4.5 rounded up to a 5 star

The cover and colours of this comic instantly drew me in to requesting this book from netgalley.
A unique spin on the red string of fate. Yoon-Sook Namgung can see blue and black threads since the age of 14 when her parents were murdered. Blue strings indicate sexual partners whereas black strings tie murderer to victim. Due to these abilities she is hired as a detective for police investigations. However everything changes after she has a black string attached to herself.

The pacing of this novel felt fast, which was good. The only downside to this is the characters besides Yoon felt a little undeveloped. Hopefully we get to see them return in later volumes and are further fleshed out. There was no problems with text size on a tablet or computer when reading this comic.

Thank you to netgalley and Mad Cave Studio's for allowing giving me access in order for an honest review.

I have received an ARC copy through NetGalley, however my review is my honest opinion. (4.5 stars rounded up to 5)

***
Do you know the story of the red string of fate? Good, good.

How about the black string of murders and blue string of lovers, hm?

This graphic novel has a something for everyone: a stunning cover and artwork (these pulled me in to request it, actually), an intriguing premise, a diverse and loveable duo, a solid backstory to build up on, pets (!).

It's also the funniest damn thing I've read in a long time. I was chuckling at our characters banter on almost every page.

Who doesn't want to get take away coffee from Agatha Crispie's?

I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series.

A story about a young girl with a unique gift: Yoon has the ability to see the two types of strings connecting people - blue for sexual partners and black between murderers and their victims. One can guess what interesting stories are a result of that!

I really liked this idea and I honestly love the execution. The plot flowed nicely, and there was a lot of adventure and mystery. Yoon's character is quirky, and I liked her. I also liked the inclusivity!

The illustrations and the art style used were magical and I feel this really elevated the story to another level.

I was hooked until the end and can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

I saw the cover and read the blurb and found the idea quite interesting. The color scheme and the drawing style in the comic were really beautiful and unique.

However, I didn't find the story that gripping and exciting. The text was also difficult to read - you had to zoom in a lot to be able to read anything.

It was an okay Story, but I probably won't read the next parts.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend the book if you want something quick to read.

Read this for a Net Galley review, and I have to say, I enjoyed it! However, I will say it didn’t live up to my expectations. The premise was extremely interesting to me, but the pacing wasn’t executed as well as I would’ve liked. Things were slow and then something would just happen, sometimes feeling very random.
I did like how diverse the cast of characters was though, and the art style (especially its use of colors) I loved! I’m probably going to read the next volume when it comes out, and hope some of the pacing is cleared up by then.

I adore the art style, it’s super engaging, and the color scheme is just chef’s kiss!

The concept of the strings is a really cool spin on the red string theory. The dialogue had its moments, sometimes funny, but other times a bit unrefined or filled with unnecessary details.

Maybe it’s my slight inexperience with graphic novels, but I felt the pacing was a bit off at times. Big events would sometimes unfold too quickly, making me feel more like a bystander than fully immersed in the action. I loved the diverse cast, but a lot of the characters felt more like fillers. They didn’t really contribute much beyond supporting the MC’s abilities or moving the logistics along. The modern approach was interesting, though at times it leaned a bit too much into the sexual aspects.

I’d be keen on reading the next novel in the series, but if the same issues persist, I probably wouldn’t continue further.

Overall, 3.5 stars!

Yoon-Sook Namgung can see strings connecting people, invisible to everyone else. Blue connects people who've slept together; black links a murderer and a victim. I read this more for the writer, Paul Tobin, who's done a fair few things I liked, especially when working with other half Colleen Coover; gimmick detective stories aren't necessarily my bag, and this one seemed particularly prone to handwaving. So it proved, with the black strings especially prone to flickering in and out according to plot requirements, especially once Yoon finds one attached to herself, indicating that within a day she will either be killer or victim. So, with the aid of her new police liaison, she sets out to close her open cases, in case it's someone tied up in one of those who wants to get her out of the picture. And they all resolve a little too neatly, and often include some heavy-handed social commentary (the porn star who feeds the homeless, who in turn are only there because of the WGA strike and doing their best to get their lives back together...) – but in between the very important messages, there's a countervailing grasp on how people really speak and react, a winning sense of rapport and of the utter strangeness of the world: how many stories open with the lead catching a French bulldog being thrown out of the blast radius by a suicide bomber*? Which Olivares and Colella render on the page in all the absurd yet deadly serious roundness that life deserves. Though, less happily, the main area in which the art can falter (aside from a van described as white when it clearly isn't) is in the titular strings, absolutely crucial to the whole concept yet not always as legible to the reader as they're supposed to be.

