indiereadergirl0329

Raven Girl

By Audrey Niffenegger

Released May, 2013 by Abrams Comicarts

Length: 80 pages

Genres: Fantasy(Fairytale) and graphic novel

Rating: three and a half stars

Acquired: Purchased

This short, unusual fairytale stems from when resident choreographer Wayne McGregor, for the Royal Ballet in London, asked Audrey Niffenegger if she would collaborate on a new dance with him where she would write the story and he would create the dance. When asked what kind of story, he simply said a new fairy tale. Thus came this illustrated, twisted, dark, funny, strange, and oddly charming and whimsical  fairy tale about a postal man who falls in love with a Raven and has a child with her.

At only eighty pages, including the illustrations drawn by the author, this fairy tale is rather short; but, not without meaning. It’s one part love story (post man meets Raven who hasn’t learned to fly and takes her home with him because he thinks she’s wounded. A typical boy meets girl at first sight plot) one part identity crisis ( Raven and Post man somehow procreate and have a child hat squawks like a raven, but looks otherwise human with arms and no feathers) one part metamorphosis (if I tell you, I’ll ruin the ending!) and one part, what just happened? Everything you love in a fairytale. There are so many things going on in this macabre story. You have a half raven/half human girl that doesn’t know where she fits in this world. I felt for her, yet was ashamed of myself at times for thinking of how ugly she looked. I will say she got a happy ending. Two, really. And, well deserved.

I loved this little, quirky book. There isn’t much to say. Just pick it up and read it. The illustrations alone are fantastic to look at. The story is great, too. I wish I could have seen how Wayne McGregor interpreted this into a dance. The costumes would be great. Well done, Niffenegger. Definitely something different for me. I was excited about this book and very glad I was not disappointed at all.