Cover Image: Watersnakes

Watersnakes

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Member Reviews

I apologise to Tony Sandoval & Netgalley for this short review - my ebook reader has had difficulties with the format of this ebook and for some reason has only displayed random parts of it for me to read. All I can do is comment on the parts I have been able to read.

The artwork I have seen is beautiful. Gothic, twisted, imaginative and truly lovely. The story is fascinating and I very much want to read the complete book. For this reason I have ordered the book hardcopy so I can view / read it as a whole, rather than potted snippets. I really want to submerge myself in Lila and Agnes' world. From what I can see fairytale references pepper the book, and there are quirks and strangeness in abundance.

I look forward to holding the physical book in my hands and reading it face to page :)

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First, I'd like to thank the author, NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for this amazing book.

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous, and the story really interesting. There were several parts when I couldn't get what was going on, but then it made sense.

As the synopsis says, the story is about a girl, Mila (which I really liked) befriend a blonde, Agnes, which was also beautiful.
Their story is beautiful and moving at the end. I also liked the "King" 's personality.

I recommend this book, as the characters are well-formed and the story a little creepy (in a good way).

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I received a digital ARC copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, I don't know how I feel about this.
So let's start with this the PDF I have had some white pages, and I'm not sure if there was something missing or not, because one time I felt like I missed something, but other times it felt like normal.
The story is okay, but the artwork is impressive and beautiful.

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Tony Sandoval’s imagination knows no bounds! Talking octopus. Magical girls. Badass teeth warriors. Awesome stuff!

Watersnakes is completely bizarre and surreal. The artwork is really beautiful and I love the combination of innocent faces, gruesome deaths and the copious amounts of blood that goes with it. I also love the dreamlike atmosphere and how it throws me off kilter. Several times I had to ask, is this really happening?

Despite the languid looking art, the pacing is fast and the story telling is not bogged down by too much dialogue. The talky bits were concise and to the point but they also had some snappy humor. The events of the story simply happened here and now and there is little backstory. But even with all the weirdness, the plot is easy to follow. Mila and Agnes were wild, adventurous girls with a streak of crazy. Yep, shipping them!

Watersnakes is a gothic horror graphic novel that sucks you deeper as it gets creepier and creepier. When the ancient king appeared, he asked to be taken to the water while doglike monsters hunted them. The warriors prepare to fight. The battle was fierce and took a heavy toll. The fields were red with blood.

We are already dead…You can only see and feel the projection of our energy like the light from a dead star.

Hold on to your teeth!

P.S.

I received a copy of Watersnakes from Diamond Book Distributors via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

Soundtrack: On+Off
Artist: Maggie Rogers
Album: Now That the Light is Fading

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Beautiful, dark, and disorienting. I was first drawn in by the gorgeous art--reminiscent of the "big eyes" style of Margaret Keane that seems to have influenced many a goth teenager a generation later--and then grabbed by the surreal weirdness of the story. It never quite grabbed my heart, but it certainly lived in my head for a while. Just don't read this if you're prone to nightmares about your teeth falling out.

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I cannot get over how gorgeous this graphic novel is! Author Tony Sandoval draws wispy images that are both beautiful and creepy, bringing forward fantasy gothic tale where our world overlaps with the other world. I'm not sure if anything was lost in translation; some of the plot points were lost on me until I reread and came to my own conclusions. Highly recommended. Giving it one of my rare five-stars.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

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First off, the art is awesome! It has a very grim and gothic feel to it which perfectly suits the story. The plot was different from the fantasy books I usually read, so it kept me intrigued. Recommended to readers who like their fantasy dark.

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I loved the artwork in this book. I have never looked at any of his works before. The story gets creepier and creepier, although nothing explicitly horrible happens. It's all threat and imminence, and the tension keeps winding up even though nothing explicitly bad is happening. Then we have an alarming development, a pause, more alarms, longer pauses, some monologue to clean up the after the storm, and then, amazingly the rest of the book, (the fairy tale magical adventure part), finally starts. Over all it was a very good read but the artwork was definitely my favorite

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Thanks Netgalley, Diamond Books Distributors and Lion Gate for this chance of reading the ARC in exchange of a honest review!

With dark and gothic at, focusing manly on their grey pallet and reds, and on a beautiful art reminding me a bit of Coraline, we have the story of Mila and Agnes. A fast friendship of two teenage girls that quickly blossoms to more. And more I mean Mila's feelings about Agnes, also Agnes Teeth (don't ask question, I just finished and I'm still digesting all the plot and this particularly.).

They meet, they form a friendship, feelings arise, and then we meet some mystery and a octopus!

It all seems like a dreams, it makes us feel like we're Mila discovering and feeling it with her (except the teeth, I still don't get the teeth), as she feels it all was a dream, as she feels about Agnes, we feel with her!

Fantasy is just around the corner as well, with all makes seem even more dream like than before!

As someone that loves this type of dark, gothic art, and this dream state of storytelling. I really recommend it! It's a fast read with great art, and a cute ittybit romance in the mix of fantasy is mystery!

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This story was out there. I definitely did not know where it was going, but in the end I was rather satisfied with the ending. The art style is rough and beautiful. It stuck with reds, blacks (greys) and bridges with its colouring for the most part which I felt fit with its darker tone.

