I was really intrigued by the concept of String.
Plus, the cover art grabbed my attention.

The story was very well-paced. The team did a great job with layout, text, plot, art - all the elements were done so that there were not any distractions.

I would definitely call this one gritty fantasy. Emphasis on the grit (for me). Like gravel with strawberry frosting, which I genuinely think they were going for.

Some violence, but not as graphic as other comics. Appreciated the pronoun diversity. However, one of the drawbacks for me was the overt and repeated sexualization of only the female characters, as well as a lot of tropes.

Overall, a very imaginative concept.

Thank you to Mad Cave Studios for providing me with a ARC through NetGalley.

This is a great surprise! I really liked my reading. The two strings plot was pretty original, with the sexual one and the death one. I loved how they didn't go fo the easy plot "two dudes working together and ending together". I really loved the dynamic between Yoon-sook and the cop. I felt myself attached to what was happening to them, plus the cute animals they were taking care of.

I enjoy reading graphic novels for adult audiences, and String has a fascinating premise: a woman who witnessed her parents' murders when she was young can see strings running between people. Blue for sexual ties, black for death; usually past events, but occasionally the future is seen in those strings. So when Yoon sees a black string appear on her own body the clock is immediately ticking down until death comes- either for her, or the person on the other end.

String's primary cast was limited to pretty much just Yoon and Detective Luke, the police officer who tags along to help solve the mystery of the black string. Each chapter in this first volume shows the two of them chasing down leads over the course of a single day, which feels like a very long day since SO much happens. Since each of the leads is based on an open job Yoon has taken, readers meet a revolving door of eclectic individuals that she speaks to briefly (usually with a bit of an info dump on the context of the job and the people involved) before solving the case and being forced to keep hunting down her would-be murderer. Since Yoon operates on both sides of the law, we see characters of varying moral stances and get extra commentary from her cop sidekick, but most of them don't leave a lasting impression.

The main twist wasn't all that surprising, but there were some details I hadn't guessed that gave it a more unique spin than expected. It's only one volume, so it would be hard to weave a more intricate plot with that page limit, but it did give us another mystery that could be explored in future volumes beyond this one. The art style is vibrant and dynamic, especially the way the strings are illustrated, and I was impressed by the variety of character designs contained in the short story. Ultimately, this was a bit forgettable, but I would be interested in reading more from this author and this world.

I absolutely love this! Not only because of the unique magic structure of Yoon's ability, but also the twists and turns the story took.

Highly recommended to those who like witty banter, well drawn action sequences (the paneling was great, i really must say!), and a protagonist who has been through the roughest life, but didn't let hardship take away her softness and compassion.

It presented well rounded characters that had full agency in making decisions that made sense considering who they are, what they do and what they've been through. Each of the characters' decisions also moved the plot forward in a way that was exciting and action packed and it didn't feel contrived at all.

I love so many things about this comic book and I want a part two please!

First a BIG thank you to NetGalley, the Author, the Artist and the Publisher for this ARC.

This is gorgeous from start to finish.
Both the art and the story.
It's complex, funny, mysterious and a little romantic.
All in all, it's an enjoyable rollercoaster of a book.
The idea that someone could see "strings" that lead to a "murderer"(black string) or a "sexual partner" (blue string) is an intriguing concept.

I would love a friend like that in my life!

The plot moves quickly so there is no dilly dallying.
It's action packed from start to finish and it has a way of surprising you.

Also, I want there to be a next volume.
I need there to be a next volume!

10/10 recomend.

String is a unique take on the red string story, which leads to an interesting protagonist and story. Yoon has a rare ability to see blue and black strings linking people together. The blue strings link sexual partners while the black strings link murderers and their victims. Due to her power, Yoon works as a private investigator (somewhat like Sherlock Holmes) and takes multiple cases to help others, including homicide detectives. One day, however, Yoon finds a black line leading to her with only one question to answer: Is she a murderer or a victim? I liked 'String', it was interesting, and Yoon was great. The dialogue was witty, although sometimes some seemed a bit winded, and I like the vibrant colors and art style.

Overall, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Loved the concept of the story, it’s very diferent from anything I’ve read before.
The art style is gorgeous and complements the story nicely.

I was so happy when I was told I could read this. I really liked the plot of the black thread for deaths and the blue thread for sexual partners. It's a twist on the classic story of the red thread.
I really liked the energy between the two protagonists, and the gossip everywhere she went.
The story lacked a bit of construction, what happened with her parents is weird, there's no context. You can't just throw something like that and not give it a logical explanation, but I guess it will be something that will be developed in the next volumes.
The color palette of the drawings is beautiful.

This was such a different story concept compared to what I'm used to, so I was really looking forward to this. It is a graphic novel and fits the standard format/structure. The illustrations were good, but they weren't fantastic--overall, they fit the story though. Yoon's ability to see these two different strings (blue and black) was interesting, and how she uses the view of the black strings to solve murders. The story was good, overall.

String is both thought-provoking and thrilling, delivering a story that feels cinematic and intimate at once. Fans of Black Mirror, Jessica Jones, or supernatural noir will find this a standout read. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy dark mysteries with a speculative twist. Thank you to Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm really interested in this idea. The drawing style is very typical of comics. I would have liked a bit more extravagance, but that's just my personal preference. The story moves along at a nice pace and keeps you hooked. I might not have loved it as much as I'd hoped, but I'm sure there are others out there who will.

