When I started “The Down River People”, I expected this to be at least a 3-star read. Such beautiful art! The first part of the story was dark and haunting. Living in a small town, the main character has quite a depressing life mainly consisting of illegal business his father left him and old family secrets. Sadly and very unexpectedly, it soon became a dumpster fire with a cult in the centre of it and absolutely an incomprehensible ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, Adam Smith, and the Publisher for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one was a little different then what I was expecting but I still enjoyed part of its. This is a southern graphic novel that follows a semi odd (or dysfunctional in my opinion) family as they try to keep up or save the family blues bar. There were some interesting twists along the way as well.

This book really confused me. I felt like I was reading two different stories and they did not come together at the end. I am not sure the author was sure which story they wanted to tell either. The beginning of the book begins in a blues bar speakeasy. Myers has lost his father and is trying to keep the business going. His estranged mother shows up and the story veers off into some occult quasi religion. The ending left me more confused. The art work was good but the story was lacking.

This was interesting graphic novel. Artwork was great. The story was a bit confusing to me. The ending is definitely open to interpretation. Did he imagine things or not?

**thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc I received**

I loved 'Long Walk to Valhalla', even though it was a little disorienting at times in its narration. 'The Down River People' follows along that same vein. It's a masterfully written story about the impacts of mental illness and grief, but it introduces more whimsical and fantastical elements. The ending is ambiguous and confusing, but I think that was part of the charm. It might miss the mark for some readers, though.

This book has me flummoxed. The first half of this is a languid slice of life story about a young man whose father has just died and he's inherited the family blues bar. It's harder than he first realized to run and he suffers from anxiety. Then his estranged mother shows up and tells him he has a half-sister. It all seems to be about a twenty-something coming of age story. Then the second half is about a supernatural cult and it starts off pretty interesting before dissolving into an incoherent mess. I couldn't even begin to explain to you what happens at the end because I'm not sure. I was left so completely confused by it that I'd love for the author to explain it to me because he didn't do a very good job the first time around.

The art had an indie look to it I grew to like and I really liked the monochrome color palette of blues and purples.

Following his father's death and amidst his own mental health struggles, Myers is just trying to keep his family's speakeasy open. But when his absent mother returns offering to help, alongside her new husband and daughter, Myers gets caught up in some strange and terrifying occult practices in this graphic novel thriller.

The art was beautiful but a little hard to follow at times, and the first half of the story felt somewhat disconnected from the second because there's such a turn when the occult practices are really revealed. And the ending was almost impossible to decipher-- for me, at least. Not unenjoyable, just confusing.

As his family's speakeasy struggles to survive, the graphic novel's main character, Myers finds himself running out of options to keep his father's business open. He finds himself reaching out to his estranged mother who has remarried the leader of an occult church. Could this church be the solution to his financial problems? I thought the story was quite interesting and the artwork was haunting and quite interesting. You will like this if you like stories about cults, Southern charm, and characters who find themselves down on their luck.

This graphic novel started off really interesting but I don't think it was long enough to explain the entire story. The way the author described mental illness like depression/suicide and anxiety was very compelling, especially with the artwork. I enjoyed the story but it just felt short and the ending happened so quickly and ambiguously. I wish it took more time to explain the supernatural stuff and that the ending was less ambiguous.

This started in a very grounded place and it DID NOT stay there. It yeeted itself into a level of crazy I wasnt expecting.

First and foremost this is a story about grief. But outside that it is a trip that honestly can only be experienced.

Is it about some form of mental illness? Is it about cults? I dunno it's your call to make.

In the South, Myers runs the speakeasy that he inherited after his father died. He has trouble with cops for transporting booze in a dry county and is running out of options to keep the speakeasy open. He needs funds and assistance. He comes in contact with his estranged mother, who abandoned the family when Myers was little. His mother remarried the leader of a strange church and it turns out Myers has a half sister. Myers visits the church and sees that they have some bizarre occult rituals. Will this help him keep the speakeasy? Should he get involved?

This was a twisted little take that definitely had a downtrodden Southern feel. Myers really has no hope and is looking for anyway to find help. The last 1/3 of the book was a bit fuzzy to me and it wasn't entirely clear to me what was going on, but perhaps that was intentional.

⭐⭐ ⭐-- It was okay

This took me a while to finish because I couldn't read it on my tablet (writing too small). It was an okay read. I don't read too many comic/graphic novels, so this was definitely out of my comfort zone. Like I said, it was okay. The story was interesting enough, but seemed to move very slowly. And I found a lot of it confusing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ However, the graphics were most excellent, so I gave it an extra star for that.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I read this when it first came out and forgot to post, as this book was for me in a summary forgettable. To be fair, I was expecting more fantasy and less cults-based plots. The MC father has died and he has a run in with the police that ends with him reaching out to his family for liquor. The first part makes sense and then it falls apart. I was also not satisfied with the ending and was unclear on the role of the church and his extended family.

