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My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

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Description

In this debut, which takes the form of a fictional graphic diary, a 10-year- old girl tries to solve a murder. Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes, filled with B-movie horror and pulp monster magazines iconography. Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold. When Karen’s investigation takes us back to Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, the reader discovers how the personal, the political, the past, and the present converge. Full-color illustrations throughout. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fantagraphics; Illustrated edition (February 14, 2017)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1606999591


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 92


Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 years and up


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.1 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.1 x 1.3 x 10.5 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #5,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Fantagraphics Comics & Graphic Novels #3 in Mystery Graphic Novels #5 in Literary Graphic Novels (Books)


#2 in Fantagraphics Comics & Graphic Novels:


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Jul 31 – Aug 5

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • A Masterwork
Words fail. This is an absolute masterpiece, setting new standards of possibility for graphic novels. Heartfelt, evocative, artistically brilliant, structurally and conceptually solid. Worth every penny and every hour spent with it. Highest possible recommendation!
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024 by B.L.

  • Different, incredible art and interesting story
I was very pleased with the incredible artwork in this graphic novel. The ballpoint pen drawings with limited use of color (for the most part) is done in such detail that it just blew me away. There are just page after page of awesome artwork and interesting pictures. The story is not the typical graphic novel or comic book subject matter. I wasn't sure what to expect, and the description doesn't really capture the feel of the entire book. If you want a "hard-boiled" detective story, this is not one. However, if you like interesting stories with the exploration of a place and time and the slow reveal of info about a diverse cast of many characters. . . this may be for you. Though the book is clearly not intended for young kids, the content adds up to the same mix of occasional nudity or sex, adult themes, troubled characters and similar content you would expect out of a PG-13 coming-of-age movie. The main character explores her initial feelings of romantic/sexual attraction, and her newfound understanding of more adult undertones in her everyday life that may have been missed previously. The story does seem to jump around without smooth transition to some extent, but as a result you get a lot of "meat" in the course of the book, which is quite long and a large format. The abruptness of some of the topic shifts also fits well with the sketchbook/journal nature of the entire piece, which is really incredible. When you read the more negative reviews, focus on the description of the story and the book, not the subjective opinion of the author. I can see how some people would not be as interested in this book as I am (from a subjective point of view), but the art alone is worth the cost of admission. I read a lot of comic books and novels, and this bridges the gap to some extent to create an interesting story that may meander some, but it always seems to lead somewhere I can't wait to be led. As part one or a three part story, there is no real neat ending (of course), but I am interested to read more and I can't wait for part 2. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2018 by M. 9 Fingers

  • A monster kids dream
As a full fledged monster kid growing up in the 60s and 70s and living a couple of blocks away from the only Aurora plastics factory. Famous monsters of filmland, Creature feature and chiller theater, Creepy and Eerie magazines were all part of my life blood. Monster models a rubber jigglers were all part of our norm. This amazing graphic novel brings me back to those days with memories so thick I can smell the wood floor of the store we bought all our comics, magazines and models. The artwork is absolutely stunning and having it done in a style like she's drawing it all out on a composition notebook is brilliant. We all cut pictures of monsters and glued them in notebooks along with our drawings. This first volume is without a doubt my favorite graphic novel in decades and I can't wait for the second volume. I hope Emil has a long a celebrated career. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024 by Craig Bonne

  • Magnificent Monsters
As a monster-loving kid who grew up during the ‘60s and ‘70s, I identified with the scorned, mysterious phantoms of my favorite horror films. My fascination with these immortal creatures never died, lying buried from time to time and then resurging when the darkness within summoned that icily familiar grip. Reading Emil Ferris’ My Favorite Thing is Monsters, I feel again that freezing familiarity, the clench of a kindred spirit. The narrator in Ferris’ stunningly illustrated graphic novel, like myself as an adolescent, seeks escape from her feelings of loneliness and alienation by immersing herself in fantasies of thrillingly compelling supernatural beasts. Ferris, writing from the perspective of the narrator, Karen, creates an equally enticing world of fantasy by blending stories and imagery from Karen’s experience as an urban Chicago preteen in the 1960s with depictions of the horror magazines and paintings Karen adores. The book , formatted to resemble a lined notebook sketch pad, brilliantly perpetuates the illusion that the reader is stepping into the imaginary realm of a creative and extremely perceptive young girl. Detailed interpretations of monster magazine covers and famous art works such as Fuseli’s “ The Nightmare” are juxtaposed with gruesome depictions of Karen’s neighbors and playfully doodled sketches of Karen as a trench-coated child werewolf. As Karen explores her interest in art, Ferris’ illustrations reveal a variety of styles—from the neon-lit grotesqueries of Ernst Kirchner and the German Expressionists to the luridly seductive pulp art of popular comics and the grittily unflattering portraits of Robert Crumb. Unlike many graphic novels, Ferris’ work focuses on inner conflicts, the dangerous secrets festering inside neighbors, schoolmates, and family members that threaten to emerge in monstrous form when exposed. Secrets connect the lives of Karen and the people she knows. During her attempts to unravel the mystery of her murdered neighbor Anka, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, Karen discovers secrets within her family and within herself. A growing awareness of her own sexuality and the tragic revelation of her mother’s fatal illness lead her to find strength and solace in her imagination. The monsters she loves, draws, and writes about are her salvation. Ferris’s depiction of Karen’s monster fantasies and homoerotic stirrings while struggling with family tragedies, violence, and prejudice, though at times grim, is nevertheless inspiring, infused with wit, a sense of childhood resilience and untarnished insight. Like the enduring, undying creatures of the night that Karen idolizes, Ferris’ graphic novel (the first in a series) fascinates and enthralls, giving readers a tantalizing bite that leaves us craving more. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2017 by Alison Armstrong

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