Through the Woods

Graphic Novels are so much fun to read, and Through the Woods was fantastic! I think this book will appeal to readers young and old alike. It was surprisingly spooky in some tales, which was an added delight. I was not expecting to get goosbumps while reading. I sat down and read the book and I as soon as I was done I went over to my cousins house to look through it with her son that loves all things ookey and spooky. He is in second grade and he loved the book! I couldn't even get him to give it back to me when I was reading.

Through the Woods features 5 stories. I am having a hard time even picking my favorite one- they were all wonderful. I think if I had to pick I would choose My Friend Janna. My little cousin's favorite was The Nesting Place. The pictures are vivid and the perfect accompaniment for the story. Through the woods makes me want to pick up more graphic novels. I have seen this listed as middle grade and young adult. I would think it leans more towards middle grade, but there are some pretty chilling parts so young readers beware! (but all of the young readers I have encountered couldn't get enough of the graphic stories.

*Disclaimer- I got a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated for my thoughts.

Through the Woods is a hauntingly beautiful collection of five short stories told through Emily Carroll’s stunning artwork. I borrowed a copy from a friend, but this is the sort of book that I desperately want to go out and get my own copy of so that I can cherish it and spend hours pouring over the artwork.

The stories call to mind fairy tales of the darkest sort – blood, death, and the creeping shadows of the mysterious woods. The first story, “Our Neighbor’s House,” is about three girls who’s father tells them that if he is not back by sunset of the third day, they should immediately trek across the snow to the neighbors. “A Lady’s Hands Are Cold” is reminiscent of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale. “His Face All Red” is about a man who killed his brother in the woods. In “My Friend Janna,” a young woman pretends to speak to ghosts but becomes haunted herself. “The Nesting Place” is a horror story of a girl who goes to stay with her brother’s fiancee.

If you would a taste of the stories contained inside Through the Woods, “His Face All Red” is available on Emily Carrol’s website. The above and below images are from that story.

Emily Carroll’s artistry is breathtaking, and the art style of each story is slightly unique. But every story’s artwork matches it perfectly. From color to composition to the way Carroll interweaves the text with her images, there is not a single design choice I would slight.

The entire collection is a fast read, since the majority of it’s told through images and Carroll keeps the suspense high. I cannot recommend Through the Woods enough. Emily Carroll is an artist I will be watching.

Well that was a little terrifying.
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I don't do scary. Ever. Well, almost ever. But man, this cover was so pretty. And I'm a sucker for fairytales of any kind and definitely for graphic novels.
This was a quick read, but I think it's got some more work to do just working its way around my brain... Okay, so here's what I thought and it's pretty much all good things.
* The presentation was so good. The words were part of the art and I loved that. Even though it was definitely a set of very creepy stories, it was never super gory or graphic, well a few parts were gross to me, but I have a (very) low threshold for gore and realize this about myself. Other parts were simply beautiful, which sounds weird, but if you read it, you'll understand that some of the images are just really pretty.
* The physical portrayal of characters is great. There is a variety of body types, and one girl has a leg brace. Not a single story ever mentions a body type and there's only one line about the brace. It's just a realistic portrayal of what people in the world look like (note that there are still not persons of color, though).
* There is only one story that focuses on a male character out of the 5 (unless you include the conclusion/introduction, then 6) stories. The rest focus on female characters which is nice. Almost a reversal of how often you see the ratio of male:female stories in collections like this.
*No romance. I'm all for some sap every now and then, but there's none of that going on in here. Which is a nice break from every other teen book. There are some "marriages" but they're not romantic.
*It's to be expected but there's not going to be a lot of character development. Because these are all short stories. The plot and twists and creepy business is what drives the book.

I'd highly recommend this one who likes spooky things. Again, I've got a low tolerance, but if you're just looking to be unsettled, you'll enjoy it.

I'm torn on this book. I loved the illustrations, the stories were quite creepy and I was sucked in right from the beginning. The problem I had was the ending of the stories. They just ended without really telling us what happened or who was what, etc. I know that sometimes there is a eerie feel to things when you leave it up to the reader but I just didn't get that. There wasn't enough info to even try to put two and two together. I liked the book but could've loved the book if it had a little more.

This is, hands down, a book that I will come back to many times to reread over and over. I received this book as a gift a few months ago and had yet to dive in, but I've been in a little bit a slump - what with university and other books I've been reading - and I knew I wanted something refreshing, short, and captivating. Through the Woods delivered all of those things and added more than I imagined.

Through the Woods contains a few relatively short, quick stories, but they have so many layers and so much depth that I truly feel like I would never get tired of them. These tales are all undeniably beautiful, haunting, and spine-tingling. Emily Carroll is a master at telling stories that say a great deal in very few words. The images contribute wonderfully and convey just as much as each word, causing both elements work hand-in-hand. This book is mystifying, beautiful, terrifying, and captivating. I'm not so sure I would recommend reading it at night (unless you're into feeling terrified alone in the dark). Though to be honest, I feel like this would be so much fun to read on a stormy night with some soft lighting (or candles) either by yourself or reading aloud with a few friends or family members. That would bring this book to a whole other level... but I digress.

