Member Reviews
Rose had a great atmosphere throughout the whole story that really intensified the darker plot.
The plot itself was also quite intriguing, especially with the cliffhanger at the end that left you wanting more.
My only problem with Rose is that I didn’t really feel any emotional connection with the characters. I liked Rose and found her interesting, but I wasn’t 100% invested in her story.
“She’s a ghost, except alive.”
Upon reading the synopsis I was really looking forward to how the out of body experience will be illustrated and found that it is done simply but effectively. This is the first book in a trilogy, and it starts off on a really intriguing tone as it unfolds to a gripping murder mystery. We follow Rose as she embarks on an investigation to find out who killed her father, a former detective. It evolves into a ghost story, and there’s a hint of a mystery about her mother, too. In the end Rose will find truth but it may not be the one she is hoping for.
I can’t wait to know the rest of the story and will definitely read the rest of the series. Big thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.
Este año me ha traído buenas sorpresas en lo que a lecturas respecta. Uno de esos casos es Rose Vol. 1: A Double Life, escrito por Denis Lapiére y Émilie Alibert, con Valérie Vernay a cargo del arte. Al principio no sabía qué esperar de esta historia, pero se ve que pronto se pondrá mucho más tétrica y siniestra.
This year has brought me good surprises as far as readings are concerned. One such case is Rose Vol. 1: A Double Life, written by Denis Lapiére and Émilie Alibert, with Valérie Vernay in charge of art. At first I did not know what to expect from this story, but it looks ike it will soon turn much more sinister and gloomier.
Full review to be published on July 31: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2019/07/comic-rose-vol-1-double-life.html
What a wonderful kick off to a new story! I enjoyed learning about Rose and her abilities, but most of all the creepy history that surrounds her family and her father's past. Written with lots of mystery and twists, this is sure to be a great new series!
Rose is a quiet girl, very reserved and keeps to herself mostly. While projecting her consciousness outside of her body and interacting with people by observing them. This is very reminiscent of an introvert, but I believe Rose is finally going to start growing into a strong-willed woman. Her father has just died and she is starting to piece together a very sordid and dark history that she knew nothing about.
Her projection powers provide her sight to see the ghosts that haunt her father's building and through these interactions she is learning about her own life, more about her abilities, and the immense role she plays in all of it. Can't wait to read more!
Rose is an interesting comic about a woman with the same name, who can detach herself from her body like a ghost. Her father has been murdered and now she tries to understand why that happened and who was behind it. It all starts with problems that grow and how her father had done some grave choices and whatnot. I really enjoyed the real ghosts and the witch curse. The whole setting is very intriguing and oddly distant, which makes this very exciting. The beginning isn't the best though, since it takes time for the story to find itself and get going. Perhaps I wanted the story to be slower too, since this is too juicy to be told with quick twists. I do want to know what happens!
The art looks like Hergé actually, soft round shapes and naivety. It was a good call to make the body transition colorful as everything else is black and white then. The art works well with the dark and suffocating story so that it makes this more approachable. Rose: A Double Life would be a fine movie, really. The plot is refreshing and different, so I do recommend, although this has its problems. I wish Lapière and Vernay correct them though, since the potential is there.
It was a very intriguing story and a good start for a series.
The artwork is beautiful and makes you nostalgic with such a delicate color palette.
I enjoyed the double person premise and can't wait to see what's going to happen now that all those secrets are getting out of the bag.
A quick and interesting read that immerses the reader into Rose's life. I enjoyed the meticulous art and mysterious feel of the book. I was left hanging at the end, which immediately makes me crave the next book in the series.
