Book Review: Night Cry by Borja Gonzalez

Night Cry is a young adult graphic novel written and illustrated by Borja Gonzalez. When it comes to rituals, Teresa, who runs a bookstore specializing in magic and the occult, knows her fair share. But when she manages to summon Laura, an anime-loving demon, the ritual goes awry: Laura is there to grant her any wish, but Teresa doesn’t know what to ask for. And so the two are stuck with each other… Thus begins a strange cohabitation, while Laura decides to investigate a series of unexplained disappearances in town. Through the author’s captivating artwork and spirited dialogue, discover an offbeat and magical world close to our own, alternating between warmth and sweet melancholy.

Night Cry is a unique graphic novel. I liked the art style, I thought the use of color and the way the characters were drawn without facial features gave the book a very eerie vibe- and with the witch, ghost, and demon mentions that was on point. honestly the visuals were my favorite part of the story. There were little details and suggestions on every page that readers could interpret in many ways, coloring the storytelling. I liked the majority of the story, but have to admit that there were more than a few moments when I was really confused, and the story and my guesses about what was really going on and where the story might end up were disconnected. And, frankly the ending left me a bit baffled. I did enjoy the friendship development, and though I often hated the way Teresa treated Matilda, I thought some of it made sense for the personalities and twists that might have popped up in the story. 

Night Cry is an atmospheric and beautifully drawn graphic novel that is very much open to interpretation.