Title: WATER MEMORY
Author: MATHIEU REYNES
Illustrator: VALÉRIE VERNAY
Genre: FICTION, GRAPHIC NOVELS
Publisher: DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS
Type of Book: SOFTCOVER
Received From: NETGALLEY
Release Date: SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
ISBN: 9781941302439
Price: $14.99 USD
Rating: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟
DESCRIPTION:
“A new life begins for Marion when her mother inherits an old family house and decides to make it their new home. With its own private beach and a view of the sea, the house has all the makings of a happy new life. But when Marion discovers strange rock carvings nearby, and learns that a sinister-looking lighthouse watchman may be part of a local legend come to life, it becomes clear that things are not as idyllic as they seemed.”
MY REVIEW:
A gorgeously illustrated graphic novel with a plot that will draw in readers and keep you turning pages.
I did not know just how well an author and illustrator could work together to create characters with as much depth as Marion and her mother exhibit in WATER MEMORY. It is impossible to read this graphic novel and not feel like you know Marion intimately.
The story and the mystery unravels at the perfect pace and the illustrations add to the air of otherworldlyness and will have readers guessing as to what is happening.
The ending will surprise readers and it creates the possibility of a sequel. Personally, I hope a sequel is written, as I, for one, will buy it.
With beautifully illustrated pages and a gripping story-line, WATER MEMORY is a wonderful graphic novel that I rate as 4 out of 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 and I highly recommend it to lovers of mystery and even though it is a graphic novel, I believe that even those who have never read this type of book, will be drawn in and will enjoy it immensely.
**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this graphic novel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo of Author and Illustrator. Click on the photo to be taken to the source website
Mathieu Reynès is a French comic book writer and artist. Since 2002, he has worked with many of Europes’ top comic publishers including Ankama, Dupuis, Paquet and Spirou. He illustrated the successful Alter ego series, wrote Water Memory, and is currently writing and drawing the supernatural graphic novel: Harmony.
Born in 1977 in the western suburbs of Paris, France, Reynès spent much of his childhood near the Basque coast. Initially studying science in Bordeaux, he decided to change course and pursue cartoons and 3D animation at the CNBDI in Angoulême. He released his first album, Banana Fight in 2002, in collaboration with writer Frédéric Brrémaud. The duo went on to create two volumes of Sexy Gun and three volumes of Lola Bogota.
Reynès worked predominately in the field of humour, until 2011, where he embarked on the conspiracy series Alter Ego. Reynès used a more realistic style to tell the complex intertwined story. Written by Denis Lapière and Pierre-Paul Renders, the series spread across 11 albums. This series won the 2011 Saint Michael Award for Best Story.
In 2012, Reynès wrote the two-part story La mémoire de l’eau (Water Memory), which was undoubtedly inspired by his childhood memories of the Basque coast. Beautifully drawn by Valérie Vernay the story balances reality and mystery and is just as good for a pre-teen as for an adult.
To learn more about this terrific author visit the following links:
CHAPTERS
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
VALÉRIE VERNAY trained as an illustrator at the Emile Cohl school. With her illustrator’s diploma under her belt, she published her first children’s book “Le Gardien de la Nuit” (published by Petit à Petit).
Over time, she edged her way onto the comic book scene: step by step, a secret dream she never thought would be possible. She started by participating in several collective works, and worked as a colourist on “Sexy Gun,” volumes 1 and 2 (published by Soleil), before creating volume 1 of the comic book adaptation of the “La guerre des Boutons” (published by Petit à Petit).
At the same time, she illustrated another children’s book “Perdus dans la forêt” (published by Magnard). She has now created her very own series “Agathe Saugrenu,” with Vincent Zabus on the script (published by Dupuis), and is continuing to do children’s illustrations for magazines on the side (published by Milan and Normandie Junior.)
To learn more about this terrific illustrator visit the following links:
**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this graphic novel.
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