A quick and interesting read, this is an atmospheric journey into the darkness of the wild woods. I wasn't sure initially that I would like it - not a fan of the very stylised art, as it didn't really convey the emotions needed here - but by the end, I felt as if the journey had been worthwhile.

Fast-paced, with events ramping up steadily until a rather sad, poignant conclusion. This was somehow darkly sweet; a great book for spooky season.

A hopeful and inevitable tale
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Meera and Mark are driving back from seeing a new house when the road vanishes and their car hits a tree. Lost in an endless forest of enormous trees, they keep returning to a scarred tree that sends them to another forest that looks remarkably the same but is wholly different, with different inhabitants, different ages of trees and different rules; in particular, one dark and empty forest has an unseen enemy that threatens Meera and Mark. Will they be able to find their way out of the forest or will they be lost in time and space forever?

Illustrated in a style reminiscent of Oscar-winning Flow, this graphic novel is one of those short stories that ends with a satisfying ending but without answering almost any of the questions set up throughout the narrative. The menace of the dark forest is well-demonstrated and the despair of the main characters ramps up as the various moving parts intersect, coming to a resounding ending that is hopeful and inevitable at the same time.

If there is one thing that stands out in this book, it's panels and panels of illustrations, page after page of hard work to convey emotions, time warp, all of the little and several confusing things that make us readers travel back in time in a logic defying manner along with the protagonists, a young couple, Meera and Mark. Quite a success for a graphic novel when the illustrations speak bigger than the written word, right ?

The Space between the Trees is magical, surreal and atmospheric. It starts off with a prelude in the woodlands of the Pacific northwest in the yeah 1902 where two men are looking for their missing companions - lumbers Henri and Gaston. They haven't been spotted and there has been a storm. Gaston’s pack is abandoned, all tools buried in snow, and suddenly one of the two men named Smith also disappears. Fast forward to year 2022, we have Meera and Mark checking out Pine Grove Townhouse living forest setting, a set of houses that boast of a forest setting that doesn't exist at all. Over years, lots of trees have been cut and the landscape is denuded of the tree cover. A minor accident takes place, Meera and Mark escape with little injuries but they are deep in the woods suddenly, not just lost but forced to travel back in time to an era they have no clue about. They try hard to stay together but will the woods with their million secrets and aged trees manage to separate them? A paranormal or psychological thriller, The Space between the Trees talks about the realm that we should never interfere with when interacting with nature and the price we have to pay when we do it.

The element of suspense is well maintained throughout until we reach a thrilling, hard to expect climax. Good read !!

The Space Between the Trees is a twisty graphic novel with a unique art style. I found the story a little confusing at times, but I found my reading experience to be overall enjoyable.

The huge watermark on every single page really took away from the immersion of the story. The quality of the file also wasn’t great so it was hard to appreciate the painted style. I wanted to really like it, but the fact that it was so blurry was hard to get past.

The art style is very fun though. I love a unique style and the painted water colour paired with the angular character designs and settings was really interesting, but again, the quality of the file wasn’t great so these weren’t shown to their full potential.

The twist genuinely surprised me and that’s not something I say very often. Thinking back to the start of The Space Between the Trees, the clues were all there, but I don’t think you’d ever put it all together before the reveal. I’m a little curious how it all worked though. Was this specific character (in the past) aware of what happened? I’m not sure as the present day version had no idea.

Overall, The Space Between the Trees is a fun, if confusing, graphic novel. There’s an ominous feeling throughout the whole story that builds to a real shocker of an ending. If you like time loop stories, this is the graphic novel for you.

I struggled to get into this. I don't think the format of the book helped with the watermarks, it's hard to get over when reading a graphic novel...

Review to come October 2nd on my blog and other places.

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

My third Norm Konyu book and I was so hyped when I saw it! A big thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this one! Norm Konyu is quickly becoming one of my favourite horror artists. I started with Downlands earlier this year which I got from Netgalley, and then I read The Junction quickly after, and I was already hoping to read more. So I was delighted when I saw this one. Perfection! And the weather here at the moment, it is early August, is not really summery, more autumny so it is a great read for this time.

In this one we first see two people in the snow, looking for their colleagues/the workers that cut the trees. Something happens, people disappear. And we go to 2022. The forest has disappeared. Houses have appeared and we meet a couple on their way to find a new home. They reminiscence over the lost forest and how beautiful it used to be and that is when the road stops. Yep. Just dead stops. One moment there is a road with a truck coming from that direction and the next they are in the forest. And the forest has plans. We see the couple try to figure out the way but along the way they keep coming back to the same tree (which we saw in the before part) and weird glitches are happening. They seem to just keeps skipping through time and space.

And I have to say, I was at times a bit confused (and my head was a bit explodey) but also kept gasping in delight because it was just such a ride. Things that happened before now made more sense (like what happened with the phone or the water from the beginning after the crash), but at time same time, ouch. There were so many moments of things in the first pages that connected with the latter pages, and I was just constantly skipping back and forth (which isn't easy on a computer) because I had to know, I had to confirm that what I read in the beginning was indeed what was said then.

The ending. OMG, OMG, OMG, what the actual whut? Thank you author, that was brilliant. Yes, I got a headache but I can also just applaud at the insanity of it all. Love it.

The art was, once again, great! I really like the style. It fits with the spooky/crazy/insane things that happen.

All in all, I am a bit confuddled, but mostly I am just impressed with what happened in this graphic novel. It was surely a ride and I am happy I experienced it. I definitely would love to re-read this one again someday, who knows what more hints I can find in the second run. I would highly recommend this one to all. Another banger from Norm Konyu!

Norm Konyu’s unsettling, supernatural piece features Meera and Mark who accidentally drive off the road and find themselves stranded in a mysterious, maze-like forest. Dominated by an ancient, gargantuan tree, it’s a place where space and time don’t seem to be playing by the usual rules. Apparently, Konyu wanted his narrative to resemble a The Twilight Zone episode, and that’s very much how this feels. I loved Konyu’s off-kilter, slightly jagged illustrations and his inventive, vibrant use of colour. His story contains some marvellous Lovecraftian flourishes but I found Konyu’s eerie, enigmatic plot slightly frustrating - I’d have liked something a little more fleshed out. My impression was that Konyu was partly playing on ideas around the destruction of the natural world and nature’s subsequent desire for revenge but he downplays any underlying environmental messages or themes, highlighting instead Meera and Mark’s immediate experiences and blow-by-blow emotions.

Beware the trees…

This was a beautifully rendered graphic novel with an aesthetic so unlike others I have read. The painterly art gave this tale an extra element of whimsical fantasy, like a colourful blurry dream of being lost in the woods. I always love a time loop and this was no exception! Twisting and surprisingly dark!

Overall, I’d say I enjoyed it. This was just perhaps a little more minimalistic than I would have liked in places and the dialogue was very simple. But creepy and strange all the same! Great for anyone interested in a colourful, eerie, timey-wimey, wander through the woods.

This is my second comic by Konyu and I have say they are easily becoming an instant buy author. Once again we have a chilling and eerie supernatural tale with a lot of heart and touch of timeline distortion. One thing I love about these comics is the art and colouring. It adds a touch of almost whimsy to an often darker tale. The pacing is always excellent as is the reveals and twists along the way. If you like a horror tale with heart and fantastic story this is one for you.