To keep his father's speakeasy a float Myers unwittingly gets caught up in his family's ties to the occult.

The colors and art are stunning. The first page could be framed and hung on your wall it was so pretty. The pastels of the sky combining with the black shadows and birds. I love the art in this book so much.

The story was a little harder for me. I found myself getting lost from time to time. At about half way through the book I wasn't sure I knew what was going on. Things did start to make sense, but the book is a slow burn. Totally worth your time, but a little slow.

Creative Team:
Written by Adam Smith
Illustrated by Matthew Fox
Lettered by Mike Fiorentino

'The Down River People' with story by Adam Smitha and art by Matthew Fox is a graphic novel about how weird some families can be.

When Myers dad died and left him with his bar, The Flatbed, Myers thinks he can run it since he kind of has already anyway. A run in with the local police on a booze pick up leaves him desperate and about to lose the business. Then his estranged mother and her strange husband step in, and Myers finds himself with all kinds of new trouble.

I liked this story. It definitely took some odd twists along the way. I did like the main character and his barfly/musician friend. It just takes too long for this story to get interesting. The art also wasn't my favorite.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Best described as a Southern Gothic tale, the story begins with a narrative about grief and loss before taking a sharp supernatural turn in the last half.

Meyer is a young man whose single father recently committed suicide, leaving a speakeasy for him to run. His grief runs deep and there are poignant scenes as Meyer copes with anxiety, the new reality of running a bar and dealing with the local police. Suddenly his long-lost mother reappears with news that he has a younger half-sister from her second marriage to a pastor. After meeting his sister Meyer seems to bond with her, and you are rooting for him to heal.

But then the story goes sideways and his affable step-father is revealed to be a cult leader. Not only do I want to avoid spoilers, but I also couldn’t explain what happens next even if I wanted to. The river plays a big part in the dream-like conclusion and I question what was real and what wasn’t.

The artwork is evocative with a subdued color palette that moves almost exclusively to blue at the end. Panels are small with four to eight per page that established a solid riverfront setting. The southern community was realistically shown with varied townspeople.

I’m on the fence with this story. Normally, I’m a fan of supernatural stories, but it didn’t mesh well with the beginning that was off to a strong atmospheric start before changing course. I wish the first theme of losing someone you love and how to cope afterward would have remained the focus. But still, it was an interesting read and I’m glad that I got to read an early online copy through NetGalley. (Actual review 3.5/5)

The story was confusing, and I had trouble following it.
I also had trouble telling the characters apart in the illustrations and distinguishing between the present and the past or what was actually happening and what Myers was imagining.
In addition, the font was blurry, and I had to zoom in to decipher it, which made it very annoying to read.

This is a difficult review to write. I liked the premise and the first half of the story, but just when I felt the tension was building to climax that would answer my questions, it became illegible. I turned the page expecting to find the conclusion of the story wrapping up the loose ends, but instead I found the author’s notes. It left me confused and disappointed. I’m giving it three stars for the half I enjoyed. Maybe it will make more sense if I reread it. If that’s the case, I will raise the raining.

A dark Southern tale hums along nicely until an unexpected and confusing hard turn in the plot.

Publisher’s Blurb

In order to keep his father’s speakeasy afloat, Myers unwittingly gets caught up in his family’s ties to the occult.

Myers Carpenter is a bootlegger who just inherited his family’s bar, The Flatbed. Unsure of whether or not he even wants to keep the famous speakeasy, Myers is forced to find a new booze supplier when he burns his bridges at his long time source in Mississippi. The only option he can turn to is his estranged mother, a woman he hasn’t seen since he was a young boy, now running a fishing Lodge for the wealthy; and a half sister he knew nothing about. As Myers becomes more entangled in the lives of his newfound family, he begins to learn the secrets of the Lodge and a dark cult thriving just under the surface of wealth and opulence.

Adam Smith and Matt Fox, the acclaimed creative team behind Long Walk to Valhalla, reunite for a gripping southern gothic thriller about finding your family and the true cost of happiness

The first act of The Down River People tells the story of a young man in pain. His father has just committed suicide and he wants to keep his dad’s bar open. He has to head with suppling the booze through a dry county and a host of other issues. It’s at this moment that his estranged mother shows up. All this works for me: the community coming together for Myers, the grief he’s dealing with, and the renewed connection with his mother. What happens next is confusing… a series of disjointed dream sequences tied to her mother’s new family’s church.

Take a minute and look and this sneak peek. There are some very good things to say about the artwork and the color palette.

This book had a lot of potential for me and Smith’s note at the end of the book reveals some of his inspiration. I just couldn’t see the whole arc work together.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boom Studios, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

I would love to give a proper review of this book, however it will not show up for me in any format. It doesn't even show up on my netgalley shelf. So being that there is no way for me to read it, I'm not sure what to do here. I've never had this problem on here before. It seems like it would be good, but I'm basically just guessing at this point. I suppose I'll base my "stars" off of the premise and what I've read about this book.