Well, the drawing style is intentionally awful - just super duper ugly... but I can live with that on account of one really awesomely grotesque piece of imagery that managed to be thrown in... you'll know it when you see it.
What I think was REALLY unnecessary was the over-sexualizing of the FOURTEEN YEAR OLD protagonist. Yes, I know this is set in the UK and there are different ideas there of what is age-appropriate material, but do we really need to see a 14 year old masturbate? Do we really need a bad guy to spy on her while she does it? It's just icky no matter where it's happening - ESPECIALLY when it is happening in a graphic novel that is likely to appeal to kids around age 11 or so.

I looked for this on NetGalley at the recommendation of someone close to me who had seen it somewhere and thought it might be interesting. Luckily it was on NetGalley as a Read Now option, so here we are. With the line "for fans of Coraline..." in the synopsis, I thought it might be interesting enough. That's one of my favorite books and movies, after all.

Morrigan is, right off the bat, described as "always moody" in the synopsis. From what I could tell, however, she acted like a teenager that had had her life disrupted in what she thought was an unfair way: because of the job of her mother and bother, novelists that chase myths and legends. While her snark toward the new landlady was a bit biting and obviously rude, I understand where she was coming from and rather felt like she was being painted as a brat when she was simple reacting as one would expect her to have in such a situation. That doesn't mean I liked her, as such, but I understood her bratty-ness.

Sophie and Edgar Moore were an odd pair of characters. I didn't get much of a sense of personality from them, besides that of absentminded authors. What I'm still wondering about it, why mother and brother? There wasn't enough detail about them to flesh them out and see them as such. To be honest, without the brief mention of his being her brother at the beginning, I would have thought Edgar was her father. He and their mother came off as absentminded author parents, really, rather than a brother working with his mum. Plus the language used to talk about them, "your folks", is most often used for parental figures.

The King of Crows was by far the creepiest, most perverted character in the book. I disliked his mannerisms, his way of speaking; for a thousands year old creature, he sounded like an entitled modern man full of arrogance. I hated him when he started making sexual advances toward Morrigan, our fourteen year old heroine, and nothing is said in the text about it. He's a bad guy because he took her parents, not because he's trying to seduce her or because he made a comment about a four panel page scene earlier in the book when, after escaping from his kingdom, she pleasured herself. What. The. Hell. was that about??

The final battle between Morrigan and the Crow King further feeds into this creepiness because both characters are completely naked at the end. The Crow King has his lower half covered by crows/shadows, but Morrigan? The child in this book? Not a stitch, nothing. It was a rude scene change in the narrative and added nothing that I could see. If the mantle of the Scarecrow turning evil and needing to be stripped away was so important, I feel like the author could easily have managed this without parading Morrigan around like he did. It made a read that was somewhat dull into one that was downright uncomfortable.

The book is touted as being for fans of Coraline and I can almost see that, but I think it shared a bit too many similarities with Coraline to really stand out as a unique work of fiction that might appeal to fans of both books. If you didn't use names or the details about the crows, I think people might not be able to tell the difference very well and that seems a problem for me because this could have been wonderful. The idea of a Crow King haunting a small English town sounds eerie and mythical. It was a bit sad that it didn't quite reach that level for me.

The art seemed rather rough around the edges, like static on a television. Then, the coloring. It was quite flat and didn't seem to flesh out the story. It was like filling out a coloring book page with one colored pencil or paint pen and not doing much in the way of shading or layering.

Ultimately, even if the art had been of a higher quality, I don't think I could rate this higher because of the story and gratuitous nudity.

It will not let me download this story on my phone so I cannot review this.. I am sorry

I really liked the story. The art was interesting but for a book that has been suggested to younger children there were some inappropriate themes. The young girl of fourteen and the crow prince were naked towards the end which didn't seem appropriate. Also there was some sexual innuendo that didn't sit well with me.

Good content but not something that I could easily get into.

I have certain preferences when it comes to artwork, so this first part is very subjective. I thought it was okay, but not always to my taste. I feel some of the artistic choices are/will be controversial such as showing the main character's breast and the villain's penis. That scene hit me wrong, but I can come back to that later.

