I really enjoyed the contrast of cozy art to the plot elements. I can see why this wouldn't be for everybody, but I really thought it was great, and I hope to start seeing more like it out there. Patrick will be an instant read going forward!

I completely forgot what this story was about when I finally got around to reading it, so boy was I shocked with the content, especially when I got to the graphic bits. I really enjoyed this because of the cozy and gory vibes. The media (Dexter and Busytown) the publishers compared this story to were spot-on. It kind of gave me the same vibes as I Hate Fairyland but less deranged 😂 This poor town, though. Poor Bertie and Martin. I also didn’t see that plot twist coming at all. Holy moly. Things got real intense. If this is a series, I will most likely continue it because I’m really curious what happens next, plus I just really loved the vibes.
4.5 Stars

This was hands down one of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time! A story about murders in a small town are a dime a dozen, but what sets this one apart is that it featured anthropomorphized animals, which made it so uncomfortable and delightfully gruesome! I could not guess at any time where the story was going or how certain plot points would pan out, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Perfect for fans of shows like Dexter or Fargo!

An idyllic small town populated by cute animals is thrown into turmoil when two of its residents are gorily dispatched by a psycho.

I’m not giving away anything else, but just know that, as Clarice Starling handily discovered, sometimes it takes a killer to catch a killer.

I found the mix of sweet innocence, and dripping intestines to be nearly irresistible, but then my tastes run to the “sorta weird” zone.

If the idea of adorable critters gettin’ stabby-stabby bothers you, stay away from this disturbing book.

I may of entered a genre that is not for me BUT it was still interesting.

In a small town, filled with talking animals, there is a bear named Samantha. She keeps to herself and always handles her business, murdering people, out of town. Then comes one day when someone else takes to murdering the people in her town. She’s not a fan and is out for revenge before she gets caught because of them.

I thought perhaps this graphic novel would be a little more cutesy than it was. This is definitely a horror book. My bad. I was still intrigued by the story and interested to see where it went. I would have enjoyed it a little more if there was a reason to like Samantha but not much stuck out to me. Wild that a book would want you to like a serial killer, I know.

Overall if you’re into horror you’ll definitely enjoy this! It was a fun short story with a unique art style.

Thank you for the ARC provided by NetGalley!

While the story feels like an episode of Dexter, the depiction of these characters as cuddly woodland creatures gives it a spark of novelty while also making a point that even the most innocent looking places hold danger.

A story of a serial killer with competition is one a thousand stories have told before, but the use of illustration to mix childhood whimsy with the very real graphic and messy reality of a murderer is something that is fresh and gripping. Definitely a must read for fans of shows like Dexter!

Samantha Strong, small-town serial killer and beloved brown bear, lives by one rule: keep the peace in Woodbrook. She’s built a cozy life and business among friendly animal neighbors, surrounded by cedar trees and the scent of fresh apple pie. So when a local meets a grisly end, Sam is determined to catch the culprit before the town unravels.

This was one of the most chilling stories I have read. The contrast between the cute animals and the bloody murders was jarring. I recommend this book to horror fanatics with a strong stomach.

10/24/2024 || Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath || #BeneaththeTreesWhereNobodySees #NetGalley #GraphicNovel #Horror

Thank you NetGalley, Patrick Horvath, and IDW Publishing for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

3.5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐💫
This one proved difficult for me to rate. I loved the first half- getting to know Samantha and some of the residents of Woodbrook was so fun. But once the reveal hit, I felt like things went too fast and were too quick. Should have been a longer serialization.

What worked for me:
The artwork slowly grew on me and I really enjoyed the level of gore the comic was not afraid to show. The stark contrast between the happy, soft greenery and overall gentle vibes at first with the gore, death, and darkness was so unsettling but also sooooo good. Like a good scratch in the brain if you know what I mean. I loved the concept and plot mostly, and felt like the first half was very well done and executed! I loved getting to know Samantha Strong slowly and also getting to know some of the other residents of Woodbrook. Finding out some of them were harboring odd secrets of their own and their individual personalities is what really makes stories like this shine.

What did not work for me:
I'm not sure if it is because I read a continuous omnibus version (so one collected version) vs. reading the installments one by one over time, but the over all reveal and climax was too fast-paced for my liking- meaning, once we learned who was doing the other killings inside Woodbrook, everything seemed to move at super sonic speed. I wanted to spend more time getting to know more of the residents of Woodbrook and I was frustrated with the fact we got that in the first half, but immediately we wrapped up and got to the end during the second half. I did not feel satisfied, I did not feel like I fully understood why the other killer was the way they were. Their motives seemed to make some sense, but not enough. The other killer did not convince me as a killer of any sort - the deaths seemed super gruesome but the personality of the individual did not fully match up to the level of the deaths and how the deaths were left to be discovered. I wanted a more deranged person who would fill me with dread and all we got was....what we got. Fell very very very flat for me.

