by Molly Knox Ostertag
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Review copy pilfered from the ARC shelves at work.
Content: There is some talk of sex, and there is some swearing, including a few f-bombs. It’s in the Graphic Novel Section of the bookstore.

Mags hasn’t ever left the small California town she grew up in, for good reason: she has a secret that is preventing her from going. So, when her childhood friend Nessa shows back up, Mags is wary: she doesn’t want anyone to know her secret, mostly because people could get hurt. But Nessa is persistent, and Mags has a weakness for Nessa.

Of course, Nessa asks questions, which leads to complicated answers, and maybe Mags might be ready to share the secret she’s carried alone for her whole life.

I’m not doing the plot justice, here: Ostertag is a better storyteller than that plot summary indicates. She is good at characterizations, at creating chilling, but ultimately hopeful situations, and for bringing the monsters out in the open. You could look at this one on several levels: yes, it’s a monster story, but perhaps it’s a metaphor for the secrets we all have, and how it’s always better to share the secrets (but maybe not always, because there will be people who shun you for them). Like all of her books, this one is superbly well-drawn, and I loved the small details in the art that bring the characters to life.

Another excellent graphic novel from Ostertag.