There will be many points where you ask "where are we going here?", but I think that adds to the story itself. It brings mystery and an un-knowingness to the overall story, which you feel the main character feels. She isn't sure if its real, a joke, or just part of a dream and you're left wondering the same.

I really enjoyed this and believe anyone looking for a darker, dreamlike story would be happy with this one.

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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel I liked the story and the art work too. I’ve never read anything like this but I liked that it was like that. If the author comes out with more I will definitely read them. I definitely recommend this, I think you should pick it up. I gave this a four out of five stars.

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The artwork in this book is amazing. It's beautiful, surreal and gothic, with just the right amount of creepiness. This book has octopuses, lesbians, bad ass females, foxes.. Oh and an obsession with teeth. The story has a sense of melancholy to it and quirkiness.

There wasn't a lot of world building or character development, which is my complaint with the book. It didn't wow me, and based off of the blurb I was excited for it. Bad ass girls, ghosts and an ancient king? Adventurous friend that shows the way to more excitement? Things I typically love. I also do enjoy graphic novels, and wasn't expecting a ton of character development or world development due to the method of presentation. Even still, it didn't reach that for me. This could very likely be a me, not you moment but it wasn't for me. After I read this I learned that it was middle grade, which surprised me with the artwork, but makes sense with the character development and simplicity of the story.

2 wineglasses out of 5.

I honestly think this was just me. The story just didn't work for me, because lack of world building and character development are deal breakers for me. It felt a little too simple of a story for me. For a middle grade novel, it is good. The artwork is great and the story is on par for MG books. The fact there is ghosts and ancient kings is really cool. I'd recommend it to that age group, but I wouldn't recommend it to adults.
https://jenuinereviews.wixsite.com/home/blog/watersnakes-by-tony-sandoval

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While I liked the fantasy element, it took an odd turn or two, and it took a while to get where it was going.

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I finished this little gem thinking "What did I just read?!?!".
Then broke into a grin, because that was awesome!

So much is packed into this stunning, intriguing story. I was totally drawn in. It's odd, and you feel that from the beginning. You're not sure what to make of it, but at the same time it's fascinating. You can't stop reading/looking at the art because you need to know where this is going even if it is rather unsettling.

And can we talk about the art for a moment?! The feel and tone - it's just perfect. The artwork ties beautifully with the story. It is sweet and dreamlike, and also slightly sinister, leaving you admiring and off kilter. I finished the story and immediately flicked back through it again, there are several pages I just had to pour over in detail.

I'll be pushing this glorious short read on many friends simply because it was so unique.

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Let me first say, the artwork in this graphic novel is astonishing.
It works so well for the story, which was equally amazing. Don't get me wrong, I was so confused at times, but I do really like this novel!!

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A fantasy. A dream. A love story.

Cruising through the dark and surrealistic dreamscapes of Tony Sandoval is quite the adventure.

Worth reading.

Check this out if you like comics off the beaten path.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Lion Forge for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

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It starts more or less normally. An encounter between two adolescent girls attracted to each other. Nothing new. But here comes the twist. Mila feels strangely attracted to Agnes’ teeth.

Soon, things go from weird to insane. It turns out Agnes carries the essence of an ancient king and her teeth are his former guardians. Readers don’t get enough background information and that makes plot stranger and stranger the deeper we go.

That’s a serious issue, but I didn’t mind because I like weird fiction. Plus, the art is AMAZING. Creepy and beautiful. I can easily see myself rereading it dozens of times just to feat my eyes.

ARC through NetGalley.

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This was an entertaining fantasy story - which had a hint of gothic horror to it - and the irresistible call of the sea. I really enjoyed it.

Mila is out swimming one day when she hears someone call out a warning, "Water snakes!" and realizes that this new girl, Agnes, has played a joke on her. The two are immediately attracted to one another despite Mila's slight shyness and Agnes's definite weirdness. She claims her teeth - the selfsame teeth which completely fascinate Mila - are really ghosts that go out on adventures every night.

The two begin spending time together and Mila has an odd feeling of repulsion and attraction at the same time. It does not help to stabilize things when she discovers that Agnes is a soldier trying to protect her king, and that there is an army of Angnes-like soldiers and an opposing army they must fight.

I though this was fresh, original, engaging, well illustrated by the author, and entertaining, and I commend it as a worthy read.

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What's a girl to do with her free time in the summer? Mila is bored until she meets a strange girl named Agnes. Agnes has a set of very unique teeth that Mila cannot resist touching. Agnes is also a ghost..

The artwork of Watersnakes is otherworldly. The human/humanoid figures are thin like the smoke of an extinguished candle. They seem temporary, but also maintain an element of ferocity and danger. The cover art features these waiflike creatures in armor carrying swords.

There is a lot of surrealism going on here and the story doesn't miss out on the weird action, either. But, I couldn't go there with the story. Mila is charmed by Agnes in the first few frames. As Mila is drawn to her she reaches for Agnes'...teeth. Mmkay? I needed to know the world and the characters better to follow them into their dream state. Ennui seems a cheap reason to heed the siren's call.

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Holy mindfuck, this was a good one!

First of all, the artwork is beautiful. It's definitely on the weirder side, and more than a little disturbing, but very dreamy in its execution.

The story is intriguing, dark, exiting and twisted - I couldn't put this down! Highly recommended to anyone and everyone!

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