Review: Glance Backward HC by Tony Sandoval

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Sean Wu had no idea of the secrets kept by his estranged father — until his death kicked open the gates to a mysterious world of international tomb robbers and ageless myths! Now the sole heir to this critical legacy, he must survive the darkest terrors haunting the most sought after treasures buried within a globe-spanning labyrinth of ancient catacombs in order to solve his father’s murder and perhaps even save the world… Based on the best-selling Chinese novel series Daomu Journal, written by Xu “Kennedy” Lei, this original graphic novel collects the sold-out series created by the celebrated art directors at Concept Art House, with over 20 million fans declaring Xu ‘China’s Stephen King’.
This 244-page hardcover features a soft-touch textured cover with embossed elements, highlighting the strikingly rendered painted artwork on both front and back cover. The epic storyline is supplemented by concept artwork and additional design material further exploring the world of Daomu.

MY TAKE:
I was quite excited to read this graphic novel after reading the summary.

In Glance Backward, a young boy enters a strange world where nothing is as it seems. He would love nothing more than to get back home but it's not that easy, especially since he is also being hunted by a beast.

Because I don't reread the summary before reading e-ARCs I've already downloaded, I was confused at first by the copy I received. I was sure that I was excited about this one, but until I reread the summary that I realized that the book was 244 pages long and the copy I received was only 90 pages. There wasn't anything on the NetGalley page to indicate that this was only a preview or sample either. That aside, I thought that this was an interesting book.

From what I saw of the book, it was very surreal. It was like being in a dream, and not the fun kind either. It's the kind of book that Tim Burton could easily turn into a film.

I don't think I can truly comment on the plot accurately since I only saw less than half of the book. However, from what I saw, it's dark, avant garde, and a tad morbid. It's absolutely perfect for any horror fan. The thing is, though, I am hesitant to recommend it to the younger horror fans. There's a sort of graphic scene here that I found a bit disturbing, which was thankfully tempered by the use of dark colors.

Overall, the book does look promising, but the style may not appeal to more mainstream fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and Magnetic Press for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. The style is perfect for the story.
2. Horror fans will love this.
3. It's something new.

THE BAD:

1. It can get morbid and graphic sometimes. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like horror.
2. You like odd adventure tales.
3. You are looking for a thriller. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?