A review by ohnoflora
Dark Satanic Mills by Marcus Sedgwick
3.0
Read for the Kate Greenaway Award 2015
A frustrating read but not one that I regret.
The book wears its influences on its sleeve, from William Blake to 2000 AD. It also owes more than a small debt to Alan Moore: the mysticism and bold black and white line art of From Hell, the Fascistic government of V for Vendetta.
However, I really admire its ambition. It may not quite come off in the end but the art is striking, the world is well-realised and the William Blake and Biblical quotations and references throughout (not to mention the Wizard of Oz) create something truly mythic and strange. I think this may find its audience among the more thoughtful of older High School pupils.
A frustrating read but not one that I regret.
The book wears its influences on its sleeve, from William Blake to 2000 AD. It also owes more than a small debt to Alan Moore: the mysticism and bold black and white line art of From Hell, the Fascistic government of V for Vendetta.
However, I really admire its ambition. It may not quite come off in the end but the art is striking, the world is well-realised and the William Blake and Biblical quotations and references throughout (not to mention the Wizard of Oz) create something truly mythic and strange. I think this may find its audience among the more thoughtful of older High School pupils.