In an era where comics are cool and darkness reigns supreme, Grimoire Noir, the thrilling crime/fantasy graphic novel by Vera Greentea, is the perfect book for a leisurely read.

Let me admit that I'm by no means a graphic novel aficionado. I read them now and then, but no more than five a year and they really have to sound different and exciting to catch my eye. Grimoire Noir is worthy on both counts. It's a fast read and with elements like witchcraft, mystery, dark themes and overtones, and some detective work, it immediately made me think of such tv dramas as Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Not only are some of the obvious aspects there--witchcraft, especially--there are also a lot of similarities in theme: the lure of power, good and evil, cliquishness, etc.

The darkness of the artwork was very appealing and it was the art that really set the book apart. Just in case anyone reading this review is unfamiliar with the crime noir genre, noir is by nature a darker type of mystery genre. Now, noir is typically categorized by the bleakness/cynicism of the characters and I don't think that part necessarily fits: each of these characters was very hopeful about something and they were all motivated by potential. I like this subversion from the norm, though; it puts a spin on the old conventions while still staying true to the artistry. Very enjoyable!

Essentially, the plot line of the story is this: a young man lives in a town where all the girls have magical powers and all the boys are normal. His little sister has a lot of power, which has led someone to kidnap her. His dad is caught between a rock and a hard place in terms of the investigation due to the town politics and so our protagonist is tasked with saving the day.

I will say that there were times when this story line fell a bit short for me, not because it wasn't entertaining and not because it didn't have a good backstory, but just because I wanted so much more depth. There were a lot of plot lines and while Greentea does follow every thread at some point, none of the subplots were explored in enough depth to make me feel satisfied. I don't know if this is a standalone or not--the book ends with closure, but also with the potential for more--but if it is a standalone, I would be very disappointed as I feel that there is a lot of story left untold. Even if it is going to be part of a series, many of the things I feel were only shallowly explored were super relevant to this plot line and should have been explored more thoroughly here, not saved as fodder for number two. That lack of depth is what makes me think this book would definitely be better suited to a tween or very young teenager than a more seasoned reader.

Overall, my rating of this book would really vary. For an adult or even young adult reader, I'd say this is a 3.5 star (out of 5) book: good, enjoyable, but to surface to be truly great. For a middle grade reader? Solid 4. Definitely stands apart from similar books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC I was given in exchange for my fair and honest review.

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Bucky is a guy in a town where women have all the power- literally. All females born in this town are witches and they all have particular magical powers. Powers that aren't accessible to males. Bucky has always been jealous of this but when his little sister is kidnapped for being powerful he starts to see things differently.

For a graphic novel this read a bit slow for me. The artwork certainly had a Gothic charm and the premise of the story was good, but I just didn't get super excited about it. This is the kind of book that I would love to see go through some serious edits and get revamped because it feels like it hasn't reached its full potential quite yet.

A deliciously dark and enticing graphic novel centred around one of my favourite things - witches. Grimoire Noir follows an intriguing tale of a small town populated by witches and the dark magic brewing below the surface that could change it forever. I would love to see a follow on from this!

Grimoire Noir is surely something! It's a fantasy, ghost story and crime story all in one with a noir twist to it. It's set in Blackwell, which is a small town where girls are witches because of an old happening and the town is closed, so that the witches cannot leave without losing their powers. Bucky's little sister goes missing and he starts to unravel the mystery and eventually the mystery of the whole town, and there's a grand plan for the witches to get out with their powers of course. The setting is very interesting and well constructed. You have to read till the end to know what happens. The rhythm is wonderful and the spookiness is awesome. There's this looming darkness and loss all over the pages and was it really a happy end? The magic was thick and suffocating, which was great.

The art looks noir and still oddly cute, which is an interesting combination. It slightly bothered me that Bucky looks like an adult, but otherwise the art is more than fine. The color world is perfect with brown, black and violet hues with magical touches all over the place. The girls look better than the boys and men actually, which is kind of a bummer, since our main character is a boy. The other thing was the unsolved things that bothered me like the case with the brother that lost his soul and whatnot. Perhaps I wished for plot strings to get tied better. Still, an awesome comic and something totally different once again.