*Fair warning: that isn't the only animal jeopardy, and it doesn't always end so well, though is never unpunished.

(Netgalley ARC)

String is a fast paced graphic novel with a really interesting premise - Yoon, a young Korean woman can see two types of strings: the first one ties sexual partners, the second one ties a murder and a victim.

Considering I love some murder mystery I was excited for this, but found myself quite disappointed.

Yes the pace is fast and clues are there enough but it takes quite some time to understand what Yoons job is - like, you get her skill and her possible roles but it takes quote some pages before you know what her specific role is within the police. And even now, after finishing vol 1, I don't really understand why she needs a police partner.

Luke is an interesting character but since it's been only one volume, I don't really feel that police partners bond between them and Yoon.

While I like the casual diversity within this volume, I kept finding myself irritated by the even more casual sexualisation of everyone and everything. I know it's easy when once can see strings between sexual partners, but some jokes, choices in art etc really weren't necessary in my opinion.

There was just something overall missing that didn't make me fall in love, and I don't think I'll read vol 2.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m not used to reading graphic novels, but I absolutely loved String!
The story is fast-paced and captivating. I thought the concept of the different strings was original and well-executed, leaving the reader wanting to know more about the story and the origin of the main character (and definitely eager to follow more of her adventures!).
The art style is stunning and vibrant!

The two things that didn’t fully convince me were:
- Some parts of the dialogue felt unnecessary and a bit too long.
- Although all of the characters were supposed to have important roles in the story, some of them still felt like they didn’t contribute much to the plot and seemed more like fillers.

Overall, I’d rate the graphic novel a strong 3.5–4 ⭐️

Yoon can see strings attaching people to each other (black for murder, blue for sex) and then suddenly her own black line appears. Which is the basic plot, but we also get just a fun, badass, manic-pixie-dream-girl (complimentary) character who was so much fun to hang out with. I enjoyed this and can't wait for more Yoon and her adventures.

The red string theory is a Chinese belief that two people connected by this thread are destined lovers. Paul Tobin put a different spin on it, where blue threads show sexual partners and black threads show a murderer and their victim. While this premise was interesting, the execution didn't quite catch up to the hopes I had for it. Because it's a graphic novel, the pace was on the faster side, meaning the investigations we follow unfurled a bit too easily for my taste. Plus, we don't have the time to dig deeper into the characters except for the FMC, about which we still don't know much, causing a disconnection from the characters and what they were going through. It was like being told what was happening without actually living it with the characters, worsened by writing that was a bit too explanatory for my taste. I couldn't connect with their emotions as much as I would have liked.

However, I still enjoyed the experience and look forward to the next installment, hoping it goes deeper into the story and the characters we follow.

3/5 Stars

Thank you to Mad Cave studios for providing me with an arc.

I saw the cover and the blurb and I thought this was a cool idea for a graphic novel so I requested it. Overall I enjoyed it but I did struggle with the text a lot unless I zoomed in on each section it was hard to read. It was a pretty traditional comic book text but I struggled a lot with it and found myself skimming at times due to it. I think this was still a decent read but felt a bit under developed at times with how and why she had this ability.

I may read the next in the series but we will see. Overall I still recommend this one as it wasn’t super long and still was interesting.

This was a very unique graphic novel that, overall, I had a good time reading!

I also really loved all of the variant covers at the end, those were all so cool (I always love looking at those when I'm reading a graphic novel or a comic book)!

This follows Yoon, who has the ability to see the strings connecting different people. Blue strings are for romantic connections and black strings connect murderers and their victims. Because Yoon has this ability, she works with the police to help track down killers, but one day, there is a black string connected to her. And she wants to track down that connection. Is she going to kill someone or is someone going to kill her?

I thought that was such a cool premise and I did find this to be a fun story. I did find it to have quite a bit of filler, information that I didn't find super relevant or interesting at times. But if you're looking for a new and unique graphic novel, I would definitely look into this one~

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Yoon-Sook is a woman who can see strings of blue and black tied to people. Blue strings for sexual partners and black for murderers and their victims. Yoon-Sook is working on cases to help solve murders.

