The Big Country

The Big Country is a dark and gritty story set in Texas during the late 1970s. Grissom, the town's rough-around-the-edges sheriff, isn't your typical lawman. He's got problems. Between dealing with his aging father, his "friend" Clara, and a dark family secret, he has little room in his life or heart for much else. A gruesome double murder, witnessed by a young girl, takes him on a wild chase that changes his life in more ways than one.

I've never been to Texas, and I wasn't alive in 1978. However, I'm pretty confident that Texas in 1978 was exactly how the author and illustrator portrayed it, dusty, and a little dangerous. I was reading a book, but I felt like I was watching a movie. While reading, I couldn't help but think of Eleven and Hopper's relationship in Stranger Things. Though Taylor's interactions with Grissom are brief during the book, I can imagine that they soon have a relationship similar to Eleven and Hopper.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an e-copy with me in exchange for my honest review.*

A gritty story in a small town. Told with a child narrator, who leaves out a lot of important info. When you finally hear the whole story you find out not just what awful things people can do, but what a tough lawman will do to set things right. Looks like more will be coming. Grissom Callahan is a force to be reckoned with.

I could feel the grit from the Texas dust in my eyes from the first page. The art captured all the fine detail of place and character. This town's story, through the lens of law enforcement, was compelling and repellent at the same time. But real. Very realistic. Humans are flawed and this story shows it in heartbreaking detail at times.