The pages and illustrations are gorgeous. I love the glossy pages with colors so vibrant you feel like you're holding a much more expensive book in your hands. (I felt overwhelmed with how beautiful it is.) The colors are so vibrant and have a wonderfully haunting quality due to their vibrant hues - the reds and blacks dominate and draw attention to the most captivating parts of each image. It's truly a masterpiece.

Overall, Through the Woods will be receiving a very ecstatic five stars. Go read it!

This is one of the best graphic novels I've read. It contains 4 short stories, all of them beautiful illustrated and written. I found all of the stories to interesting. Carroll crafts an amazing collection of stories in this collection. I've read it at least 4 times, each time enjoying it more and more. It took me about an hour to read (maybe a bit less), but it's one of those books that you get sucked into. You don't realize how long you've been reading because it seems like only seconds, but then you look over to take a sip of your tea and it's gone cold and you wonder how long this book's taken you for. Carroll brings the reader into the stories, but in a different way than stories are normally written. When I was reading this, it felt like I was a little kid again, having someone read me a bedtime story. (side note: don't read this to children.) It's like when parents tell their children cautionary tales to scare them and to keep them out of the dark woods. This format of the novel made the stories seem more real. The format, paired with Carroll's illustrations, made this book worth the time it took to read it and the cost of the book (with its' beautiful glossy pages). Happy reading!

Through the Woods reminds me of Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, about twisted fairy tales. Even the black, which and red cover is reminiscent of it. But Through the Woods stands on its own, apart from the comparison. I read it all in one winter’s night. The graphics are spectacular – creepy and beautiful at the same time. The accompanying narratives are perfectly spare – simple but memorable. Some stories I read several times. There are themes of envy, grief and secrets lurking beneath the striking illustrations.

If you want to go down the rabbit hole of her stories, check out her website where many of them are posted, complete with graphics.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Caught Read Handed.

I’d seen this book floating around the book blogosphere a little bit, but when it came across the circulation desk at the library where I work, I was blown away by how freaking pretty it was! Don’t hate me, but I didn’t even let this one go out into the stacks before I checked it out.

This book is made up of five illustrated short stories, all of which were creepy, mysterious, and spine-chillingly awesome. I flew through the entire book in about 45 minutes. I just couldn’t put it down.
'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

This is one of the creepiest, most terrifying, and absolutely gorgeous books I’ve read. It pulled me in from the introduction and didn’t let me go until I turned the last page.

Mini reviews of the five stories:
Our Neighbor’s House
Three girls are left home alone when their father goes hunting. But when he doesn’t return, things start to go bad. This story gave me the creeps, in a good way. I thought the ending was seriously cool, and I got me in the mood for the rest of the book.

A Lady’s Hands are Cold
Oh, man. This story is about a newly married couple. The new wife starts to hear voices and we get some seriously amazing illustrations that were just beautiful. The story and the illustrations went hand in hand to create one of my favorite stories in the book.

His Face All Red
Two brothers go out into the woods to find and kill a monster that’s been attacking their town. It’s kind of hard to talk about this one too much without giving anything away, so I’ll just say that this story was great: terrifying and chilling with illustrations that kept me engaged.

My Friend Janna
Two friends pretend that one of them can speak to ghosts, but all their tricks come back to haunt them. This one was pretty darn good and haunting. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, but it was probably my least favorite of the five, even though I still liked it a lot.

The Nesting Place
Wooooo. This one was my favorite out of the five. Man, this one was so scary, a perfect horror story. A girl remembers her mother telling her ghost stories about monsters with rings of teeth. When she goes to visit her brother and his new fiancé, hoooweee, things get freaking crazy and scary and frightening. Holy crap, you guys.

So if you couldn’t tell, I really liked this one. The illustrations were incredible and they matched the tone of the stories perfectly. The stories and the words worked together to create the feel of the book, and I actually felt myself get chills a few times. I would recommend this to anyone who likes comics, anyone who likes horror, anyone who likes to get a little creeped out, and anyone who just liked a good story. Check this one out for sure.

Rating: 9 – practically perfect

Incredible book! I loved everything! The color palette, the art, and the writing were all stitched together to create the perfectly haunting and dark atmosphere. The stories were deliciously spooky. I often find that horror is one of the more difficult genres for comics to tackle; it's a challenge to try and figure out what to show and what not to to create the right mood. Drawing creepy things is only half the battle. But Emily Carroll knows how to do it! The pacing, the use of large white spaces, the ambiguous endings... I loved every second of it!

If I'm reading a scary story at night and half of me is regretting reading in the dark, I know the author's doing something right.

So. Stinking. Cool.

I hadn't been privy to Emily prior to receiving this book form the publisher and shame on me for that! I flipped through the book to glance at the artwork and immediately fell in love with her talent. Her website allows you to view numerous pieces of her artwork and comics - I really loved The Prince and the Sea - and got me even more excited to read this collection.

