Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced copy!!!
Well this book is about a girl that can see ghost or people dead after a horrible zombie attack. She is in a psychiatric but one day he leaves the psychiatric hospital and everything changes in his life and he faces challenges and memories of the past. The art of the novel is splendid, I loved the nuance of the colors but I feel that it is directed to a larger audience because of the themes it touches and in general the story became very flat, without plot and everything stayed the same and in the same and the end I feel that it was not the best to finish the book.

Was this review helpful?

I received an eARC of this work from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the artwork of this graphic novel, and I was initially drawn into the story. Unfortunately, that changed just as quickly as the story seems to shift from panel to panel. There was little time for character development, and while they were both haunted by their pasts and the zombies that randomly appear to chase them, I did not really care if either lived or died as they ran through the fields. Maybe if I had background information on the apocalypse the characters were facing or maybe if thoughts that were spoken were actually completed I might have given this a better review. May something is lost in translation, and the artwork jumping just as randomly as the story just didn't save this one for me.

Was this review helpful?

I feel a bit guilty saying this because I can tell that the author put their all into this, but. This does not work for me. At all.

The only (slightly) redeeming quality to Ever After is the themes that are touched upon (mental health, grief, guilt, etc.), but they just aren't developed well enough to make any lasting impact. I felt pretty much lost throughout most of the book, and especially at the end. It's not that I felt like I wasn't understanding it, though; it's just that it felt so rushed and frantic that parts of the story's development got lost in the process.

The artwork contributes to this overall feeling, as it's confusing from panel to panel and not done in a style that resonates with me at all. I saw another reviewer saying that they picked the book on Netgalley for the cover - I did the same, and that reviewer and I seem to share the same feeling of disgruntlement with the book's actual artwork. If I'd seen the artwork beforehand, I wouldn't have requested the book, to be honest.

Just not for me.

Was this review helpful?

I love the art style of this graphic novel. It is beautiful despite the grim setting of a post apocalyptic world. I felt the story was lacking a little bit, but the characters were enjoyable enough to make up for that. Some of the gaps in the plot could be due to this graphic novel being translated from German. This is a quick and easy to follow read, and I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of zombies.

Was this review helpful?

Vivi and Eva are living in a world ravaged by the zombie apocalypse. Leaving the safety of the place they called home, they find themselves out in a world of wonder. The problem? This beautiful world is also riddled with the undead while the two fight to survive the horrors of their past and present.

I love all things zombies, so I was excited to get this book and read it. It’s dark and sad while somehow managing to have a positive and lighthearted message. I know that this sounds like an odd combination, but I swear that it works for the story. It does get very dark, and there is an attempted suicide very early on, but it does get positive down the line.

Vivi and Eva are living in a terrible situation. They’ve survived zombies for two years and have horrible memories associated with the beginning of the zombie apocalypse all the way up to the present. Unfortunately for Eva, she’s hiding that she’s been infected and is turning into a zombie, so she lashes out quite a bit. Meanwhile, Vivi is continuing to deal with depression and PTSD along with the guilt she has about her sister. While they both feel very alone, they’ve also accidentally found a friend in each other.

What I like about this comic is that it’s a slice of life story. We don’t find out why or how the zombie apocalypse started or how many communities full of the living are out there. The story only tells us what Vivi and Eva are going through in the present. Anything we learn about the past is through their memories, and anything about other people are based on who they meet along the way. I think it’s an interesting take on a zombie story because it’s not about the zombies nor is it necessarily about surviving the apocalypse. It’s about two people finding a way to survive the hardships they’ve each been dealt and discovering there is light for them to hold onto.

While I enjoyed the story, I also loved the artwork. It’s absolutely beautiful. If Olivia Vieweg’s other work is translated into English, I will definitely check them out.

Was this review helpful?

Vivi and Eva are two travelers in a countryside filled with the undead. After a train breaks down, stranding them between safe zones, the young women partner up to stay alive. Vivi is struggling with grief—and guilt—over the loss of her sister. Eva is hiding the start of a horrifying transformation. Together they'll face heat, zombie hordes, and their own inner demons, searching for signs of life in a land of the dead. This graphic novel addition to an enduring genre is thoughtful and emotion-driven, but also full of zombie scares and action.

Scary thought of a world gone sick. A little violent for my taste but then it would be when your trying to survive without much of anyone fighting zombies. I loved the illustrations and the story was exciting and very fitting for a spooky story. I liked wondering what would happen with them next and would it be too late. Some parts were sad dealing with grief but, it is a part of life and i feel it dealt with it in a unique way. I really liked this graphic novel.

Was this review helpful?

I actually fell in love with this graphic novel. A post-apocalyptic, dystopian story-line with a science fiction, supernatural flare, what's not to love. And the ending? Exactly as it should be.

Would have been a 5 star rating if there had been a bit more backstory on the two main characters. May have gotten lost in translation.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Olivia Vieweg for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A rather strange reading based on zombies, mourning, and friendship!
I'm not a particular fan of this graphic style, but I nonetheless devoured the book, carried by the violence of the plot, and by the desire to know how to finish the young Vivi.
So I remain quite mixed even if I enjoyed my reading. ^^

Was this review helpful?

A gorgeously drawn graphic novel with an interesting narrative, plot, and concepts. Definitely recommended for fans of this genre.

Was this review helpful?

I probably misread the description because I wasn't really expecting zombies. I don't do well with them. I still finished it and liked the dynamic between the characters. There are some gruesome bits in it that makes me not recommend it for a younger audience.

Was this review helpful?

