Hopeless, Maine - Volume 1: Personal Demons by Tom and Nimue Brown

Hopeless, Maine - Volume 1: Personal Demons by Tom and Nimue Brown

Completion Date: November 6, 2012
Reason for Reading: Review Copy from Archaia Entertainment through NetGalley.

The small island of Hopeless, off the coast of Maine, is a breeding ground for demons, freaks, vampires, and other creatures of the night. Our story follows Salamandra, a young girl with one foot in our world and one foot in the otherworld, as she navigates a life on the edge of reality.

I am on a roll with the graphic novels. I have decided I need to work back up to reading novels. I have just done so badly with them the last couple months. I have been browsing the few e-copies I have and this one sounded intriguing. I basically failed miserably at reading 'dark' books in October, so I guess I will make up for it in November. And, this is a dark tale with a young girl who appears to be a witch, demons, ghosts, and a brooding atmosphere. It is the first book in the series and I think the talent is still relatively new, so I wasn't floored. But, I loved the art! I almost want to run to the store and get a copy just so I can have my own physical copy of the amazing pictures. I think that Tom Brown captures the atmosphere of this book so well. I definitely want to see more from him.

It was the story itself that I went back and forth on. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't blown away by it either. It seemed a bit forced at times. I think it was partly trying to balance between the younger and older readers that tend to read graphic novels. The author was trying to make the characters the age they were supposed to be, but also trying to age them as their circumstances dictated. I couldn't get wrapped up in them like I would have liked to. And, so much seemed to happen in a relatively short period of time. I would have liked more opportunities to get to know the characters. I can't get invested if I don't really care about them sufficiently.

I am intrigued, though. I think the series has potential. I loved the artwork. I think I can see myself reading the next volume. I have high hopes that the authors will slow down a bit and create a world that we can feel more emotional attachment to. It is a tricky thing starting a graphic novel series and it definitely takes a while to get invested in the stories. To sum it up, I strongly recommend the artwork. I am more hesitant about the story. I think it needs more time to grow.