Customer Reviews

Malice

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought Malice at a school book fair earlier this month for my 12 year old son because he loves comics and horror and the cover art was delicious. However, I got to the book before him and just finished it after a late-night marathon read!

The world of Malice is beautiful, exciting, dark and deadly. Its reminiscent of David Bowie's Labyrinth and The Return to Oz, but it definitely has its own feel. While the world-building is certainly the strongest aspect of the book, the characters feel well developed and, while they occasionally don't sound like real teens (no profanity out of the mouth of a juvenile delinquent!?!), I felt emotionally invested in them all by the novel's close.

My greatest complaint is that the author proclaims he wanted to do a comic/novel combination without making the comic aspect "gimmicky" but unfortunately, I think he failed here. There simply isn't enough of the comic to make it necessary to propel the story along--and the panels, just aren't that well rendered and they are sloppy with too many sound effects and not enough of a glimpse into the fascinating world of Malice or its malevolent creatures. Also, the style just wasn't what I'd expect the malformed, sinister artist, Grendel, would create. To see a book that seamlessly combines image with narration, check out Hugo Cabret.

All in all, I closed the book and immediately powered up my computer to see when the sequel, Havoc, would hit the shelves. I loved this book, despite my critiques, and highly recommend it, to horror fans, scifi/fantasy nuts, reluctant readers and comic fanboys and girls. And I'd love to see a film adaptation soon. It would be visually stunning.

While I have never read a book by Chris Wooding before the cover of this one caught my attention when I was at the bookstore (I bought it through Amazon). I must say that I was not expecting a book where the main characters get caught in a comic book would have me as entertained as this one did.

The story follows Seth as he enters the world of Malice to look for his lost friend. Along the way you find yourself cheering him on as he fights through the secrets of the clockwork beasts that inhabit Malice. The comic scenes add geat vision to the story all ready in your mind and always seem to be the major action scenes in the book. Without giving to much away I must say that there were several parts that completely caught me off guard from what I expected to happen. I like books where you think you know what will occur then BAM!! you get something very different.

At the end I must say I am eagerly awaiting part two titled Havoc.

I should start out with a disclaimer: I haven't read this book. I bought this for my reluctant reader based on the premise and other Amazon reviews. I was a voracious reader at his age, and I have hoped to instill a love of books in him as well, but... it's hard to compete with the Wii, the X-box, Cartoon Network and UB Funkeys. Any book he's ever read he was out of necessity for school.

Most nights I come home from work and practically have to pry the boy off the computer. Imagine my surprise and delight to come home and find him reading. READING! An actual book! I just about clicked my heels with glee, people. I couldn't believe it.

Not only has this book trumped his interest in video games, the internet, and TV, the only thing that distracts him is wanting to talk about the story in great detail. Ok, so 10-yr olds don't edit, and he rambles on & on. I don't care. He's so enthusiastic it's a pleasure to listen to him describe the story. If it took standing on my head and playing the banjo to get him to read, I would've done it; instead, it just took the right book.

As far as reading levels go, this book seems perfect for tweens and maybe young teens. I like that the vocabulary has challenged him; he has come to me twice, to ask me how to say "menagerie" and "oubliette." We got to find out together that oubliette is a medieval word for dungeon. How cool is that!

I'm hoping I can remember some of the books I loved at his age; two that come to mind are The Witches of Worm and The Lion's Paw. Any other suggestions are welcome and much appreciated! As far as my rating for Malice? Any book that compels a 10-yr old boy to read deserves 10 stars.

Gold Star Award Winner!

A comic book exists that no parent knows about. It's fame and location of sale are only known by rumor. After you read it, the words fade within a few days.

If you read the chant it holds inside six times with the right objects, Tall Jake will come to get you and suck you into his dangerous world.

A world filled with life-drinking robots and things far worse. If you're lucky enough to survive and get a white ticket, you can return home, but there's no guarantee that you'll even remember your home when you get back.

Will you be one of the lucky ones to make it home alive?

An entertaining horror/adventure story for reluctant readers. The characters are well-developed and the bad guys are wonderfully creepy. The plot moves quickly and holds the reader's interest. Those who like comic books, video games, horror, and adventure will truly enjoy reading MALICE.

Reviewed by: Kira M

There is a persistent rumor about a comic book called Malice. If you make the right offerings and say the right words during the correct ritual then the ruler of Malice, a man only known as Tall Jake will come and take you there. It is only a rumor, though. Right?

Luke and Heather, two London kids decide to try the ritual and promptly disappear. Seth is a friend of Luke's and the only clue he has about Luke's disappearance is that he mentioned Malice once. He and Kady, another friend, set out to the creepy bookstore, the only place where Malice is sold to investigate. They are horrified to see their friend Luke in the pages on the comic. Seth, longing for his own adventure and feeling a sort of teenaged discontent, decides to do the ritual to enter Malice and find Luke. Kady stays back in in real world London to figure out what is going on on this side.