I had no idea this was a translated work until about 30% of the way through. I thought it was just errors in the ARC but once I discovered it was translated, it made more sense. That being said, Vivi is such a likeable character. Eva is headstrong and brave. These two had a dynamic that really enjoyed. I gave this 3/5 stars because it was really enjoyable. My only issue was there were some gaps in the story that made very little sense. But I feel like that could have come from the fact that this is translated from German.

Was this review helpful?

Welcome to a gentler, stranger zombie comic. In this post-apocalyptic world, a zombie infection has destroyed most of society and people live clustered in small agricultural towns, settlements linked together by an aging rail system. Vivi decides she's ready to break free of the mental institution where she's either being treated for trauma associated with the loss of her sister/family, or being cared for as an orphan/the living doll replacement of one of the staff's dead children, or maybe both. When she decides she's hitching a ride on the train between settlements, she meets Eva, angry lone wolf with a big secret of her own. Their adventure together and apart does not go to plan, but also reveals that this new stage of the world isn't necessarily dark and evil, and may be a good thing.

The highlight of this book is the artful depiction of both landscapes and small details--the illustrator does so much to build a world we can understand. However, a lot goes unsaid in this book, and it can be difficult to follow what's going on. I'm not entirely certain that the heavy use of flashbacks, especially to fill in the characters' backstories, are the best tool here--it feels like it's being used to prop up a very spare narrative. I think although many readers will find this story a bit too confusing or slow-paced, this book is a good choice for those tween readers who are drawn to magical works with a darker twist, such as Snapdragon, Little Red, and The Errand.

Was this review helpful?

This book was received as an ARC from Lerner Publishing Group - Graphic Universe in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

For a graphic novel, this book was very dark. There were a lot of death references that very especially on the adult graphic side that we would not recommend for teenagers and young adults. However, the artwork displayed in this graphic novel was very breathtaking and colorful which really emphasized the whole "zombie apocalypse" concept. There will be fans within our YA community and I know our teen book club will have a few words to say about this book and I am curious to see what discussions will arise.

We will consider adding this title to our YGraphicNovel collection at the library. This is why we give this book 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

I got that comic book for free on @netgalley in exchange of my honest opinion and honestly, I did not enjoy it. The art is quite nice and cute and this may be the only thing I enjoyed through my reading. The story in itself was promising. I wish there had been an explanation or just even a flashback to explain why there were zombies or how the apocalypse happened. Since there was no background, you just had to enter this new after-apocalypse universe and it was a bit difficult since there was the concept of “seeds” making the zombies but no explanation as to how. The characters had a lot of mental health problem and I found it interesting to look at this theme but felt that it wasn’t going deep enough. They were all creepy to a certain degree and I didn’t like them a lot. Though, I liked how the friendship developed between the two characters. Overall it’s a pretty graphic novel but the story feels incomplete and/or rushed.

Was this review helpful?

If you like zombies, apocalyptic vibes and you’re into graphic novel this is for you. For a change this story follows two girls in a universe usually reserved for boys. It’s a long story over 280 something pages so you will get plenty of it.
The story does lack of something but I can’t tell I will have to think of it. Overall it was okay for this genre. A bit disturbing psychologically but I think it goes with the book plot. #netgalley

Was this review helpful?

While I appreciate what the author was trying to do with the premise of this story, I found it difficult to engage with the world and what was happening for the simple reason that there is a lot lacking, in terms of world-building. I found myself with a lot of unanswered questions throughout the entirety of this, and I would have liked more background on the characters and the world.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this graphic novel, but I wanted more. The illustration style was cute and that juxtaposed with the subject matter beautifully, but the story itself seemed a little disjointed and confusing.

Was this review helpful?

TW: attempted suicide, death of a family member, blood

2.5
Ever After just wasn't for me. The art style was nice, but I didn't find myself connecting with either of the main characters or the plot. I also felt like this was extremely hard to follow (maybe bc it's a translated work, but I've read so many I find that a tough reason???). I loved the premise, but all the dots just didn't connect for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for an advanced copy*

Was this review helpful?

Being a fan of all things zombie, I jumped at the chance to read this story by a new-to-me author/artist and the story premise sounded interesting. Vivi and Eva live in a walled city, safe from the zombies outside. Everyone has their job....including monitoring and repairing the fence. After an altercation with a zombie at the fence, Vivi and Eva escape the city on an automated cargo train. The train breaks down and they are stranded together between safe zones. They have more to face than zombies. Each girl is facing their demons. Vivi mourns the loss of her sister. And Eva comes to understand what transformation is in her future.

I enjoyed the art in this graphic novel. It's intense and perfect for the story line. But the story lost me for the most part. There was no background on the zombies, what happened, or much at all on how the town came to be set up or how it works/who is in charge, etc. And at times, I couldn't quite grasp what was happening to the two main characters, especially at the end. Not sure if something was lost in translation or if the story was meant to be secondary to the art.

I still enjoyed this graphic novel....but would have loved it with a bit more story and explanation of the situation. The cool art carried it for me though. I liked the use of color to make the girls stand out in the bleak, destroyed environment. The zombies are creepy...most looking like skeletonized ick. And the depiction of horde attacks were really cool!

This is the first graphic novel by Olivia Vieweg that I've read. I'm definitely going to check out more of her work! This one is a bit of a miss for me because I couldn't really follow the story line in places and some background is lacking....but the art is great!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this graphic novel. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group Graphic Universe ™ for sharing this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. This is a good graphic novel for more mature readers, but I feel that it fell flat in the character development. I wanted more in the story line.

Was this review helpful?