Through the Woods contains a series of short comics that are all equally creepy and gorgeous. Her artwork is simply amazing and while the comics themselves don't take long to read, you will absolutely get lost taking in the details of each page. Her art is filled with blacks, reds, and grays that add to the spooky atmosphere.

Her dialogue is part of the artwork instead of the standard speech bubbles or blocks that are found in traditional graphic novels, which makes each page feel more like a work of art than a page from a graphic novel. Even the pages that contain mostly a black background with the characters in shades of gray are breathtaking to look at. The bonus of these pages is that she allows the reader to fill in darkness with their own imagination.

Some of these stores come across as nightmares. Like, Emily went around and plucked nightmares from random people and brought them to life through her talented artwork and story telling. Each story stands on its own, and some have endings that are open to a wide interpretation, but the last line of "In Conclusion" actually made me shiver.

I just devoured Through the Woods by Emily Carroll! This was quite a different read! It's a graphic novel filled with short stories that are fairy tale like in a way; but the much darker and creepier kind of fairy tales!

Each story was creepy! There were twisted morals and lessons woven into each of them and not all endings were happy. Not all endings were satisfying, but those endings that ended with a bit of mystery, a bit of something left unsaid were the creepiest ones of all!!

Graphic novels are always harder to review, but I have to say how much I loved this one! I love fairy tales, especially the darker ones and this is definitely one of those kinds of reads! The illustrations were even creepy! I commend Miss Emily Carrol because she produced one incredible creepy read, but yet it's beautiful! If a creepy drawing creeps you out, then it has fulfilled its purpose!

There are five short stories here, plus an introduction and conclusion that will leave you with the chills! Each story stands alone and all were of an entirely new and fresh variety!

All but one of the stories were totally new to me. One reminded me vaguely of Bluebeard, but this one seems more sinister and scarier than even that story, and that was one eerie story to begin with!

Needless to say, I highly recommend reading this one if you're a fan of graphic novels and darker fairy tales! I will admit to being a bit scared as I read this alone today, because seriously. there were some creepy scary reads in here and I can only hope I don't get nightmares! LOL! (but seriously!)

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

There are beautiful books, and then there's THROUGH THE WOODS by Emily Carroll.

I haven't read anything like this before, and perhaps this is because I don't read as many books in graphic format as I used to, but it could also be that THROUGH THE WOODS is breaking ground. It's a collection of short stories told in a combination of illustration and text. It has the look and feel of a graphic novel, but there's also a but more text than you'd find in a typical comic. So, I'm going to think of it as a hybrid. A beautiful, beautiful hybrid.

In THROUGH THE WOODS, Emily Carroll explores some serious spooky folklore. I'm pretty sure that there's a death in every single one of the shorts. Her use of color -- and limited palette -- is stunning and evocative. And, because she's using the folktale/fable trope, you do see a bit of a "moral" to every story. But often that moral ends up going awry, which is absolutely delicious.

If you're the type of reader who flocks to fairytale retellings but who is also often disappointed by these retellings' lack of teeth and bones and bumps in the night, I am throwing this book at you. THROWING IT. Because you must read it. With the light off, under the covers, with a flashlight. Just do it. And thank me later.

This review and others can be found at www.wovenwithwords.com

Through the Woods is a compilation of graphic short stories that are rather horrific and beautiful in a way that will keep the reader shivering with each turn of the page.

I really loved the source material that drew from the rather gruesome nature of old fairytales without having them become just tired retellings of the same known stories. Carroll’s style of art is eye-catching and definitely helped bring the story to life, though I was slightly off-put by her liberal use of red in the faces of her characters (but I suppose that was a very easy way to signify they were and healthy), I got used to it early on.

Another amazing thing about Carroll’s stories were the varied nature of each tale from the mysterious disappearances in “Our Neighbor’s House” to the gruesome secret the bride must uncover in “A Lady’s Hands are Cold.”

I applaud Carroll in the varied appearances of her characters’ body shapes, and “The Nesting Place” has a character with a disability. Overall, I’d recommend this collection to fans of horror, fairytales, and the paranormal. Plus, it’s really a beautiful book from the cover to the inside pages. IT’S THE TOTAL PACKAGE. I borrowed it from the library, but I kind of, sort of want my own copy now.

Blending hauntingly beautiful artwork with stories that will keep you up at night staring suspiciously at every shadow, THROUGH THE WOODS perfectly combines horror with a touch of fantasy to create an unforgettable journey through the dark places of the imagination.

When writing about graphic novels or collections, it often requires a look at the art and words. With most graphic collections, after all, the text is put in after the art, and so it becomes almost two separate texts, told concurrently by the writer and artist. With THROUGH THE WOODS, though, there is no line between writer and artist, and not simply because they are the same person. The words simply cannot be taken out of the art, and the art cannot be separated from the words. Dialogue bleeds in living poetry across the pages, is itself art in its placement and depiction.