What follows is an adventure that takes place in two worlds: One in dangerous, crazy toon-Malice where Seth must fight off weird monsters and mechanical beasts and the other in real-Life London where Kady is in a different kind of danger.

I must say this is one book where the cover is probably the best advertisement. It is a nice hard cover, brilliant crimson with a 3-D figure of Tall Jake looming on the outside, very striking and totally makes you pick the book up. I saw it at a bookfair during a parent/teacher conference and decided to get in for my 10 year old. He loved it. I decided to read it myself.

I liked it very well too. The story is extremely atmospheric and inventive. I've never read this author's work before so I had not expectations. I am not a huge consumer of YA books and thought it was definitely something that would appeal to younger audience, even it isn't precisely my taste. The story is written in combo on prose and graphic comic art. The written part of the story certainly moves right along although you get to a point where you understand that this is not a self contained story and there is going to be a sequel. Maybe this is why I felt some characterization suffered, especially in the case of Seth. Hopefully that is just a case of first-in-a-series-book-itis.

I am sad to say that graphic art part was a bit of a let down. I love graphic novels and the ones that speak to me the most are the ones that are wonderfully illustrated. I didn't especially love the illustrations here. My son, though thought they were fine.

All in all a pleasant way to spend a couple of afternoons and most definitely a winner for the YA set.

Malice is set in two worlds: modern day London and Malice--an eponymous comic book whose chief villain, Tall Jake, takes kids into the dangerous world of the comic if the right ritual is performed. In an attempt to better convey this two-setting concept, Malice melds a graphic novel/comic with a YA/MG novel, with mixed results.

The graphic aspect of the novel is by far the poorer stepchild here. The illustrations are mostly poorly or simply done, the action in the panels is not always clear, and it's rare that one feels the illustrations are necessary or are enhancing the actual story. The concept isn't a bad one, but it feels stuck in the middle here and one is left feeling that it would have been more successful had the author either gone all out with better illustrations (better drawn, more precise, more startling or engaging, more pages of them) or gone with none at all. In this muddy (literally) middle ground, the graphic aspect is more frustrating to the reading process than anything else.

As for the story itself, it's certainly a quick-paced, fast-read with lots of action-filled scenes and likable, mostly realistic young characters. The pacing is sometimes uneven; some parts lag slightly, others go by too fast; and some problems are resolved too quickly, but the book mostly draws you through quickly and happily. The story is a bit thin; spending more time in some scenes and with some characters would have deepened the reading experience; as it is while quick it feels like a shallow dip rather than a full swim. And Malice itself, with its different zones (only some of which are explored here; the rest saved for at least one sequel) is imaginative and interesting, but at this point it all feels a bit arbitrary, as if it were created just so the author would have some fun things to show. Granted, that is what is going on as is true of all fantasy/sci fi, but it feels a richer, more rewarding experience if the set-up/setting feels like a natural outgrowth or a real world rather than an authorial construct. Younger readers probably won't mind so much, but older ones, or readers with some experience with better-realized settings (such as the worlds of Hunger Games or Graceling) will probably feel a bit let down.

The characters mostly speak and act as young adults do, if a bit more brave than is likely, even for adventure novels. But they are all three likable and interesting and strong in their own ways. Seth and Kady are two Londoners whose friend disappeared into Malice. Seth, who longs for adventure, follows him in and is probably the weakest of the main characters--a bit too bluntly and plainly drawn I'd say, with too much of his development told to us. Kady, who remains in London to track a pair of mysterious people seemingly involved with Malice the comic, is more interesting and her development is more subtly handled. Her story is also, in many ways, creepier and scarier than Seth's, even though he's in the strangely dangerous and cruel world of Malice itself, filled with deadly automatons and soul-sucking creatures. The problem is the horror there is sort of stock and glossy even in its grimness and somewhat predictable, while the horrors in Kady's world are both more and less typical (don't want to give details away). The third main character is a boy Seth meets in the world of Malice and he has his own sense of mystery about him, beginning with the seeming happiness in being stuck in such a dangerous world.

The story ends with some small resolution but mostly as a cliffhanger with the sequel clearly peaking up over the horizon. And with the arbitrary nature of the world of Malice, the author/illustrator can probably go for a few sequels if the story is popular enough, simply adding more unseen or unknown regions, though one hopes they don't go down that road. Thin as the world-creation is, they're probably better off keeping this a tight two-book story.

Recommended more for younger MG or YA readers, or ones less experienced in the genre, with the warning that those picking it up for the graphic aspect will probably be disappointed, though the story will most likely suffice for them. Older, more experienced readers will find it a quick bite to eat more than a fully -satisfying meal.

MALICE

Malice written wonderfully by Chris Wooding is one of the most entertaining books I have ever read in my life. That is not a lie at all I truly enjoyed this book immensely in fact my girl read the book in less than a day. This is not a short book and she just had to finish it, don't get me wrong it isn't super long or anything either. When I was given the opportunity to read this book I kinda had a lot of other stuff going on so I put it to the side. But once she read it and read it so fast because it was so good I had to get going on it. Once I was done I realized this writer had me hooked and I can't wait for the sequel.

