The artwork in this book is astounding - a work of art. The story itself is fairly straight forward, but enough to not detract from the amazing visuals.
Would seek out more books by this artist in the future!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Diamond Book Distributors, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Interesting Art Project

This is sort of manga ghost meets Audubon on psychedelics in a surreal Maxfield Parrish garden.

There is a story - who and what is the ghost, why is she here, what is the drama that is unsettling the swamp, how can the noble Owl be of service - but it doesn't drive the tale as much as just provide a frame for the drawings. And those drawings are attention grabbers.

The style and tone and approach of the artwork changes almost from page to page. Sometimes a page features the big-eyed soft focus ghost girl. Sometimes the focus is on an extreme close view of the noble Owl. Sometimes we get a bucolic scene that shimmers and vibrates with color, blending into the surreal around the edges. Villains are exaggerated and drawn in heavy lines of dark pencil. Sometimes it appears that the artist is using swirls and waves of color just to establish mood and to inject emotion and energy into the pages. All of the pages are crowded and dense, and there's always a lot more going on than just what appears to be the focus.

I thought this was interesting, and at times arresting, but it's also a bit cold and it invites the reader to keep his distance. Lots going on, though, and lots to admire. An interesting find. (Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Buy it for the artwork.

One night, the ghost of a young girl appears in a swamp; only the animals are able to see – and communicate with – her. While the residents of the swamp have a strict policy against interfering in the affairs of humans, an owl named Aldus breaks with tradition and attempts to help the ghost girl find out who she is, where she comes from, and – most importantly – why her soul continues to hang around. As it turns out, the girl’s fate is entwined with the owl’s own, as their journey takes them to a whimsical little cottage where both spent their youths.

The story in THE GHOST, THE OWL is pretty simple; bare-bones, even. It’s enough to keep the action moving forward, but not much else. For example, I really wanted to learn more about Jessica, and the angry and entitled man pursuing her. This subplot feels like the outline of a fairy tale – the beautiful, kind young maiden and the evil, boorish lord/prince/king/baron – calling out for more depth and complexity.

But the artwork? To say that it’s breathtaking feels grossly inadequate. The style, the colors, the lines and angles – it’s simply enchanting. The owls in particular call to mind the Great Owl from THE SECRET OF NIMH – a childhood favorite – and the dark tone and assorted swamp creatures are evocative of THE DARK CRYSTAL and THE LABYRINTH. The fire scenes – with red licks of flame and black swirls of smoke – are especially beautiful. Many of the pages struck me speechless, and the eyes of the owl and the crow – burnt amber and fiery red – will haunt me.

Honestly, this is one of the most gorgeous books I’ve ever picked up.

The ghost of a young girl appears suddenly in the swamp. She is clearly lost, and doesn't remember who she is or where she comes from. Septimus, the Owl, is determined to help her. After all, he believes in kindness and helping others, as others have helped him in his time of need. However, dark powers are hidden along the way, and many creatures are in danger. Can Septimus and the Ghost save them all? Can he help the little girl remember who she was?

This is a bittersweet story about helping others and believing in the goodness that lies within. A fairytale of battles between good and evil, it is very interesting and unique. The illustrations add up to the effect of the story/ Exceptional and absolutely moving, the figures of both the ghost and the owl peak the reader's interest.

A simple and yet beautifully told and lushly illustrated story. A real winner.

The illustration is beautiful, the story is wonderful amd kinda eerie. This comic is unique and O would reccomend reasing it.

This might well be one of the stand-out books of the year; a graphic novel where every page has a wonderful feel due to the superlative artwork, and where the story offers just what the title implies - and so, so much more. The artwork is really dazzling - a kinetic mix of imagery and images, where multiple scenes are blended into splash page after splash page. Yes, there are googly-eyed girl tropes, but so much detail and wonder, this cries out for an instant re-read. The script is on the short side, so this is a more of an illustrated story than a graphic novel, but all round it's marvellous.

First off, it isn't listed here yet on Goodreads, but the artist for this is Sara Richard and her work is a huge part of the story. It's whimsical, flowing, detailed and scary at times.

This is coming out rated for ages 9-12 and while I agree, that fits for the plot, the artwork, as I mentioned, would make it too scary for the more timid tweens in my opinion. I've known some that would have no issue with it and others that would, so I thought it was worth a mention.

The story itself is part bittersweet and part wonderful. The idea of an Owl being a Good Samaritan to everyone, including humans and ghosts is touching. Being an Owl fan, it fits my idea of them, yet that's neither here nor there and more of a personal observation/opinion.

It's short, sweet, has a few golden nuggets of morals in that the Owl is there to help, even when his own animal friends eventually tell him not to. He does what he thinks is right to repay a debt that he feels he owes, a sort of pay it forward, that we can all learn from.

I enjoyed it, even if I would bump up the age group some. It's less a graphic novel than a short comic or even picture book, yet some of the things it deals with are tough and totally normal in our adult lives. Sigh, adulting is hard.