I’ve seen the French edition of this graphic novel--Rose by authors Denis Lapière and Émilie Alibert and illustrator Valérie Vernay on display at the library where I work, and so when I saw it available on NetGalley translated in English I thought I’d give it a try. It appears to be the first part of a three-part series. When I checked my library catalogue, I saw that the three volumes are currently out in French, so I’m hoping the two others will get translated as well. It would be frustrating for readers to read the first one and never get to know how it ends. I suppose I could always attempt to read them in French if I have to…
This graphic novel centers on Rose, a young woman who has the ability to leave her body and see ghosts since she was a child. Following her father’s murder, she encounters three spirits unable to move on, condemned to live forever in the old building where they died, owned by Rose’s father. As the story progresses, we learned that her father’s murder might have been related to a bigger ongoing investigation, and Rose learns some terrible truths.
The story is interesting enough, but not something I haven’t seen before. What I really like is that the pages aren’t text-heavy; the ratio text to illustration is well-balanced. That said, the graphics are really simple and I don’t particularly like the style or the colouring—obviously, that’s really subjective—but the story kept me engaged and I definitely want to know what happened and how the mystery will unfold.
I’d recommend this if you’re in the mood for a quick, enjoyable mystery and if you don’t mind waiting for the next two parts.
Thank you to Europe Comics for providing me with a free copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had such an interesting premise! However, I did have difficulty reading the dialogue which did hamper my engagement.
Since she was a child Rose has had the ability to leave her body and move around as an invisible spirit. As she grew older she stopped speaking about this to people, but the ability has never left her.
When her detective father is murdered Rose realises that there are many secrets about his life which might lead to the murderer. As she goes through his papers in his house she discovers strange clues, a skeleton hidden behind a wall, and three ghosts who are trapped in the house. Somehow her father's death is connected to these and Rose is determined to use her talent to find out why her father was killed.
This is the beginning of a trilogy which was orginally produced in French. The artwork is lovely and provides a fitting illustration to this haunting mystery. I hope we will not have to wait too long for the next two books because there are just so many questions which need to be answered and Rose is definitely the one to do so.
Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Reviewing this comic is being harder than I thought it would be.
She is very short, and although I do not understand much about the features of the drawings, I can say that they are very beautiful, light.
I'm curious to know why Rose's life is in danger because of the curse. I want the next one now!
I recommend it to anyone who wants to read something fast, complete challenges or reading goals and the like.
I want more! What an interesting and peculiar story! It has ghosts, witches, demons, and it's all wrapped up in the big mystery of her father's murder and her father's house.
And okay, honestly? I wasn't thinking about inconsistencies or things that didn't sit right in the story when I was reading this one; I was just enjoying the story that was playing out in front of me. In this first issue/volume, we learn about Rose and her ability to leave her body at any time. It seems a little bit like her soul was leaving her body. We see her leaving her body quite a few times throughout the story but I wished that we learned more about why it happened and how she manages to leave her body (especially when it happened the first time when she was a child). There was some narration at the start (which I assume is her father) that explained it a little, but I wanted to know more. I want to say more but I also don't want to give anything away!
Although it was a bit of a slow start, I liked how the process of Rose's thinking and discoveries unfolded. It wasn't rushed and not totally implausible. Looking at 'inconsistencies' I guess it was odd that the house, its history, and the history of that history was recorded in the archives. Was the detailed history of the house, including the ancient witches curse, in the regional archives because the house had burned down so many times? It seems a lot of people are keeping secrets in this mystery and I'm very curious to know more!
I thought the artwork was well done. This is going to sound weird and I don't know how to explain it but there was something very European about it. Perhaps it was the setting and the way the characters acted and dressed. It's not my typical favorite style, but I found I really liked it. It's a bit dark, and always a little gloomy, but I thought the style suited the story. The story might not be completely original and it isn't one that you won't be able to get out of your head, but it was an enjoyable fast mysterious read. I'm looking forward to finding out more.
Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In 'A Double Life' we get to know Rose, a girl with the ability to leave her body (hence the subtitle) and walk around ghost-like, invisible to everyone besides ghosts. When she visits the house of her recently deceased father, she learns there are three ghosts inhabiting the place, unable to leave. They tell Rose about the mysterious circumstance of her father's murder, and thus the opening is set for the story to unfold...