I enjoyed this novel, Yoon-Sook’s ability is really interesting. I have always enjoyed stories with the red string of fate so, this was an interesting read! The main characters and side characters are fleshed out in a wonderful way and each have great back stories and unique personalities.

Thank you to Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley for this ARC! Due to be published May 20, 2025.

3.5
There were many things that I liked about this graphic novel. Yoon-Sook Namgung is a young Korean American woman with the ability to see "Strings". No, not the Red string of fate, but the Blue strings that show sexual partners and Black strings that show death. This concept was honestly a really interesting, and very cool play on the common "Red String of Fate" story trope. I also enjoyed the other characters, they were all fairly well-rounded and felt very real. However, the pacing is all over the place in this comic. Some scenes are just characters walking and talking, and my God there is just so much dialogue and the scenes just drag. The action scenes are intense, but always pretty short. The way events unfold in this story doesn't feel smooth at all. It's just "lots of talking then suddenly OMG THIS IS HAPPENING then oh well that's over". I think if the pacing was better this would have gotten a much better rating from me. I do have to say, I absolutely love the art style! The character designs, and the locations, all look so pretty in this art style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun mystery/thriller with a character, Yoon-Sook Namgung, investigating her own murder - or her own choice to kill! The cast was diverse in a way that felt natural and real. There was fun witty banter. Yoon-Sook's ability was a unique one that I haven't seen before (the ability to see strings tying murderer-victim and tying lovers together). Plus, the visuals were all so beautiful! Loved the cover and the cover gallery, plus the chase sequences were crisp and engaging.

Great read!

This was such a fun graphic novel to read! The premise was unique and I enjoyed learning about Yoon-Sook's string abilities. The subject matter was quite dark but it was portrayed with some humor which made it easier to digest. I would definitely recommend String!

String revolves around Yoon-Sook Namgung who can perceive strings between people. Blue for sexual partners, black for murderer and victim.

"The beauty of it is, nobody really knows what I can do, not even me, so it's easy to fool people. Of course, some people are just easily fooled because they're, you know, fools."

This comic has such a unique premise, I had to pick it up. Though overall I ended up having mixed feelings about the execution. I think the story is very interesting and features a lot of players and elements without feeling overcrowded. Overall it is a well woven story.

However the good gets bogged down by the clunky. The first arc in this comic is extremely slow and mostly features clumsy exposition. Everything feels like it just doesn't flow well. Besides this the art style and anatomy feel too inconsistent at times.

On the other hand the vibrant colours fit the vibe of the story perfectly. And while the character diversity feels a bit shoehorned in at the start, I am always thankful to see a variety of ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender expressions in a story.

I would recommend String to people looking for a crime story with a unique premise and a diverse cast. While the beginning is a bit clunky, it's quite enjoyable once it gets going.

Yoon-Sook Namgung is a 25 year old who can see the strings joining people. There are two strings, one is the blue string between partners who are sleeping together and the other one is a black string that connects a victim to its murderer.

This ability of hers has helped her solve many cases. But she will have to use this ability for herself as there is a black string stretching from her. Either she is going to murder someone or she is about to get murdered herself. Teaming up with an officer of law, she embarks on a whirlwind adventure.

As she is cornered every step of her way, she is not meek for sure she can and will save herself because there are things that she wants to know and dying wouldn't help in any way.

This graphic novel was immersive and extraordinary. I was captivated by the story line as well as the characters. The plot in itself is quite unique and I am sure many readers will absolutely love this. The story has elements of suspense, mystery, anticipation and curiosity. The artwork is breathtaking. I am really excited to read the next installment.

I'd highly recommend this.

A full-colour comic following 25-year-old Yoon-Sook Namgung, known as Yoon. She has the unique ability to see two different kinds of strings connecting people: blue strings between sexual partners and black strings linking murderers to their victims. Yoon uses her powers to assist various individuals, such as local police trying to solve a murder case and people hoping to find out if their partners are cheating.

Yoon’s life is filled with an overwhelming amount of too much information, on people which can cause some issues, but she finds life fulfilling—until she notices a black string connected to herself. Now, she has only 24 hours to figure out if she will kill someone or be killed. Can she solve this mystery in time?

Although the art style isn't something I typically enjoy, I found the story so engaging that it didn't bother me. I loved that it was in full colour.