Jonny: Hey Misty! Thanks so much for reading this with me. I know it’s been a while since our last buddy read, but I think this was the perfect series to get us back in the game.

How did you like this overall? I love, love, LOVED it!

Misty: Thanks for suggesting we read this one Jonny. I’ve been wanting to read it since the Netflix adaptation came out. Just like you I really loved it. Sometimes when I read graphic novels I feel like I am missing parts of the story because of the way graphic novels are structured but I didn’t feel like that while reading this one. Also the artwork was amazing!!

Jonny: Very welcome! I’ve also been a big fan since watching the first season last year too(by the way we’re most likely getting the second season sometime this year. Fingers crossed!).

I don’t have too much experience with graphic novels outside of X-Men comic books from the 90’s to be honest, but the story really was great and it didn’t feel like anything was left out.

I’m so glad we got a big winner up in here!

So what things really sold this graphic novel to you?

For me, I liked how different the characters were. They felt more real than they do in the series if I’m being honest. Tyler and Kinsey have some super dark issues to sort through, and seeing it portrayed in a grim light made all the difference to me. Their mom was also pretty cool, definitely a mama bear ready to protect her cubs. In the series, her character seems fragile and broken. Oh, and I loved how scrappy and rambunctious Bode was. I loved his little letters and how everything was misspelled. So cute!

Misty: I haven’t watched it yet and I probably won’t watch it until after I have read the entire series.

I have read a few comics/graphic novels over the years but nowhere near as much as some people.

I’m glad we both ended up really enjoying this one. I think our last buddy read you ended up DNFing and I read it just because I wanted to finish it and it ended up not being the greatest so having a huge winner is great.

Like I said I haven’t watched it yet but I do feel like each of the characters were fleshed out perfectly and none of them felt similar. What made me love it so much was how I felt like I read an entire story and didn’t feel like I was missing anything. Obviously because of the graphic novel format it is shorter than a full length novel but I was able to get the whole story in a short amount of pages and I felt for the characters and I was hooked from the very beginning. Also as I mentioned before the artwork was amazing. It depicted the story perfectly and while it was a little gruesome it wasn’t over the top. I just loved it!!

Jonny: Oh okay. That’s probably a good idea so the details don’t get muddied up. I’ll just say that this first book kind of covered what happened in the first episode of the series more or less.

Yeah, I can relate. I just get so swept up in books that I seem to always forget about graphic novels. Shame on me!

Buddy reads can be tough. We all have our preferences and trying to match things up can be a struggle, but we really hit the nail on the head with this one!

I agree with you on all those points.

The novel was short but so easy to read through. Cat interruptions aside, I got through this in one go. It was just that good. The artwork really was great! I also liked the grim tone, as I feel that Netflix tried to censor things a bit with the series, which wasn’t needed if you ask me. You could really feel the pain that the characters were going through after the tragedy. I also liked was that there weren’t a ton of keys present in this one, so it was easy to digest and understand what each one did. No confusion here!

Did you think Dodge was creepy (the well lady)? I thought they made for an interesting villain, and you just know something crazy’s gonna unfold soon!

Misty: Yeah buddy reads can be difficult but I love that we are reading the same book but can have 2 completely different opinions on it. I’m glad that this one was a win for the both of us.

I agree that it was a little grim but I don’t think it was overly grim. It worked for me.

Here’s a fun fact about me: nothing really creeps me out or scares me. I have yet to find a book or movie where something scared me or creeped me out. I think they made a great villain and I look forward to seeing that character’s journey play out but I didn’t find it creepy.

Jonny: Oh, for sure! That’s what it’s all about. 🙂

Yeah, I think Joe Hill had a great handle on the gore and only used it where necessary. Balance!

Whoa, really? That’s awesome! I have been extremely desensitized over the years. Books and Graphic novels have never really scared me, but there have been a few movies that still make me jump. The Descent, Woman in Black, small parts of the first Evil Dead movie (that setup was terrifying!), even certain episodes of Paranormal Witness.

Oh, I wasn’t scared of Dodge or anything, but there was a certain scene where my mind was screaming “WHAT ARE YOU?!” Good times!

I hope this series keeps on like it started. Fingers crossed!

Misty: With scary movies they are always so predictable to me so I end up thinking they are funny and not scary. Now I have had movies get me with jump scares but I don’t consider that a genuine scare.

Yeah I am curious to find out what exactly Dodge is. I hope it continues to get better and better although right from the beginning we have a 5 star so I don’t know how much better it can get.

Jonny: Fair point. There is definitely a formula that most movies follow, so in the end most scary movies end up not being scary at all. Oh, jump scares don’t count!

Haha, true! I just hope that it continues to stay amazing. Thanks so much for doing this with me Misty. Can’t wait for the next one!

Misty: You’re very welcome!! Thank you for suggesting it as our next buddy read!!