Conclusion:
To be fair, I get why an author would be fast to finish up a new project- people's attention span has shrank so drastically that its a risk to make something more drawn out. Big TV shows with great ratings are canceled everyday for no apparent reason and it sucks. But I say this with the utmost sincerity- this comic could have been longer and if it had been longer, with more deaths, more visiting the residents to get to know them deeper and better, having more time to get to know the deeper parts of Samantha Strong, and slowly discovering who the other killer was would have made this a full 5 star read for me!

For being a graphic novel with cute, pastel characters and artwork, Beneath the Trees is terrifying. I had the heebie jeebies the entire time I was reading and I had to do something else after finishing before I could settle down enough to go to bed. Don’t let this sound like a negative review though; I enjoyed every chapter of this book. This is exactly what the genre needs to keep reinventing itself.

I’ll describe this as Dexter meets the Berenstain Bears (or any series with anthropomorphic animals as main characters). It’s a cozy little murder mystery where our serial killer main character has another killer to contend with in her quaint little town. I loved it. The drawings are well done, the story was very interesting and macabre and was told very well in 150 pages. Perfect for fans of Dexter.

**Thanks to the author/artist and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

The synopsis of this comparing it to busy busy town is spot on! A little Dexter mixed in as well. I loved this! It was a propulsive read and delightfully filled with gore. It’s also got horror movie vibes. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

A fun, gruesome story. Normally fun and gruesome shouldn’t go together, but it does in this story. Woodbrook is a cosy and pretty town where the animals live in peace and harmony together but that suddenly changes when the town residents begin to turn up dead.

The town serial killer, Samantha Strong is concerned. She is a serial killer but she goes into the city to select her victims. With this fear in the town she worries that her own nefarious deeds will be discovered and she realises that she will need to find the killer herself.

The artwork is pretty and bright and contrasts nicely with the underlying darkness of the story. It is a graphic novel which is anmusing and horrific at the same time.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Did you (or do you 👀) enjoy creating dark and gruesome plots when playing with your stuffed animals and dolls?? If so, look no further than Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees for gorey, 'Sylvanian-Families-but-make-it-sociopathic-murder' time! Don't let the soft pastel art style fool you, the very graphic on-page murders (and cover up, and unravelling) are definitely not suitable for all audiences. Around halfway through the art style of the animal citizens of Woodbrook started reminding me of taxidermist imagery; very intruiging regardless if this was intentional or not!

I appreciated the disquiet message that no home - not even the small, tight-knit communities - are safe from violence and the unpredictable nature of *people*. Despite the main character, Sam's, tendencies for cold-blooded, random-targeted killing, there was actually a thoughtful discussion on the ethics of murder, and her rationale for her choices, versus *someone else's* in town.

All in all, an enjoyable and different-for-me reading experience! Would definitely consider reading more from this author/illustrator in the future~

This is delightfully dark in such a cozy way. The art is wonderful and really enhances the reading experience. There is so much emotion even though the MC doesn't experience them like most people do. This story hooked me from the first couple of pages and I could not put it down.

I love every single thing about this book. I went into this without reading what it was about, just loving the artwork immediately. Then only to find out it was Richard Scarry crossed with Dexter, I was so giddy to read it! I was all in, and still am for the rest in the series. And after finishing it, this was one of those things that I wanted to tell everyone about it.

First, the artwork. Brilliantly done. The colors, the lines, the care of the layouts. Amazing work. I love love this. Then add in the storyline! Finally something nostalgic that reminded me of Richard Scarry yet loomed the story with a serial killer trope. This was perfection, I couldn't rave enough. Plenty of us grew up reading Scarry only to now be obsessed with true crime and mysteries and thrillers. Like I said, this was perfection. I can't wait to read more and more of this series, and read anything by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this fantastic illustrated series. All opinions are my own.

I loved this so much. It blends all my favorite things together: anthropomorphic animals, horror, mystery, slightly cozy fall vibes. The art style was perfect and I loved the coloring especially. I would have ate this up if there was a whole series in this world, or 200 more pages. I hope the creators continue to write more in this style. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this for review!

This was great! I love the juxtaposition between the dark subject matter and the pleasing pastel aesthetic. Refreshingly different - hope there’s another arc!

Hell yes. It was described as Animal Crossing and Gilmore Girls meets Dexter and damn was that right. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into and it was so much fun. I loved the cozy, dark vibes. I read this one so fast and cannot wait for the next one to come out. Everyone needs this on their October TBR. The vibes were so much fun!

I requested this arc because I was curious based on the premise, and it definitely is what it says it is. I don't think this was exactly my kind of thing, but if it seems like it's yours, I think its pretty well executed. The arc of the mystery is fairly rote, not saying I predicted the culprit or anything (I usually don't) but it was all resolved pretty quickly. The art style is not my favorite but I think it delivered the "Richard Scary but horror/gore" so that's cool. Thanks to the publisher IDW and NetGalley for access to this ARC!