Sunday, October 07, 2018

A Review for Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan


Title: Snow White
Author: Matt Phelan
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Genres: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: July 10th, 2018
Pages: 216

Synopsis (Goodreads): Award-winning graphic novelist Matt Phelan delivers a darkly stylized noir Snow White set against the backdrop of Depression-era Manhattan.

The scene: New York City. The dazzling lights cast shadows that grow ever darker as the glitzy prosperity of the Roaring Twenties screeches to a halt. Enter a cast of familiar characters: a young girl, Samantha White, returning after being sent away by her cruel stepmother, the Queen of the Follies, years earlier; her father, the King of Wall Street, who survives the stock market crash only to suffer a strange and sudden death; seven street urchins, brave protectors for a girl as pure as snow; and a mysterious stock ticker that holds the stepmother in its thrall, churning out ticker tape imprinted with the wicked words "Another . . . More Beautiful . . . KILL." In a moody, cinematic new telling of a beloved fairy tale, extraordinary graphic novelist Matt Phelan captures the essence of classic film noir on the page--and draws a striking distinction between good and evil.

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My rating: 4 / 5 ★

Snow White by Matt Phelan is a retelling of the classic Snow White, in graphic version! This is my first time reading a graphic novel and I managed to read it three times in one seating, which took me barely ten minutes. Graphic novels are so easy to read through, especially for Snow White because there were little to none dialogues involved at all. The story is told solely through the graphics, which makes it more interesting.

I'm enthralled by the way the graphics managed to present the story smoothly. I believe that even if someone have never heard of Snow White before, they will still be able to grasp the classic story through Matt Phelan's work. Every little detail is present, and even without dialogues, the story still leaves a large impact on me.

Snow White is no longer a princess and her stepmother is no longer an evil queen in Matt Phelan's version of Snow White. The magic mirror is replaced with a stock ticker that somehow mysteriously churns out evil thoughts to Snow White's stepmother. Even the modernised version of the seven dwarfs becomes more interesting and emotional. There may be less dialogues, but the actions portrayed are more than enough to make the story as powerful as the classic tale. Maybe even better than that.

My only problem would be how the "prince" found Snow White and woke her up. Based on the events unfold, it is a given that he found her, but as to the exact reason why she suddenly woke up, it was rather vague. I still think a backstory should have been involved for this matter instead of following the classic tale where the prince woke her up with a kiss. But nonetheless, the ending is definitely better than the classic because Snow White took in her seven friends with her, making it a very warm closure.

Overall, I absolutely loved Snow White by Matt Phelan. I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up again any time because it barely take much time to complete the read, and the graphics are just too lovely. There were not many colours used, but the story still feels much alive to me. I enjoyed it to bits!


Many thanks to Pansing for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is available at all good bookstores.
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Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'



Resources:

PSD Colouring (base) - PSD 18 by Moon2k2

Fonts -

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