With a title like Grimoire Noir you'd think I'd put together that this graphic novel is...well...a noir. But I didn't, so going into it I was pleasantly surprised by the noir-ish elements and atmosphere before immediately being sucked in by the absolutely gorgeous art style and story.

Graphic novels really have to appeal to me because they to not only draw me in, but keep my attention and Grimoire Noir definitely did that. A classic film noir-like story complete with a dark, smokey atmosphere, long shadows, and a juicy mystery that takes place in the modern town of Blackwell. In Blackwell, every girl is born with magic, called Charm and none of the magic users can leave the town less they fall into a magically induced coma that strips their power from them. The story centers around Bucky, a boy whose younger sister mysteriously disappeared. In her grief, his mother causes terrible rainstorms that threaten to flood the town and his sheriff father is bound by the laws of the town to protect every magic user even if they might have kidnapped his daughter.

But Bucky can freely move about the town, discovering a mysterious coven of witches who have their claws in his once best friend Cham, a witch whose being released from parole after trying to gift her brother magic, and a well that holds the secret of the Charms' origin.

The noir elements are spectacular and honestly, one of the highlights of the book. However, the noir elements constrain the story too, preventing it from flowering almost. The last few pages, the reveal of who kidnapped Bucky's sister was almost disappointing. It's like the author thought a big enough reveal would offset how there was more build up for the red herrings then the actual perp. But even with a weak ending, the art and the overall tone/atmosphere of the novel still makes this a fun read.

Bucky Orsen is a normal boy living in a town where many of the female population of the town are witches. When his sister goes missing it's up to him to locate her since his mother is far too devastated to help with the search. Is it the group of witchy bad girls his former best friend is hanging out with? Is it the mad witch soon to be released from prison? Where could one little girl get off to. Grimoire Noir is an interesting, fantastic read with an intriguing mystery that is captivating with a satisfying ending.

Magic, witches, and a mystery mixed with amazing illustrations make this a great graphic novel! Grimoire Noir is the story of Bucky Orson who is determined to solve the mystery of his missing sister. After all, investigating is in his blood as he is the son of the town sheriff. Set in a town where all the women are witches, Bucky's sister goes missing. While they have powers they are limited by a barrier which prevents them from ever leaving their town. The witches are protected by laws and therefore, the police really cannot do much to search for Bucky's sister.
Bucky takes matters in his own hands and sets off to solve the mystery.

The illustrations are outstanding! Dark and grim, they illustrate the sadness Bucky's family feels and the power of the witches. An excellent read!

This book was received as an ARC from First Second Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was totally unexpected from what I've read in the description. Also, I did not expect this book to be a graphic novel which made the story totally better. As I read the book, I could not help but think that this is the life for most pre-teens and then they get hit with an unfortunate situation and are forced to step up and save their loved ones. This book is a prime example to never judge a book by the cover and this book was even better than what I had imagined it to be.

We will definitely consider this title for our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Blackwell is a haven, of sorts. The town's girls are all born with powers. The charmed ones, or witches, whichever you prefer, are protected by laws against witch hunts and a barrier around the town that keeps them contained. Bucky Orson is your average boy in Blackwell, meaning there's nothing special about him. Boys don't have the capacity for magick. His little sister however, is one of the more powerful witches born in the town for some time. She's still young, but that hasn't stopped others from seeking her out for her power. Then, she disappears. Sheriff Orson, Bucky's father, and the police are unable to investigate into the charmed ones because of their laws, so it's up to Bucky to get to the bottom of the mystery. He teams up with an old friend, a witch named Chamomile, to investigate the town's coven, the Coven of Crows. As danger lurks in the shadows, Bucky begins to unravel the town's past and secrets that're keeping his sister out of his reach.

I loved the art style of this book. The sepia, muted coloring of everything, but with focus on certain color charateristics. Cham's blue eyes and Heidi's purple toys. It had just the right affect of drawing the reader's focus. The story was also very compelling. It hits all the notes of a traditional detective noir, with the addition of magic. I would love to see more of these characters. I neeeeeeed more. Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for the eARC.

Absolutely fabulous! Perfect blend of creepiness and adventure. While I wouldn't advise it for young readers, older readers with concerns about aversion to horror should feel free to read on without fear.