The characters were pretty 'meh.' Morrigan is a brat, who I thought acted more like a 9 year old than a 14 year old. Her emotions seem to flip-flop, her decisions make little sense, and shes pretty rude. Her family isn't given time to develop, so the only other substantial characters are The King of the Crows and her new 'friend' (which how did that happen?). The friend (sorry can't remember her name), is nice and still feels like part of the background while King Crow actually feels like a more complex character. In the first part, he was actually my favorite character until he got... creepy.... in a 'omg did an adult really just say that to a teenager?' way.

The story.... *shrugs* to be honest, it is pretty straightforward, although our villain even brings up the question of "why are you doing this?!" which our heroine has no answer to. I also thought it was a bit fast-paced and somewhat choppy -- I can forgive this thought because I understand not all comics can flow like manga. The ending is a bit of a twist, although it made me wonder what the point of this all was or if it is open to a sequel. All in all, I was still interested in the story.

Biggest Problem
Based off of everything above, I would have given the book 3 stars. So, why 2? This book made me feel quite uncomfortable. There is a scene where Morrigan masturbates... and it is at a very weird, unexpected time -- literally comes out of nowhere. It also seemed totally unneeded to the story and did nothing to show growth or layers to Morrigan. At first I had myself convinced, I couldn't have seen what I thought I saw, UNTIL THE KING OF CROWS ACTUALLY MENTIONS IT TO HER AND THEN MAKES HER FEEL EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT.
This is the start of how the villain starts to feel like a sexual predator more than a guy just following his nature (the stealing food part). He is the villain, so why I think some of the message to 'Hey, don't be embarrassed to masturbate, it is totally normal' is totally fine, COMING FROM THE EVIL DUDE MAKES IT SOUND CREEPY. It gives it the wrong feeling.

So, unless I'm completely missing some symbolism or underlying message to the book the whole sexual part seemed totally unneeded and just done wrong.

This is not a book I would recommend, to anyone. If only because at this point I'm still trying to figure out the appeals of it? And while the heroine feels young enough to recommend this to middle schoolers, the actual content does not match that.

Weeks after reading it, I'm actually considering lowering my rating to 1 star....

OKay so....what did I just read? I grabbed this one because the description sounded really intriguing and also because it said it was for fans of Coraline and Over the Garden Wall (both of which I like quite a bit). This however is not anything like either of them (not to me anyway).

The main character is annoying, it was hard to care about her or identify with her.
And why the author felt it neccessary to have the main character (who is 14 BTW) and the villain both naked at the end of their final confrontation, I have no idea.

This was not for me. And I don't think it's for other fans of Coraline either.

This graphic novel is a perfect read for Halloween. It starts out like a Goosebumps story, a family moving to a small mysterious town with a loner child. It also reminded me of the Disney Channel show So Weird. Morrigan's brother and mother travel around the country researching local myths and then incorporating them into their books.

This is a chosen-one story with a few twists, meta jokes, and a bit of playfulness. It presents an interesting take on the dilemmas of being the chosen one. There is definitely moral grayness, which is always great in a spooky read.

There are also parts of this story that remind me of Labyrinth. It has that similar coming-of-age meets chosen-one vibes. And there's a tall dark, mysterious villain with sex appeal.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. The art pairs perfectly with the story. I give this book a 4/5.

In the style of a lot of the GNs coming out these days, this is a great one for fans of anything Molly Ostertag.

I want to thank NetGalley and The Lion Forge for letting me review this book. Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me. I'm always thankful of getting the chance to review books and share my opinions honestly.
I don't think this was the book for me. I didn't like it. I didn't like the main character. She was very whiny, and just a brat. I didn't really love the art style. The coloring was pretty, but it just wasn't art I'm drawn to.
The plot of the story progressed very quick, almost too quick. It could have done with a little more development and build up.
I also wasn't a big fan of the dialogue. It didn't grip me, or really entertain me.
I don't think I got whatever point this story was trying to make. I just thought it was weird, confusing, and I didn't really like it. This review is just my thoughts and opinions. Don't let me stop you from reading this book if it sounds good to you. It's a super quick read. I'm thankful that I was given a chance to review it.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 2/5
Not For Me.