The art as a whole is surreal and horrifying, lending heavily on the sublime and the stark contrasting colors of red, black and white. The introduction sets up the rest of the collection by grounding it in a nearly universal thing: a child's fear of the dark. It is that fear that THROUGH THE WOODS uses to create terror. The stories are not orgiastic bloodbaths, though there is occasionally a bit of violence. Instead there is just a feel of malevolence from the pages because of what is not shown, or only partly shown. The most terrifying things are seen only in glimpses, only outlined in order for the real horror to come from within the mind of the person looking at it. It is an effective method, and one that is expertly and mercilessly used throughout.

The stories themselves are mostly set as fairy tales, taking place in what seems to be some sort of distant past with European influences. And each one is dark and twisted, leading the protagonists down into some weird and unknown danger. In some, like "Our Neighbor's House" and "His Face All Red," those dangers are more intangible, more mysterious. In the others, including "A Lady's Hands are Cold,” "My Friend Janna" and most especially "The Nesting Place," the monsters are present and what is there is quite horrifying. But again, it is the hint that what is seen is only the tip of what is there --- that any more would be too much to face --- that truly make the stories frightening and disturbing.

Of course, the subject matter isn't exactly light, but the stories play out well enough for younger audiences. Again, the violence is subtle and well done, and the stories are much friendlier to younger audiences than much of what Carroll has on her website. The stories are gripping and terrifying, but there really isn't anything to object to unless you're looking for a happily ever after in every story. Because that is one thing these stories don't really provide. The endings, which almost always merely hint at what happens next, are never happy, and most of them are very dark. It's horror, though, so that's part of the point, and it is really well done. Otherwise there isn't much to say against the book, though personally I think that "His Face All Red" reads a little better online because of some of the tricks used that don't translate into a physical book. But it's all so good, and the other stories are all well suited to being rendered on the page.

In the end, THROUGH THE WOODS offers up probably the best horror I have ever experienced in graphic form. The text and artwork are inseparable and amazing, and the epilogue sums it all up in perhaps one of the most frightening sequences I have read in so few pages (and with a great nod to GOODNIGHT MOON). It implies that every time you step into the darkness, be it a strange forest or an inky graphic novel, you take a risk that the darkness is going to reach out and drag you in. And even though you might get through once or twice or a thousand times, the darkness only has to find you once. It's definitely enough to keep me up at night, but not enough to stop me from reading this collection again and again, tempting the dark each time.

Reviewed by Charles Payseur.

The most hauntingly beautiful book I have ever seen! The illustrations alone will creep into your brain and burrow in for nightmares to come. The writing and dialogue has a way of whispering right into your ear, giving chills and everlasting goosebumps. I don't think I will ever be able to convey into appropriate words how brilliant this graphic novel is. Emily Carroll has upped my fairytale expectations to a point that I will probably never be able to find another novel that will captivate like this.

First, I must gush over the book's cover and its illustrations; the cover effectively sets the tone to the stories and will draw you in whether or not you want to be. The woods are enchanting and inviting, just look at those dead white trees on the cover - they are raised and textured, and if you look closer, you can see claws branching out to grab at you. You will be captivated by each story; and you will probably skim through the whole book needing to see the stories before you can actually bring yourself to actually read them. That's the beauty of this graphic novel, you don't have to read it in order to feel the eeriness. The words, the dialogue, adds to the horror, suspense and thrill.

There are five short stories. But the one that spoke to me the most and will forever give me chills is the second one called A Lady's Hands are Cold... it reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe's short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. A girl's father marries her off and is sent to go live in her groom's ornate home. Her handmaids dress her richly and she only sees her husband at dinner. Every night she goes to her room and hears an eerie voice, a woman's voice singing the saddest tune, throughout the house - the walls, the floors. After a few nights she is overcome by the woman's grief and goes to investigate where it is coming from... now, let your imagination run. It will not compare to what unfolds for this girl.

And then the ending, the 'conclusion' of the entire book, is a story on its own too. It is by far my favorite part of the book since it seems to be an obvious nod to Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Yes, the entire book does have an influence from this fairytale as well, but here, here is where it all starts and ends, and it is truly brilliant!

All who love graphic novels, fairytales and/or horror chilling stories will truly appreciate everything about Through the Woods - the quality, the details, the storytelling - these stories will linger on your mind for years to come... a picture book like no other.

“It came from the woods. Most strange things do.”

Three sisters are stranded in a house in the middle of winter. A bride hears the ghostly song of her new husband’s first wife. Two brothers find themselves irrevocably changed after one night in the woods. A girl thinks she knows everything about her best friend and her ability to talk to the dead. A sister discovers the terrifying truth about her brother’s fiancée.

What I love so much about this collection is how nicely, cleverly feminist these stories are. With the exception of one story, the protagonists are all female, and they’re not just naïve girls or witches. They’re heroes, anti-heroes, friends, and antagonists. Each of these original stories is very different in tone, voice, and time period, but Carroll’s darkly whimsical art and portrayal of the woods unifies them. She favors unexpected twists, usually delivered in the final frame in the form of one striking word or image. These twists and surprises encourage multiple re-readings and the violence and ambiguity of each store contribute to the sense that these stories are as old as anything the Grimm brothers ever recorded. Through the Woods is a book you most definitely want to own.

