Mae Vol. 1 by Gene Ha

Mae Vol. 1

by Gene Ha

Mae's beloved older sister, Abbie, has been missing
for years. Mae has her theories about where Abbie might be. But nowhere in her
wildest imagination do those theories encompass a fantasy world full of
terrifying monsters, power-hungry nobles, and nefarious scientists. That is,
until Abbie suddenly reappears in Mae's world. And not
alone.


Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3 of 5 stars

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I received a copy of Mae Vol. 1 through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mae is a graphic novel about two sisters, one of whom has been missing for seven years. I like the art style for the series, it’s bright and blunt and unafraid of itself, as odd as that may sound. It reminded me of a mash-up between Alice in Wonderland and Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, though the former was definitely an intentional reference on the writer’s part.
However I had trouble getting into the plot, and I did find the dialogue to be more than a little bit jarring at times – it’s very blunt and to the point, leaving little room for nuances and softness. This is a little odd, as results with the family hardly reacting when their missing daughter/sister finally returns. That just didn’t feel realistic to me. But I could be in the minority here.
Because of this I never really ended up feeling attached to any of the characters, and thus never felt concerned for their safety or really even compelled to care about the circumstances they were dealing with. I feel bad saying that, because I really did want to care. I like the core of this story, and hated that I couldn’t get more into it. Maybe the next project I’ll like more?

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 July, 2018: Finished reading
  • 5 July, 2018: Reviewed