The Ghost, The Owl is first and foremost a ghost story (shocking, I know), but the author decided to go a non-traditional route for their story. Instead of having it be a horror story, it is instead an endearing tale that’ll tug on your heartstrings. It’s a short story and a really quick read (I believe it took my about a half hour to read, and a lot of that was my ogling the artwork).
The somewhat eerie and wistful tale of our little ghost is beautifully supporting by some of the most stunning artwork I’ve ever seen in a graphic novel. I sincerely cannot say enough positive things about Sara Richard’s artwork. It’s striking, elegant, detailed, and evocative all in one. If there were prints made available for this graphic novel you can believe that I would buy some.
This graphic novel is only about half as long as I’d like it to be. I would have loved to see more of the characters and the absolutely stunning world that’s being given to us here. I also wouldn’t have said no to more artwork by Sara Richards, but that’s probably no surprise there (side note to self: look up Sara Richard’s portfolio online).

Ok, so this is seriously one of the darkest things I have ever read. It is, however, also absolutely beautifully illustrated and carries a lovely message in the end.

When I saw that this book had an owl in it I knew I wanted to read this graphic novel. The illustrations are beautifully done. Loved the story line.

This is a breathtaking graphic novel. The mysterious artwork seems fitting of the spiritual power of the natural world, with lush colors depicting a combination of myth and whimsy. And, if you are familiar with Sara Richard's work you'll know she has created an illustrated owlery beyond compare.

Teaming her work with the courageous and enchanting story written by Franco is clever.

I love how friendship and not going along with the crowd ( forest animals) is the overwhelming theme.

The Ghost, The Owl is an interesting ghost story and especially, since it's only 53 pages long and very coherent still. A ghost girl wonders in the swamp and cannot remember how she got there or even who she is. An owl decides to help her, since he himself once got help and wants to repay the kindness. The girl is rooted to her past and to a woman and an old house, and the girl and the owl have to fight for those things. The story is simple, but quite clever and it baffles me how Franco can pull all this in just these pages. There isn't that much text either, so wow. The comic is dark and tempting, but also hopeful and cute - the mix is wonderful and scary at the same time. Eerie even. There could've been more content of course, but then there would need to more pages too and then this wouldn't be what it is now.

The art is so beautiful with flowing colors and even odd colors at times, but mostly the whole thing is just pure art. The art works so amazingly well with the atmosphere and the whole package looks gorgeous. Even the scary parts and the blood doesn't look so hideous when it's under the veil of magic. The structure is good and the art is more than fine and The Ghost, The Owl is surely entertaining, even though it isn't wow as such. It's just very good at what it does.

This is a sweet story of friendship that is beautifully illustrated. I'm not usually a fan of Manga style artwork, but this was done so well, that I fell in love with it. It really gives the story that fairy-tale magical feel.

The story is short and simple, yet has a wonderful message for children. Friendship, overcoming adversity and standing by those you care for are the main theme here. I only gave it three stars though because I feel this could have been so much more.

I'm not sure if the story is to hold up the artwork, or the other way around, but if the story is to take precedence, then a little more character development would have gone a long way.

The nature artwork is the really stunning part - the animals and the textures - and I love the interaction of the ghost and owl. The artwork for the humans is sometimes distracting in their proportions, though. The conclusion and the connection between all the elements is thin and somewhat of an afterthought, but it's a decent vehicle for the artwork.

Overall a pretty fun little graphic novel. The art was unique and worked really well for the story, and the story itself was a pretty fun ghost story. It's not perfect, but it's fun. I enjoyed it.

This is a beautiful and an original graphic novel. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
The owl has long had a connection to the dead, in many cultures and myths. It is hardly surprising that it makes an appearance here.
The owl is in the forest and discovers the ghost of a young girl, and this new arrival puzzles the animals of the forest. The only one willing to help the young ghost girl is the owl. Instead of being a simple tale of a spirit finding its place in the afterlife, the tale becomes one of light versus dark, and how things are interconnected even when they do not seem to be.
The artwork is stunning. The story beautiful.

