Bizenghast, a beautafully craft Graphic novel, follows the unexpected twists and turns in the lives of two friends; Dinah and Vincent. Dinah, the heroine of this book, is an orphan living in Bizanghast with her Aunt. Perhaps on the edge of her sanity, she has fits and is able to see ghosts much to her Aunt's worry. When touring the grounds of the large home with Vincent this story really begins. When Dinah accidently signs a contract in a hidden Masolium she and Vincent must go back every night and the free the souls lost inside. This book, quickly and easily read, follows Dinah and Vincent as they encounter different souls trapped in their nightmarish and hauntingly gothic past.
Although the writing itself in this book is often below par and the sub plot of each lost soul can be somewhat annoying (I was often reminded of many short stories hastily thrown together rather than a central story - something I don't often enjoy), the artwork and ideas more than make up for it. As my first graphic novel I didn't quite know what to expect, however this book seems different from the norm. McGrow creates ideas that are dazzeling and her artwork refelcts this. As a lover of horror and fairytales, the drawings are dark and beautiful, well up to standards and better than many paintings I have come across. Often reminding me a children's book for teenagers, the weak writing can easily be over-looked and just seeing the pictures is like looking into a dream. While I don't reccomend this for anyone looking for a good plot or likely to take any weakenesses too seriously it is defiantly worth reading. If you're a fan of artwork, enjoy beautiful things, or have a taste for the supernatural or the weird I would definatly read this...
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bristol, n/a England