I love, love the art. I love how Carroll inserts herself into the collection with the chilling prologue and epilogue, and the image of the woman in the blue cloak. If I could, I would frame and hang the spreads of this book on my walls.

We seem to be in an age where the idea is to show more to the point where we're saturated with images of violence and gore. In Through the Woods, Emily Carroll takes us back to the time when less was actually the more. This collection of tales has a true creep factor and enough suspense to keep you wanting to read even though you realize you might not want to go there. Also beware that the lack of clear resolutions to some of the tales is as much a hindrance as a boon

The graphics are the real draw, though. The cover is a good indicator of what you're going to get. A lot of red, white, and black with occasional splashes of other colors, the illustrations help create the sense of doom and gloom present in much of the tales and often provide the necessary visual cues to piece the whole story together. There's a sense of old world storytelling from the very start that carries right through the Little Red Riding Hood imagery throughout the book. For the most part, well done. The writing is occasionally sub par but the visuals often make up for it.

I honestly knew nothing about this before I picked it up. But I kept seeing it everywhere so when I found it on clearance recently I decided to give it a shot. I absolutely adore the art style so much. It's beautiful, weird, creepy, and lovely. The stories are all unique and so intriguing. You are left with questions and creeped out after every single one. Wonderful graphic novel. I would definitely like to check out Emily Carroll's other works.

I don't know a whole lot about Emily Carroll, but what encouraged me to check this book out is that I saw and rather enjoyed her short story in Kazu Kibuishi's "Explorer" anthology. From what I have seen from that and this beautifully-crafted collection of horror stories is that Mrs. Carroll is an extremely talented individual.

Yes – horror, but it's not the kind of horror that depends purely on shock value/gore or that is sleep-deprivingly terrifying, but the kind that keeps your thinking cap on and causes you to reflect a bit. The narrative is concise and the book is a bit of a short read as a result, but Carroll's subdued and distinctive artwork deserves more than a few appreciative glances. There is a great attention to detail, color scheme, and mood in her artwork that I think we really need to see more of in graphic novels.

"His Face All Red" (which can be found on Carroll's website) and "The Nesting Place" were my two personal favorites out of this book, but everything was so well done it's almost a crime for me to choose. Recommended and then some. Hope to see more from this author soon!

Carroll is a new name to me, but she is evidently building quite a reputation as a graphic novelist. This one is a collection of five thoroughly spooky stories, all under the rubric, “It came from the woods; most strange things do.”

In all of them, the art does most of the work, the text being a continuing storyteller narrative. In fact, the stories could stand up very well on their own, just as well-told stories, with no art at all. The tone is somewhere between the Brothers Grimm and a dead-serious Edward Gorey, with blood, murder, assorted other modes of death, creepy shadows, and unexplained disappearances throughout.

And, as a re-imagined Red Riding Hood finds out at the very end, when you walk through the woods at night over and over again, you must be lucky enough to avoid the wolf EVERY SINGLE TIME. But the wolf only needs enough luck to find you ONCE.

**Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy**

Creepy and yet hauntingly beautiful, Emily Carroll's debut graphic novel, THROUGH THE WOODS marks her as an amazing artistic talent who clearly has great things in her future.

The five stories in THROUGH THE WOODS have the feel of fairy tales or the Scary Stories series I used to read when I was a kid. Though creations of Carroll's imagination, they have a timeless feel to them, which is only amplified by the gorgeous artwork attached to the narrative. And though this book is meant for a slightly younger age group, I feel it can be enjoyed by anybody, if not for the chills you'll feel up your spine as you read the stories, but for the visual accompaniment. The stories by themselves would stand alone just fine, but it is the art that really turns them into something terrifying. The five stories all fit together well, and the flow of the book is just right. The whole thing can probably be read in one sitting, but I would suggest taking time to savor it.

I've already bought a copy to give away and I anticipate THROUGH THE WOODS is one I'll recommend in the future. I can't wait to see what Carroll comes up with next, after such an amazing debut, I'm confident that whatever it is, it will be worth the wait.

I’m late to the game for graphic novels. As a high school teacher, I find that many students who don’t enjoy text-only stories will completely devour a quality graphic novel, especially anything horror-related. Emily Carroll’s atmospherically creepy, beautifully rendered stories will shortly find their way to my classroom reading shelf. Many reviewers have mentioned these are not children's stories. I agree. However, middle and high school kids can definitely handle them. You'll find no inappropriate content, just scares.

Since starting reading graphic novels, I've noticed that some graphic novel artists use more words than others. Carroll's style seems to be more pictorial. She does include a good bit of words, often expressed as a character's thoughts, but her pictures tell much of the story. What I'm saying is that, yes, this is a quick read, but readers must also "read" the pictures to get the stories.