"Yoon-Sook Namgung is a 25-year-old Korean-American woman with the remarkable ability to see two types of "strings" connecting various people. The first is blue and stretches between sexual partners. The second - dark black - connects murderers and their victims. If you have a murder that needs solving, Yoon can help. Worried your partner is cheating on you? Yoon can literally SEE the connections. Yoon's life - for all the drama and constant TMI - is good, at least until the day she notices a string, a BLACK string, connected to...herself! This means she'll either soon murder someone, or be murdered herself! So...dang. Which one?"

Just saying, perhaps one of the cheaters she ratted out has come back for a little vengeance...

Hmmm… a graphic novel where the concept is stronger than the execution. The heroine can see strings between people that could get unravelled to reveal – if blue – who tupped who, and – if black – a connection via murder. Very rarely they can be predictive strings. The first of these five issues has her meet a new cop partner (cue pronoun mangling as an opening salvo, yawn) and solve a cold case, but the second starts with something very different, as our MC sees a new string emanating from herself. And it's not a promise of nookie...

The execution, then… Well, a lot of this is done with a determined zing to the dialogue, all snap and snazz, as if this is an old black and white oddball couple comedy. It's not – it's an uneven spread of serious crime, stupid crime, and more. The serious crime is there because of the strings concept and the inherent threat that our gal will kill or be killed, the zany crime is from – well, I'll leave it to you to discover, and the 'more' includes implausibly woke porn actresses, expressive French bulldogs, and, well, more. Oh, and when we get violence through the uneven soup of ingredients, it's often punctuated by pointless F-bombs and nothing else, as if the author's teenaged self is being channelled.

All in all it's still very readable – it's not something to take too much of your time, and it has the brio it needed to dip in and out of this world in mini-series form. But it's missing a golden chance to be a whole lot classier than it is, leaving this three and a half stars and me doubting if I could ever be tied down to return for more puerile wackiness.

3.5 stars. Unique story idea: Yoon can see strings connecting people, and one of the string types means MURDER. Follow Yoon as she suddenly sees a murder string attached to herself - is she the victim or the perpetrator? Good art, fun supporting cast. Wish there was more backstory to the strings and how Yoon started to see them. Maybe in book 2?

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

That ended about how I expected but I still really enjoyed it. Not sure if this is a continuing series but it certainly can be! The concept of her being able to see strings is so fun. I wonder if, with time, she could eventually see other colored strings. Seeing only blue for love interests and then black for death was an interesting choice though. Yoon and Luke were great characters too and I enjoyed reading about them. I also really loved the art style for this. I'm going to have to read more from this author in the future!

String review

⭐⭐⭐

Good story if you like csi with cool art. So Yoon is our main character and she can see strings, hence the title. Each string has a different meaning which I won't spoil. So Yoon does some odd jobs helping out the police and others due to these powers, which is really cool. I really liked the art style of this one, really vivid colours that grab your attention just as strongly as the story would.

Yoon-Sook Namgung, a 25-year-old Korean-American woman, has the intriguing ability to see two types of strings connecting various people. The first is bright blue and reaches between sexual partners. The second string—dark black—stretches between murderers and their victims.

This can and does lead to some interesting situations for Yoon and Luke, her policeman partner. One of my favorite characters was Litty, a porn star with a heart of gold who just wants to know who murdered her beloved dog. I was all for it. Her dog was her only true friend, who loved her just for her.

The art work was very well done. Each character was identifiable and how I saw them in my mind.

I enjoyed this a lot. It was uncnventional but fun. Yes there was lots of violence but what did you expect? If she can see murderers then she will eventually end up in a dicy sistuation and blood will be spilled.

Highly recommended. Its a quick and fun read. Expected publishing date is May 20, 2025

Published date May 20, 2025
Thanks to @netgalley and Mad Cave Studios for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I loved this take on the string mythology!

Instead of a red string connecting true loves, Yoon can see blue strings attaching lovers and black strings radiating from killers. There's a little bit of everything in this one. Mystery, murder plot, fem fatale, and animals. This is just a fun and delightful read to reset your reading slump or reinvigorate your love of books. Pick it up, read it, and have fun.

* I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by anyone or anything. *
Actual Rating: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Recommend: No, not likely
Review:
I liked the premise of this, so I thought I would really enjoy it, but I only made it like 40 pages in and just couldn't do it anymore. The art is pretty, but I just couldn't get into this or care about the characters. I think I have issue with HOW the story is told; it feels like I am missing information or like this is the 2nd book, not the 1st. I don't know, I guess it feels kind of rushed and also info-dumpy. This just wasn't for me, but I'm sure others will enjoy it.

String truly pulled me in with it’s summary. Ever since I have gotten into Korean shows and culture, I have been fascinated with the red string theory (watched a lovely show based on it but have forgotten the name) and this book looked like a good way to see a new side to it.

String is about Yoon who can see strings between people, each different string colour indicating a different kind of relationship. She helps cops, gangs, individuals - everyone who could need her help. Until one day, she sees a black string attached to herself which indicates that she is either going to get killed or will kill someone. She sets out to solve this mystery and along the way, solves other mysteries for her clients.

The book’s colouring was one of my favourite parts and so was the characterization of the gangsters and criminals she comes across while solving her cases. For me, the storytelling was nice in a way that yes, I got to see a lot of crime being solved but I was always not okay with some of the violence. Going in, I was obviously expecting certain violence or gore since it was the genre. However, certain moments, especially those involving violent speech against women, were particularly discomforting.

I am giving it three stars for the same, and would recommend it to those who enjoy reading crime.