Malice by Chris Wooding

Title: Malice
Author: Chris Wooding
ISBN: 9780545160438
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Summary:
"Once you get into the story, there's no way out...

Everyone's heard the rumors: If you gather the right things and say the right words, you'll be taken to Malice, a world that exists inside a horrifying comic book. It's a world that few kids know about... and even fewer survive.

Seth and Kady think it's all a silly myth. But then their friend disappears, and suddenly the rumors don't seem silly after all.

Malice is real. Malice is deadly. And Seth and Kady are about to be trapped inside it."
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Review:

Chris Wooding is one of those authors who tends to write outside the box, but his books are always intriguing and very well written. I was very interested in this book when I found out that it was part novel and part graphic. I think this is starting a bit of a trend in YA fantasy or sci fi books. But I was a little worried about how this would happen - how the graphic part would be placed within the story. I didn't want things to get choppy or weird because of the need for this new thing.

There are some stories that lend themselves to a new format, and this one definitely falls into that category. It's perfect to have a story about a graphic novel to have some bits that are graphic themselves. At no point did the graphics take away from the story that was written in regular prose. There were a few moments where I hoped for a bit more of the graphics - because I enjoyed getting a visual of some of the creatures they were fighting.

I know there have been stories written before about people getting stuck in books and having grand adventures and such, but there was something about this book that made the concept seem new again. And for that, I very much appreciate it.

This review has been a lot about the format, but that's almost what makes this book so interesting. The story is definitely well written and interesting, so I plan on recommending it to anyone looking for sci fic or fantasy. It can almost go either way. But I think anyone who enjoys drawing comics would love this one too. I'm absolutely waiting for the next installment of this story to come out - I think it's going to be epic!

Check out Chris Wooding's website for more info!
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