Joe Quinn's Poltergeist

A visually arresting tale which explores grief in an interesting way. This won't work for everyone, but reflective readers will be rewarded in exploring this title. The cast presents white. Marketed for a young adult audience, but with good potential for adult readers, as well. ( )

Almond and McKean (the two Dave's, if you will) are an exceptionally good pairing of artist and author, and their latest spooky collaboration is no exception. As per usual, they navigate the world of youth, as a group of young boys discover that their friend has a poltergeist in his house, but this is not simply a tale of the supernatural. It is unclear whether the entity haunting Joe Quinn is real, but smashed furniture and dishware make for a pretty believable story to his young friends. We, as adult readers, can see that there is more going on in the Quinn household than meets the eye. The narrator, a sceptic about the whole situation, also has a complicated history, as we discover that his sister died very young. His scepticism mirrors our own, as we're immediately led to think that the Quinn's are subject to some (rather expected) domestic instability due to a jailed father and a rather strange mother, but the story isn't quite so simple. As our narrator gets to know Joe and his poltergeist he begins to question his own relationship with supernatural entities. Is it truly impossible that a lost soul can be seen again, or are the staunch old Catholic ways the only truth? As per many of Almond's endings, we are left with many questions, but I think that is what gives his stories their strength. They give us a starting point, but allow room for us to explore a variety of ideas and ultimately act as a means of deeper thought. ( )

None of the boys believe Joe Quinn when he tells them about the poltergeist at his house. Davie starts to believe when he goes to the house and sees plates, food, tea cups and just about anything else fly through the air mysteriously. He isn't sure it's a poltergeist...it might just be Joe or his mom throwing things, but he's still drawn to the story. Ever since his little sister died, Davie has been looking for some sort of meaning in things. Joe and his mom, a conflicted local priest, and a supposed poltergeist help Davie put his thoughts about the meaning of life, what might come after, and his dreams of the future into a more clear picture.

This story is a bit odd, but has a very deep meaning. I think perhaps the author is delving into his thoughts on his own life, emotions, and ponderings about existence. I found it very thought provoking and maybe just a little bit disturbing. The artwork by Dave McKean is wonderful!

All in all, a very thought provoking read. I enjoyed it! I'd be interested in seeing more by David Almond...and definitely would love to see more of Dave McKean's art! This book was not what I expected at all....but an enjoyable surprise! I'm very glad I read this! Coming from a former Catholic background, it brought back some memories and provoked some deep thoughts.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

JOE QUINN’S POLTERGEIST by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean is a dark, creepy story exploring the topics of death, grief, and the afterlife. This thin graphic novel coming of age story explores the the angst of a variety of characters.

ARC courtesy of Candlewick. ( )

I enjoy when inner demons are explored by externalizing them as outer demons. That is the basic idea here and these collaborators fail to deliver much of interest. The story is thin—feels more like a second hand anecdote told without passion or intent. The art work is mundane—the color scheme seemed that of a coffee stain rather than anything that might represent the workings of the teenage mind and imagination central to the story. The story was disappointing because of the evocative use of the word “poltergeist” in the title and the art was disappointing because as often happens, the cover art does not represent the style of the book. I received this book free through the Library Thing website with the understanding that I would write a review and I chose it largely based upon it’s cover art—kind of an otherworldly disturbing 3-D puppet image. Wondered if maybe this was geared toward children and that’s why I didn’t connect with it. But if that is the case, then this is an even bigger failure of the imagination than I initially thought. ( )