I loved the clear, smooth style of the illustrations without hard contours and in soft coloring, perfectly accentuating the dream-like quality of Rose's out-of-body episodes. Add to that a puzzling murder case and a couple ghosts with their own mysterious history - now I definitely can't wait for the story to continue.
An interesting first look into a world full of supernatural beings, crime and mystery.
However, even with the cliffhanger ending of this first volume, there isn't enough to keep me engaged or excited for the next edition.
Its nothing I haven't seen before.
I was sent this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rose is a girl who has the ability to get out of her body and be able to see and hear everything that goes on around her, like a kind of astral projection. After the death of her father Rose will try to investigate the murder of her father and will discover many things...
I have finished reading this volume and I loved it! It is a supernatural thriller full of mystery and has hooked me completely!
I loved the artwork and its colors.
I liked this story, Rose's power is useful and original.
I can't wait to read more of this series.
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this graphic novel.
This book's concept was intriguing to me. It's something that I have never read about, which is hard to come by at this point. I did really enjoy the artwork. It was detailed without being overwhelming and I enjoyed that the color schemes were influenced by the story. The story itself did prove to be fascinating. However, Rose was a bit one-dimensional, which I suppose is to be expected in a graphic novel that is only 48 pages long. Further, though still to be expected, there was not much backstory provided. Other than that, the story was interesting and I am keen to read the next in the series. So, while this was not my favorite and had a couple of flaws, I did still really enjoy it and would recommend it to someone looking for an interesting and quick read.
This was such a cool mystery graphic novel. Rose is a young woman who can split herself into two (like astral projection). When her father dies, she's thrown into a mystery that involves ghosts, murders, an art gallery, and a killer with an artistic eye. The mood of this mystery is very film noir-esque, especially with lots of black and white panels infused with colour to indicate life and the present.
I just hate that it's too short and ends on a cliff hanger just when everything is starting to piece together. I can't wait to read more from this series since this seems to be the first volume. My review is teetering at a 4 or 5, just because it doesn't feel complete yet. I have a feeling that this series may be a 5-star for me once I finish all three volumes at a later date.
Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
An Intriguing Ghost Story
Rose's spirit can leave her corporeal body and travel the same paths as do ghosts. In her dead father's abandoned office she finds three ghosts, a mystery from her father's past, a mystery about her father's murder, and hints that suggest to the reader that there will be more mysteries to come. This is the first issue in a three issue series, and it does an admirable job of efficiently introducing Rose and of setting up all of the action to come.
Dialogue is crisp and narrative flows smoothly, especially for a work in translation. The art is subtle. Pencils are clear and softly realistic. Colors are restrained, which gives the whole affair a slightly melancholy and romantic air. The characters are convincing and expressive, and it's easy to distinguish ghosts, the living, and both Roses, from each other.
So, I enjoyed reading this mellow but compelling story, I admired the artwork, and I was left anticipating the resolutions of all of the mysteries. What more could one want.
(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy 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.)
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this graphic novel!
Eerie!
This graphic novel is set in France, where Rose lives: she has the strange ability to double herself and travel outside of her body (kind of like astral projection), while no one sees her. Because of these absent episodes her colleagues at the art gallery find her quite odd.
Rose's estranged father worked as a detective until recently, when someone shot him, most likely connected to his investigations.
Now she decides to use her abilty to investigate his murder and she finds things that she can scarcely believe...
Wow! I would like to continue reading right now!
A murder mystery with supernatural elements, quick to read, dramatic scenes... but also those gorgeous, atmospheric stills of French landscape sparkled in. I found myself magnetized!
I will be honest in this review, I just choose this comic because I found the cover pretty and I'm so happy that I did this, Rose has the ability to split in two: one part of her stay still and her soul get out of her body and she wanders around, the whole idea of an investigation about a murder with touches of supernatural was done before but the author archive the goal of making this unique and interesting.
Rose ability gives this story so many possibilities of what can happen and the start is amazing also the drawing style is pretty and I liked when rose was out of her body the whole word changes of color keeping the focus on her. I'm excited to continue to read this mystery..