Bronx Kill HC

Gr 9 Up—Following the fledgling success of his first book, Martin Keane is now suffering from writer's block. His wife, Erin, encourages him to explore his family's rich Irish heritage for a source of inspiration. This puts him back in contact with his estranged father, a policeman, further complicating their relationship. He eventually decides to take a four-month sabbatical to Ireland in order to research his new book. When he gets back, all appears well—until Erin disappears. Where did she go? Is she alive? As Martin races to find the truth, he uncovers family secrets long buried in a place called "the Bronx Kill." This title attempts to integrate a few pages of prose interspersed within a mostly graphic-novel format; unfortunately, it doesn't work. The art has an almost dirty quality to it, appearing to be made up of mostly incomplete sketches. The characters, especially Martin, often have exaggerated facial expressions that make the horror of the story seem almost cartoonish in nature. The prose, which serves as a story-within-a-story, ultimately makes the tale more confusing since the graphic-novel portion already contains haphazard flashbacks of Martin's ancestors. The book's unfinished and scattered elements ultimately make it hard for readers to enjoy.—Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library