If you're looking for a scary graphic novel with beautiful images, please read Through the Woods! Keep the lights on. : )

*Book source ~ Library

A graphic novel anthology of five horror stories, an introduction, and a conclusion.

I think these stories may be a bit too creepy for me though I know other horror aficionados who would love them. I’m not a big fan of the artwork either. While my personal opinion rules my rating I will say that the stories are appropriately skin-crawling and spine-tingling and out of them all I’d say The Nesting Place is my favorite. Though the Introduction resonates a lot with me because I used to read at night, too. *shudders*

I absolutely love this book! It has just the right amount of creepiness, although I want more, more, more! Great stories and great graphics!

MY FULL REVIEWS:
http://melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com/2016/01/through-woods-by-emily-carroll.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1505860030

Does anyone else randomly pick up a book despite it not being on their “currently reading list”? Because that’s what happened with this graphic novel. It was 4am and I couldn’t sleep and I just felt in the mood for something quick and in the horror genre and nothing I was currently reading filled those requirements so I was like “I’m going to read Through the Woods". Yes, I read a horror graphic novel in the early hours of the morning. Doesn’t everyone? No… Okay.

This graphic novel was STUNNING. The art and storytelling were so beautiful and captivating. I couldn’t put it down. It was creepy and haunting and beautiful. I don’t normally get scared by books, but I found myself subconsciously checking my window as though something was going to appear. I highly recommend reading this at night because it just adds to the atmosphere of the stories Emily Carroll is telling.

I have a slight obsession with the woods and I fell in love with how it was the main feature in each of the stories. I want to tattoo “It came from the woods. Most strange things do.” onto my soul. I loved all the symbolism. I love that whilst the stories were short and fast paced, they have to make you think. I love that each story is open to interpretation and you can take your own meaning away from it.

It had such a great blend of horror, mystery and intrigue. The characters were all so fascinating.

The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is because as much as I loved the stories and their opening endings I felt a bit of confusion for all of them. Maybe it’s just because my tiny brain isn’t able to comprehend a lot of the symbolism, but I wish that there was just a little more completion. It’s not a huge deal though and is more of a personal thing. I fully understand and appreciate what Emily was intending to do with the stories she was creating.

Horror is my favourite genre and Through the Woods is a great addition to it. It was a beautiful and mesmerising read and I highly recommend it for graphic novel and horror fans. Or just if you like and appreciate beautiful art and unique story telling. It has also made me want to go check out all of Emily's other work, because I'm sure it'll be fascinating.

A collection of short stories of the macabre. The artwork is splendidly creepy and alluring. I just knew this would be a special book when I looked at it. The font is a very large script, which first makes the book appear as if it is for children but once you start reading you'll realize these are no tales for little kids. Deliciously devilish and ghoulish, each of these eerie tales are at the peak of disturbing. Common themes between the stories are that there is a forest in each story (though not always crucial to the plot) and the paranormal or mysterious entity thus tying the stories together into a cohesive collection. This has got to be one of my favourite reads this year. Recommended for teens and up.

Through the Woods was a very fun book for me to read.I won't lie it was mostly pictures and the stories were all around 20 pages... so it was really just for during the commercials of my favorite tv show. The stories were extremely well written (and actually slightly creepy) and the pictures really made them even better. All I could think about was how much I wish I could have read this as a kid! My personal favorites were A Lady's Hands Are Cold and the conclusion.

Not much to do but nod the head emphatically in agreement with the other five star reviews here. This is wonderful collection of unsettling and captivating short horror stories, beguiling and entrancing as the best. I am reminded of the elegant horrors of writers like Olive Onions and Algernon Blackwood, low in gore and high in unease and atmosphere of dread. This is quite an accomplishment for a graphic work, where it would be much easier to gross us out than to send us controlled shivers. Carroll, based on this volume alone (I was unfamiliar with her work prior to this), looks like a major talent and I am eager to to be further unsettled.

Never before have I came across a graphic novel that I actually truly enjoyed looking at. Much less one that managed to creep me out in any fashion! Through the Woods was one of the picks for our 2016 Horror Reading Challenge for the month of September. I decided to give it a try, and was pretty much instantly fascinated.

I’ve seen the never-dying arguments about graphic novels not really counting towards reading challenges and such, because they ‘aren’t really books’. I’ve always fallen on the ‘eh, whatever, at least they’re reading’ side. I can’t say that Through the Woods really changed that – it’s still not quite as satisfying as having words painting pictures in your mind. However, the book did enable me to finally understand some of the appeal behind these type of novels. The color palette, exquisite focus on the important bits, and even the font all worked together to tell each story.

