Graphic Novel Review – She Eats the Night (The Night Eaters, Book 1) by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Horror Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Length: 208 pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Release Date: October 11, 2022
ISBN-13 : 978-1419758706
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the She Eats the Night trilogy
Source: Got Hardback copy as Gift
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Chinese American twins, Milly and Billy, are having a tough time. On top of the multiple failures in their personal and professional lives, they’re struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Luckily their parents, Ipo and Keon, are in town for their annual visit. Having immigrated from Hong Kong before the twins were born, Ipo and Keon have supported their children through thick and thin and are ready to lend a hand—but they’re starting to wonder, has their support made Milly and Billy incapable of standing on their own?
When Ipo forces them to help her clean up the house next door—a hellish and run-down ruin that was the scene of a grisly murder—the twins are in for a nasty surprise. A night of terror, gore, and supernatural mayhem reveals that there is much more to Ipo and her children than meets the eye.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the She Eats the Night trilogy. I got this as a birthday gift.
Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this new graphic novel series by Liu and Takeda. The story is humorous and horrific all that once and the illustration is stunningly beautiful.
Milly and Billy are twins trying to keep their restaurant business going through the pandemic. Luckily their parents, Ipo and Keon, are in town to help with things. Ipo (their mother) is strangely obsessed with plants and also determined to solve the mystery of the creepy abandoned house across the street. When Ipo decides to teach her kids a lesson about caring for plants by making them help her clear out the creepy house, things go sideways. Milly and Billy quickly (and violently) learn that neither their parents or themselves are what they thought they were.
This was a fun story about family and mysterious pasts that is incredibly entertaining. I loved that Milly and Billy were just normal young adults trying to get through life and then their parents reveal all these crazy secrets. Some of the twists and turns in here were truly unexpected and I really enjoyed this.
The story touches a lot on family and immigration and the struggles of past generations compared to the struggles of present generations. Of course, there is also a good dose of creepiness and supernatural horror in here as well.
The hardcover book itself is beautiful quality with nice thick paper. The illustration is amazing as always; with beautifully detailed drawings and deep rich colors. This was as much of a joy to look at, as it was to read.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this first book in The Night Eaters series and am eagerly awaiting “Her Little Reapers”, which is planned to release in Oct 2023. This is a wonderful humorous supernatural horror read, that starts out pretty normal and ends up a bit crazy with some huge twists and turns. If you are looking for a great new fun horror graphic novel series to read, I would definitely recommend this.
