Uzumaki is probably the scariest graphic novel I have ever read. Okay, that’s it. Review over. Thanks for reading! ……..
Well fine. I suppose I could explain why this book is so scary, but I should warn the reader. This book is not what you would expect when you hear ‘graphic novel.’ It’s not a superhero comic nor is it a multi volume overarching story… rather it’s an episodic novel that details a methodical adventure with standalone chapters that are loosely connected by… something beyond anyone’s control.
What is this something? Well, let’s start at the beginning. The book begins with a young high school girl on her way to school when she stumbles by a neighbor acting strangely who is staring intently at a tiny spiraled object that’s stuck against a wall. This may not seem like much until other citizens of the town have similar experiences, each growing more horrifying than the next. It doesn’t matter if the spiraled object is the curl in someone’s hair or little whirlpools that swirl in a nearby creek… something about the spiral fascinates the citizens, leaving in its wake a certain type of madness that spreads until the whole town becomes twisted (figuratively and very literally).
Who created the spiral? Is it a disease? Is it some kind of monster beyond our understanding? Or is the spiral just taking its natural course? Well, what makes the book very interesting is that there is no answer. As I read, I was curious to see how the heroes would save the day. The further I got, the more I realized that the creatures were far beyond what any of the characters could handle. And what’s more frightening than knowing you can’t delay the inevitable?
In any case, there are three things you’ll get out of this book.
- You’ll start noticing spirals in your everyday life.
- You’ll forever be disturbed by seeing the spirals in your everyday life.
- You’ll never want to see a spiral again.
Review by staff member Wimberly W.