I received a free electronic ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I am not entirely certain how I feel about this book. The story was okay. In fact, there were some things I liked in spite of its drawbacks. The fourteen year old main character, Morrigan Moore, is unpleasant. She is unhappy with the way her mother and brother, writers, keep dragging her all over the place in search of local legends to turn into books. And she is not shy about taking it out on everybody.

In this case they have taken her to a small English town in search of The King of Crows and The Scarecrow Prince, his mortal enemy. As is so often the case in these books, the legend has more reality to it than could ever be believed by most people. The King of Crows takes a fancy to Morrigan and, to get her attention, kidnaps her mother and brother. Things escalate from there.

It comes as little surprise that Morrigan is chosen to be the current incarnation of The Scarecrow Prince--now Princess--with power over all the things of man. The battles begin. And again, things escalate from there.

There are some scenes that are less than comfortable since they include a fourteen year old girl. Maybe even a little creepy, and not in a good way. I thought those scenes took away from the story rather than add to it.

Overall it was an okay read.

I loved this story! I love the strong female heroine who has to save her town. And I loved the twist ending. What I didn’t like about this was the artwork. It wasn’t very clear and sometimes was hard to figure out what was going on.

I really liked this. It was a cute, moderately scary story about a girl finding her own strength.

Child nudity. A boring color palette. A bratty "heroine". No thanks...

Being 14 is hard. Having a mother and brother who are famous writers and who move you to a new town to write their book is harder. Being singled out by the Deceiver, the Thief, the Drinker of Eyes, the All-Devouring Black Cloud, AKA the King of Crows is hashtag the hardest.

Morrigan Moore has unwittingly been drawn into an epic and continuing battle between good and evil--the Scarecrow Prince versus the King of Crows. While the Scarecrow Prince protects Morrigan with his mantle, he isn't all good. He changes and controls her, makes her mean. In the end, the King of Crows is not so bad, and the Scarecrow Prince is not so good, but Morrigan is herself and in control.

Readers who love Neil Gaiman’s Coraline or Jim Campbell’s Over the Garden Wall will enjoy this adventure fantasy story.

I requested this from NetGalley because the blurb mentioned myths, a crow king and basically sounded like a modern day fairytale. The actual comic was a bit different.

The story starts when Morrigan, her mother, and her brother move to a small town. Morrigan is upset because this move was for her mother and brother's new project, and she reacts by acting like the 14-year-old girl she is. But when the crow king from the myth turns out to be true, Morrigan finds that she is the appointed scarecrow princess meant to stop him.

The first thing I didn't like was the drawing style. I realise this was on the cover and really is a personal thing, but it didn't grow on me at all. I suppose the rough style could be reminiscent of Morrigan's prickly character and the dark nature of a fairytale, but it just felt unfinished most of the time.

The second thing I didn't like was the pacing. I think this is actually the main reason why the book disappointed me. Everything was wrapped up in this one volume and that means things had to move at a quick pace. Morrigan must grow up, she must meet (and then quarrel with) friends, there must be a twist, etc. I suppose if this was spread over a few volumes, the story could have had enough room to breath, but as it is everything felt rushed.

And there is one more thing: the ending section of the story was weird. (Spoiler alert!) At the end of the book, after what felt like sexual talk from the crow king, Morrigan and the crow king have a heart-to-heart conversation (as much as two enemies can) while the two of them are completely naked.

Let me remind you that Morrigan is a 14-year-old girl and the crow king, while not explicitly given an age, appears to be an adult.

It feels like the more I think about the book, the more I dislike it. It's a real pity because the premise had a lot of promise and I think if the story was given more room to breathe (and remembered that the protagonist is a young girl), it could have been a great story. But as it, it's just disappointing.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

What? This started out so well – strong characters, great autumnal colour palette, the promise of a story about writers researching local urban legends... no. Those two strong characters are unconscious through the entire narrative, the local legend (if that's what it's meant to be) is nonsensical, and the whole story is about a 14 year-old girl's sexual awakening for some reason. What the what?