Out of the five stories, A Lady’s Hands are Cold was definitely the best one in my opinion. It actually managed to creep me out a bit. I think the artwork in this one is the most exquisite. The opening panels do a great job of hooking the reader immediately and setting the story up in just a few simple words. Our Neighbor’s House – the first of the lot – was classic in a sort of “told ’round the campfire” type way. The build-up to that last line was great. I loved the stark lines and bold colors in certain panels. His Face All Red had one of those endings that I didn’t quite get at first. Good, but not my favorite. My Friend Janna was the least memorable of the bunch. Now, the one that it ended on, The Nesting Place had me snorting in amusement. It was the only one where I felt like the artwork was silly, and detracted from the story. Still, ending a book of horror stories on a light note isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, Through the Woods is a gorgeous book, very entertaining, and well worth your time.

This book was interesting to read. It's a graphic novel that's about 200 pages long. the book contains about 5 short stories. It was pretty easy to read since it only contained 5 stories. The art style of the stories were different but they were all similar due to them having sketchy looking style. The artwork is still beautiful, colorful and vibrant. I also liked how the colors would change due to the moods in the story. Each of the stories were suspenseful and mysterious. At sometimes it could be dark, unsettling and disturbing. Some of the stories even had a fairytale vibe to it. I really liked this book because of the artwork and how mysterious it would get. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of horror/mystery and graphic novels.

As a fan of horror, I was delighted and truly chilled to read Emily Carroll's first collection of original horror comics. These graphic novelettes were each more haunting than the last, leaving a collection of harrowing cliffhangers and trembling aesthetics. It makes me wonder whose eyes might start to glow in the dark when I turn off the light, or listen closely to the sound of people's teeth when they bite into an apple. This collection is irreplaceable, and I read it whenever I feel like I'm in a creepy sort of mood. I know it is going to become a quick Halloween tradition for me.

A quick read. Scary, fresh, I have a feeling these will stick with me a while. As I read I kept getting a Gorey vibe, but in the best way. A good spooky quick read, perfect for a Friday night alone under the covers.

If Angela Carter and Edward Gorey had collaborated on a collection of gothic tales it might have looked something like Emily Carroll's "Through the Woods." This is the best work of graphic fiction I've read since Isabel Greenberg's "The Encyclopedia of Early Earth." The stories are creepy and strange, their endings often a bit elusive or ambiguous. The writing is sharp and the art is even better. These are perfect bedtime stories for your child, provided that she is a future Wiccan priestess.

There is nothing more enjoyable to a reader than discovering a new voice, a new talent. Emily Carroll is just such a talent. Through her collection of stories entitled Through the Woods, Carroll's writing and art delivers mounting levels of dread and suspense that leaves a reader shaken long after the last page had been turned. Carroll shows a mastery of both hidden suspense and shocking visuals that few can match. This is a must read for horror fans.

I thought this would be a collection of short stories, which I guess it is, but they are shorter than I thought and in a comic type format. The artwork is beautiful and the stories are creepy and interesting. They are not how I thought they would be. I would recommend. It is a really quick read, so don't be like me and plan on reading on this for a few days.

The art-style in this graphic novel is very casual, but the content is quite graphic and that makes for a unique combination. The stories are haunting and chilling and would be perfect to tell to a group of people or to read around Halloween time. The art is nice, but the full page spreads are beautiful and the colors are magnificent. I recommend this book to anyone who loves folk tales, horror stories, and unique art-styles.

The perfect mix of weird and wonderful. This book reminds me of reading as a child and why I fell in love with literature in the first place. The art is fantastic, keeping the theme of the stories in its own unique way. The stories themselves are dark and beautiful. It reminds me of Scary Stories, in the best way possible. Not only is the art outstanding, but the depth in the shortness of the stories is a testament to the author's ability to craft words into fantastic tales. My only complaint would be that the book isn't longer. Carroll strikes the perfect balance between scary and fairytale. I can't say enough how much I love this book, and will be impatiently waiting til there is more available from this author/artist.

Good stories with beautiful and eerie artwork. All of the stories end on cliffhangers, though, and there is no closure. They just end on a creepy note, and at first, I did enjoy that, but it soon became irritating once if I was invested in the story.

Spooky and classy, Emily Carroll's debut collection of stories doesn't disappoint. Having visited her site, I already knew I wanted this book the moment I heard of it. Carroll's illustrations evoke the best of Edward Gorey, with a twist uniquely her own. Her stories feel much like the Brothers Grimm and ghost folk tales we were told as children, stories that made us afraid of the dark. Truly, you may think twice about turning off that light after bringing this book to bed.

Artwork: 5 stars
Stories: 2.5 stars

Aesthetically beautiful and creepy (in a good way), but the stories were a bit lacking. All centered around woods of some sort, and although they were effectively creepy and mysterious, they either didn't make sense or fell flat. But this is worth a read!

This is a true horror graphic novel, using pictures and word to create a sense of unease that sticks with you even after you close the covers. There is almost no satisfactory resolution. There doesn't need to be.

This book is great for teens and adults alike. After reading this, I bought this for my sister, a high school English teacher. She'll love it.

More than anything about this book, I love the art. Any page could be taken separately and hung on the wall. Not much to say about the stories, other than the end of one of them felt a little cliche, but didn't take away from the pleasure of reading it.

