Ravina the Witch, where have you been all my life? This graphic novel is absurd and lovely and just, well, fantastic. It follows Ravina, a little girl who grows up in a trash heap with only crows as family. It follows her through meeting a witch who leaves her a wand, being abducted by a strange man, and more.
The first and most important thing to tell you about is the art. The drawings are so beautiful. Surreal and dark, almost gothic, you could look at them over and over and find something new each time. The dark and muted colors pull you in and don’t let you leave. You just want to soak in the ambiance that the illustrator is able to bring to you.
The story is almost a fable, leaving you with a bit of deep thoughts on the circular notion of life. Ravina is a simple little girl who after meeting a witch ends up on a path that will leave her on the same path as that witch full of pins who died by her side. Each decision that Ravina makes brings her closer to the same fate. It’s interesting to watch unfold, all while the craziness of her world unfurls around her.
I particularly enjoyed the latter part of the story where Ravina tries to drink the King under the table only to find out that he cheated. It’s a fun little story but you always want to know more. Like why exactly did the King want all the wives in his castle anyway? While there is a solid story arc in this, there are so many unanswered questions. ideas that just get glossed over in the rush to get to more absurdity. Normally I would dislike that, but I feel it really works here. You want to know the backstory, but not so much that you don’t enjoy the book.
This is definitely a 5 star read and I am now on the lookout for more like Ravina the Witch.