The Scarecrow Princess is a thrilling, young adult horror story about power, corruption, greed, and familial love. When Morrigan’s mom and brother move her into a quaint town occupied primarily by rich people with getaway homes outside of the city, she’s miserable. Both her mother and brother are authors who are investigating a local myth for their next book… But when it turns out that the myth is more real than they thought, it’s up to Morrigan to stop The King of the Crows and save the town from ruin.

I couldn’t stop reading this book once I began. Federico Rossi Edrighi’s story is incredibly well-written, and his artistic style matches the mood of the story perfectly. At first, I was put off by the sharp angles and harsh colors, but after a few pages I sank fully into the art. The King of Crows is a terrifying figure who never shows his face. The crows he controls cover panels with their sharp, black wings, and the stark monochromatic colors of his villainy are countered by Morrigan’s bright yellow hair and bright purple mantle.

In many ways, The Scarecrow Princess feels like a traditional Halloween tale. Morrigan makes friends with a local dog-sitter and attempts to be normal: shopping, talking about boys, going to the end of summer ball. She complains about her family and is more interested in being online than biking to libraries to research a little-known myth. She’s 14 years old and super bratty and, to be frank, pretty damn selfish. Somehow, these qualities make her the ideal vessel for the mantle of The Scarecrow Prince, the only power big enough to battle The King of the Crows.

Morrigan struggles under her newfound responsibility. The mantle makes her cruel and eventually reveals itself to be corrupt in its own way, even though its purpose is to eliminate the threat of The King of Crows. Because Morrigan is so different and so stubborn about it, she’s able to combat both forces, but the cost is great. No matter what choice she makes, someone suffers. And for a 14 year-old who doesn’t think her family really needs to be in the middle of nowhere researching this myth, that’s a lot to take on.

The Lion Forge, LLC edition of The Scarecrow Princess is translated to English from the original Italian. Unfortunately, that means some of the language is really clunky. It’s not usually noticeable, but it can be jarring in more emotional moments. The onomatopoeias are incredibly well-placed, and the different dialogue boxes keep everything very clear. The Kind of Crows’ dialogue is in dreamy, shapeless bubbles that make it seem like his voice is somehow larger than life. Morrigan’s speech is surrounded by jagged edges and points, whereas the other people she interacts with have regular speech bubbles. And Morrigan’s thoughts are in small, square boxes, which seem more grounded than any of the other text in the book. That makes sense, since she constantly tells herself to stay focused, calm, and sure as she fights her way through this unexpected war.

What I loved most about this book is the fact that, although Morrigan is an unexpected hero and in many ways occupies the “strong female protagonist” role, she’s flawed. And the ending to her story isn’t perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. It isn’t neat. Her selfishness is both a virtue and a vice, and she has a significant amount of growing up to do. She comes into The Scarecrow Princess as a bratty teenager and leaves it the same way, albeit with a significant, life-altering experience under her belt. She grows, but not unreasonably. And suddenly gaining powers to battle evil doesn’t make her perfect or wash away her worst traits.

For a horror story based in supernatural forces, Edrighi has managed to create an incredibly realistic tale.

The Verdict
Oh, you absolutely have to buy it! I mean it when I say that I couldn’t put this graphic novel down; I highly recommend it for any reader, and hope that Edrighi has more up his sleeve. I’ll be following his work closely after reading The Scarecrow Princess. This one is going to stick with me for a very long time.

Hmmm... this seems to have been the first graphic novel the creator wrote, and it kind of shows. You can't tell where it's set - it's an Italian book, but the heroine's family are writing a book about the legends of Albion, in particular the King of Crows. So guess who kidnaps them all and has it out for a regular ding-dong that happens every century. And guess how much is unresolved. Oh, and yes, the heroine masturbates at one point, which is really something to throw your appreciation of the book off-kilter. Not because you're going to loathe and lambast it - you're not a religious, prudish old stick are you?- but because it's just too weird, and out of place. Whereas each and every book such as this has a theme - fear of your mother being swapped, growing up, whatever - this doesn't succeed in having one beyond the heroine's neediness and jealousy of her family's time, which we get as soon as she first speaks. That and the poor artwork mean this is not really dreadful, but certainly cannot be recommended.