Simple and yet so lovely.
"Never underestimate a power of kindness". This is what the book taught me.
It's like a reminder to always be kind to others, to help others without expecting anything back.
I love this graphic novel a lot. Plus, seriously... the illustration?! SUPER BEAUTIFUL.

A beautifully stylized graphic novel populated with painstakingly rendered animals and a few (spoilers).

The story is short but complete, with arcs for both the ghost and the owl that end satisfactorily. The artwork is stunning, truly. The sort of art you’d want as prints for your walls.

The beauty of the illustrations in The Ghost, The Owl is undeniable, each page is complex and detailed, and there is a lot to discover in each drawing. I particularly liked the illustrations in which animals emerged from the forest, the more I looked, the more creatures materialized in the image. This artistic style is very surreal and magical and fits perfectly with the overall plot. I would have liked this graphic novel better if the story had been explored in more detail, each character is facing dire situations that unfold and resolve quite quickly. This quick resolution and constant action gives the impression that the story only serves as a simple frame for the artwork rather than an exploration of characters and their situations. Despite the high stakes of the plot and very dramatic scenes, the artwork and story never seem to come together to create the deep storytelling that graphic novels are capable of. Overall the artwork makes the book worth reading, but the story will likely fail to resonate deeply with readers.

Personally, I found this book charming and heartwarming, especially due to the Owl's strong set of beliefs. I also really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations.

The artwork in this book is astounding - a work of art. The story itself is fairly straight forward, but enough to not detract from the amazing visuals.
Would seek out more books by this artist in the future!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Diamond Book Distributors, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Interesting Art Project

This is sort of manga ghost meets Audubon on psychedelics in a surreal Maxfield Parrish garden.

There is a story - who and what is the ghost, why is she here, what is the drama that is unsettling the swamp, how can the noble Owl be of service - but it doesn't drive the tale as much as just provide a frame for the drawings. And those drawings are attention grabbers.

The style and tone and approach of the artwork changes almost from page to page. Sometimes a page features the big-eyed soft focus ghost girl. Sometimes the focus is on an extreme close view of the noble Owl. Sometimes we get a bucolic scene that shimmers and vibrates with color, blending into the surreal around the edges. Villains are exaggerated and drawn in heavy lines of dark pencil. Sometimes it appears that the artist is using swirls and waves of color just to establish mood and to inject emotion and energy into the pages. All of the pages are crowded and dense, and there's always a lot more going on than just what appears to be the focus.

I thought this was interesting, and at times arresting, but it's also a bit cold and it invites the reader to keep his distance. Lots going on, though, and lots to admire. An interesting find. (Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Buy it for the artwork.

One night, the ghost of a young girl appears in a swamp; only the animals are able to see – and communicate with – her. While the residents of the swamp have a strict policy against interfering in the affairs of humans, an owl named Aldus breaks with tradition and attempts to help the ghost girl find out who she is, where she comes from, and – most importantly – why her soul continues to hang around. As it turns out, the girl’s fate is entwined with the owl’s own, as their journey takes them to a whimsical little cottage where both spent their youths.

The story in THE GHOST, THE OWL is pretty simple; bare-bones, even. It’s enough to keep the action moving forward, but not much else. For example, I really wanted to learn more about Jessica, and the angry and entitled man pursuing her. This subplot feels like the outline of a fairy tale – the beautiful, kind young maiden and the evil, boorish lord/prince/king/baron – calling out for more depth and complexity.

But the artwork? To say that it’s breathtaking feels grossly inadequate. The style, the colors, the lines and angles – it’s simply enchanting. The owls in particular call to mind the Great Owl from THE SECRET OF NIMH – a childhood favorite – and the dark tone and assorted swamp creatures are evocative of THE DARK CRYSTAL and THE LABYRINTH. The fire scenes – with red licks of flame and black swirls of smoke – are especially beautiful. Many of the pages struck me speechless, and the eyes of the owl and the crow – burnt amber and fiery red – will haunt me.

Honestly, this is one of the most gorgeous books I’ve ever picked up.

A simple and yet beautifully told and lushly illustrated story. A real winner.

The illustration is beautiful, the story is wonderful amd kinda eerie. This comic is unique and O would reccomend reasing it.