trail of the dark, supernatural forces that killed her first husband, and now have come gunning for her.
My last encounter with Ahmed’s work was Throne of the Crescent Moon, which landed firmly in my DNF pile after about 100 pages, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Abbott. But the art looked good, and the blurb sounded interesting enough.
The story is good. I love Elena’s character, and while the dialogue with side characters was occasionally corny, the art brought those interactions to life, so I found I didn’t mind it overmuch. Thematically, it’s not subtle (the Light of Elena’s investigation and the countering darkness of the Umbra reflected in the racially divided society around her, for example), but it’s also not overlong.
The art is excellent. Love the character models, love the atmosphere. Sami Kivelä and Jason Wordie are a great team, and their work tacks on a whole star just by itself.
Altogether, definitely worth a read.
asiaklg's review against another edition
5.0
I was a little unsure about Abbott before reading it, unsure if I would like how supernatural forces would be worked into a world where people of color are already targeted by real-life forces of violence in 1970s Detroit. But it definitely surprised me and the real-life tensions aside from the sci-fi/magical/horror elements were given realistic weight and prevalence.
The art and colors were perfect for the horrific creatures in the series. And the elements of horror, way more than I expected! My library classified Abbott as a YA graphic novel so I expected toned down and low-stakes creepiness, but there’s blood and body horror and true devastating evil in this book.
Elena Abbott as a character is very strong and has a sense of duty as a journalist to tell stories some people don’t want to hear. She’s not interested in sugarcoating anything to cater to those who approach instances of racial violence with skepticism. I imagine that even today her articles would face criticism for their bluntness and for her unwillingness to soften accusations toward those in power.
My ONLY real complaint is that there were an unnecessary number of former relationships and flings to keep track of. And since it’s a relatively short run, we don’t even really get enough backstories on each former love interest to warrant knowledge of the history at all. I wouldn’t complain about there being love-interest elements in the series overall, but I don’t know why we needed to know about three of Abbott’s romantic relationships.
The art and colors were perfect for the horrific creatures in the series. And the elements of horror, way more than I expected! My library classified Abbott as a YA graphic novel so I expected toned down and low-stakes creepiness, but there’s blood and body horror and true devastating evil in this book.
Elena Abbott as a character is very strong and has a sense of duty as a journalist to tell stories some people don’t want to hear. She’s not interested in sugarcoating anything to cater to those who approach instances of racial violence with skepticism. I imagine that even today her articles would face criticism for their bluntness and for her unwillingness to soften accusations toward those in power.
My ONLY real complaint is that there were an unnecessary number of former relationships and flings to keep track of. And since it’s a relatively short run, we don’t even really get enough backstories on each former love interest to warrant knowledge of the history at all. I wouldn’t complain about there being love-interest elements in the series overall, but I don’t know why we needed to know about three of Abbott’s romantic relationships.
teatowel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Very cool supernatural mystery with a cast of characters to match. Lovely artwork as well.
kwame's review against another edition
5.0
Such immersive world-building and a brilliant cast of characters. More, please.