Holy goodness..... love love loved this book. The tiny stories are perfect and creepy and absolutely spine chilling. This is a perfect winter night read. The art is captivating and each story makes you want to turn on the light. This is not one to miss.

Almost 3 stars. Artwork was good. I read a lot of graphic novels and this one, unfortunately, fell flat in the writing dept.

My daughter (11) read it. Verdict- Sometimes visually disturbing but otherwise, not scary.

I kept thinking the artist was trying to say something- it had that intentional subtlety you see in graphics novels that are trying to say something. Maybe loneliness, or the monsters inside us... But if there is a theme or more literary message in this, it just wasn't developed. If the stories were simply meant to be creepy, it kind of failed to do that, too

Oooh man. I enjoyed this one. The colors and the drawings were mesmerizing. Each tale as interesting as the previous and creeper as they progressed. If you're into weird tales then definitely pick this book up.

This was a truly exquisite journey through the mind of Emily Caroll. Each story raised a new set of hairs. There is nothing I can even compare this to. I borrowed this from the library, but I will definitely buy a copy to keep,and read again.

These were very nice and Halloween-y, but I felt they were too disjointed. I know they're supposed to be but I don't know. It didn't feel right to me? I did say "WAIT WHAT." out loud several times though. Made me feel really fall-ish and Halloween-y. (And yes, that's a word now.)

This is an incredible work of storytelling both visually and narratively. A collection of short, chilling graphic stories with a grim fairy-tale-yet-modern feel to them, they're surprisingly creepy on the page, and Carroll's artwork gives them a cinematic feel, so that -- at times -- even a wordless sequence can be filled with frightening tension, or a final single image can stun you as it suddenly ends the story with a twist of a knife.
This is an artist that should be getting a LOT more attention -- because she knows exactly what she's doing and she's doing it incredibly well.

The stories in this book were very creepy, but the art was stunning. The only thing I found odd was the fact that I felt Carroll started with her strongest story and ended with what I felt was her weakest. All of the stories were great though.

Already a huge fan of Emily Carroll I was more then a little excited to receive this. It is stellar, riveting and beautiful but don't read it before you go to bed. What Carroll so remarkable achieves in an online format is beautifully translated to print where instead of fearing to scroll down you question if you should flip to the next page. Buy it. You won't regret it

I appreciate the artwork and layout. These stories all fizzled at the end. No story had a memorable ending except to say "That's it, the story just ended?" This book could have benefitted from being edited by readers of the horror genre. Enjoy the pictures. If nothing else this book will motivate the reader to create her/his own satisfory ending.

I really can't understand why so many reviewers love this book. Admittedly, the illustrations are spectacular; depth in color and the imagery for each story is well done but the stories are lame and a lack of decent execution. I think the book would have been more effective had there been no dialogue. The illustrations are rich with imagination but, again, the stories fell flat. I was left very disappointed.

The first couple of tales really grabbed me, and the illustrations throughout were awesome.
After the first couple of stories though, it kinda fizzled out and went downhill for me in the story department. I said, 'weird', a couple of times. Which can be both good and bad, depending. Then I was like, 'I just don't get it'. And at that point, that can't be good. Not after a couple of weirds. At the end, I felt a little let down.
Let me reiterate how good the illustrations were. They were phenomenal even.
I'm sure other people will think differently than I, but in the end, it wasn't for me.

The perfect mix of weird and wonderful. This book reminds me of reading as a child and why I fell in love with literature in the first place. The art is fantastic, keeping the theme of the stories in its own unique way. The stories themselves are dark and beautiful. It reminds me of Scary Stories, in the best way possible. Not only is the art outstanding, but the depth in the shortness of the stories is a testament to the author's ability to craft words into fantastic tales. My only complaint would be that the book isn't longer. Carroll strikes the perfect balance between scary and fairytale. I can't say enough how much I love this book, and will be impatiently waiting til there is more available from this author/artist.

My eight year old brought this book home from school. The book is horrible and I can't hardly believe it would be found in their library. Murder, lying, witchcraft just to name a few. It's disgusting and from the pits of hell. What would Jesus say about all these rave reviews? It's sad. Evil. It's pure evil. And God bless any young tender heart who has been ensnared by this tangled web of deceit.

As a fan of horror, I was delighted and truly chilled to read Emily Carroll's first collection of original horror comics. These graphic novelettes were each more haunting than the last, leaving a collection of harrowing cliffhangers and trembling aesthetics. It makes me wonder whose eyes might start to glow in the dark when I turn off the light, or listen closely to the sound of people's teeth when they bite into an apple. This collection is irreplaceable, and I read it whenever I feel like I'm in a creepy sort of mood. I know it is going to become a quick Halloween tradition for me.

My eight year old brought this book home from school. The book is horrible and I can't hardly believe it would be found in their library. Murder, lying, witchcraft just to name a few. It's disgusting and from the pits of hell. What would Jesus say about all these rave reviews? It's sad. Evil. It's pure evil. And God bless any young tender heart who has been ensnared by this tangled web of deceit.