This marvelous story is all about a group of friends that one way or another come in to contact with a comic called MALICE. The comic with nothing more than a scary looking M on the cover has a dark connection that they all fall prey to. Legend says that that if any one was lucky enough, or unlucky enough to somehow find a copy can enter its world. A ritual of sorts must be followed to t. It involves things like cat fur and tears as well as other things and a chant that must be uttered. If you do all these things he who's name you spoke will come for you, his name is Tall Jake. When he comes he comes when your alone and takes you to the dark, wondrous, murderous, vicious world of Malice.

Seth and his friends become involved with this comic after one of them comes up missing, everyone else thinks he has run away but Seth knows better. So he and Kady set out to find him and bring him home, then they find the comic. Their friend is in it and he meets a very bad end in that issue, Tall Jake is there and waiting for his next victim. Seth is that next one and he enters into a world that I can just describe as dark and macabre. In this world he meets others trapped there, witnesses gruesome deaths, and sets out of a viciously dark adventure. Along with a few others he sets out on a journey that he may never return from.

Though this book is labeled as being for teens or what ever this can truly be enjoyed by all. This is not that romantic trying to be apart of the horror genres teen reading stuff that other wanna be vampire stuff is [know what I am talking about]. Not saying anything bad about writers of stuff like that, I am all about people making their money. Just saying this can be enjoyed by both sides of that argument, teens and adults alike. I can not wait for part two to come out because "HAVOC" is going to be great. Also it must be noted that this is part novel and part comic, although some have not liked that to much I thought it was a very interesting way to tell the story. When I was reading this I had the animated movie "9" in my mind and things like "Coralline and Nightmare Before Christmas".

If a movie is ever made out of this book I recommend live action out of the comic and "9" style animation when inside Malice. I would be there opening day for that one for sure. I highly recommend this book to any and everybody that is reading this. Check it out at a library or buy it. I would recommend owning this one, it really is a fun book. Hey even the kiddies can read this one along with you, make it a family night, a Malice night. I had a lot of fun with this one, it may be because I need some escapes right now or something but I loved it.

It took me almost a week to finish this book--but that's only because my 5th grade daughter kept sneaking it away from me and when we took a car trip with friends, the 5th grade son of my friend kept sneaking it away from her. Of course the flashy 3-D cover caught their eyes right away but it was the inside that hooked them. This book starts right out so creepy and mysterious that it pulls you right in. The mystery of the comic book featuring kids from missing children flyers and the chant to have Tall Jake 'take me away' is just too much to resist. Then the kids who recite the chant end up in the comic books and are trapped in a world of horrible mechanical monsters and crazy rules. It's the ultimate mix of fantasy, horror, and comics. The only thing I didn't like was the cliffhanger ending that left off in the middle of the story with no closure at all . . . but you can be sure I will be getting the next installment. I will also be definitely ordering this in for my elementary school library.

This is a very good and inventive book. I found myself completely engaged at all times, never being bored. I will warn you now (cause this bothers me), this has a very open ended ending. You will have to wait for the next book to get your answers. With that being said I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

This is a story about a series of kids getting involved in a mysterious and possibly non-existant comic book. Kids are disappearing without a trace, and after the main characters lose a friend this way, they get curious. Turns out this comic is very real and its very dangerous.

I would venture a guess and say the author of this story is a fan of greek mythology, which I also enjoy. I thought this story was fantastic and highly reccommend t to readers 12 and up.

Be wary. Once you read the first page of this book, you will NOT want to put it down. The premise of this book is the stuff of horror movies. Do you remember scaring yourself stiff at sleepovers, with the little rituals that children sometimes do? This book will make you remember that fear--and then it will take it and multiply it, in a thousand little ways.

First, there's Malice. Malice exists as a comic in our world--a comic about a world called "Malice," populated by creatures whose sole purpose is to kill the children who are brought to it. It's a special comic, though, one that is printed on ink so that it fades to white upon exposure to the light, and can't be photocopied. Children find it through rumor and innuendo. It's an incredibly disturbing comic, first, in that the children who appear in its pages are children who have gone missing, and second, because it shows the many ways in which those children die in Malice--their life force sucked away by mechanical creatures; or gnawed to bits by various creatures.

But Malice is more than a comic. It's also the truth. There is a world called Malice. And all you have to do to get there is repeat the ritual, and say six times, "Tall Jake come and take me away." And he will.

This book is an absolute page-turner. The way that the world of Malice blends into the world that we know feels like the stuff of nightmares, resurrected from my sleep and turned into words on the page and then, into comic strips that manage to convey both the sadness and the stuff of the dreams.

This book was extremely scary--but like the old children's rituals of Bloody Mary, I suspect children will love to be scared by this one.