Oh boy do I love a good zombie narrative. What is it about the undead that’s so fascinating? There are all sorts of theories out there about why we love a good zombie story, everything from facing our fears of death to a fight against the proletariat. At any rate, if you’re nuts for zombie fiction, Ever After by Olivia Vieweg will be a new favourite.
Short & Sweet
I devoured this little gem in a few hours, and let me tell you, there was no way that I could have put it down. I got drawn into the story so quickly, because straight from the outset, I was curious to know Vivi’s background story. There is an air of mystery surrounding her and it was fun to learn how she ends up in some institution. I feel like part of why I like reading zombie stories is trying to parse out the how and why of it all–why did the zombie outbreak happen and how do people live now?
Lovable Characters
The banter between Eva and Vivi is fun too. Although I wanted to know more about both Eva and Vivi and maybe see their development along the way, it was fun watching them try to survive their ordeal. In the middle of the narrative, it did feel like there was a gap between when Vivi and Eva set out and are still trying to figure out how to survive and then suddenly they are at their destination. (Maybe this is just a testament to how much I was enjoying the world that Olivia Vieweg created, since I didn’t want to leave it!) I did wonder if this meant that there might be more Eva and Vivi stories? (Let’s hope so).
Beautiful Art
Zombies may be ugly, but the art in this graphic novel is on another level. The deep, swirling colours and vast pastoral scenes (dotted with zombies, of course) offer a gorgeous contrast. I felt in some scenes like the art was reminiscent of the same sorts of lines that Van Gogh used. Just really, really stunning art.
It was interesting to see Vieweg’s take on zombies. I liked that they were portrayed as something that had grown organically, almost as if zombies are a punishment from Mother Nature. Calling them the “weeds” was an original take on a tried and true genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Thanks to Netgalley for providing this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review). Ever After is absolutely a great graphic novel to pick up if you love all things zombie!
The Novel Shrink 