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The Well
A fantasy graphic novel about Lizzy, a girl who gets cursed by a wishing well, and her adventure to grant three wishes in order to break free.
Li-Zhen’s life on the archipelago is simple. Known to friends and family as Lizzy, she takes care of her grandfather and their goats, she flirts with the woman who helps row the ferry, and she stays away from the fog that comes in the night―and the monsters hiding within it.
But Lizzy’s life comes apart when she steals a handful of coins from a sacred well to cover a debt. The well requires repayment, but it doesn’t deal in coins. It needs wishes, and its minions will drown Lizzy in its depths if she doesn’t grant them. Lizzy finds herself on a quest to uncover hidden memories, bestow great wealth, and face the magical secrets that nearly destroyed her family―and are now returning to threaten everything she has ever known.
In this breathtaking graphic novel, Jake Wyatt and Choo have created a modern fable based on magic and family secrets, exploring the power―and limits―of wishes.
Li-Zhen’s life on the archipelago is simple. Known to friends and family as Lizzy, she takes care of her grandfather and their goats, she flirts with the woman who helps row the ferry, and she stays away from the fog that comes in the night―and the monsters hiding within it.
But Lizzy’s life comes apart when she steals a handful of coins from a sacred well to cover a debt. The well requires repayment, but it doesn’t deal in coins. It needs wishes, and its minions will drown Lizzy in its depths if she doesn’t grant them. Lizzy finds herself on a quest to uncover hidden memories, bestow great wealth, and face the magical secrets that nearly destroyed her family―and are now returning to threaten everything she has ever known.
In this breathtaking graphic novel, Jake Wyatt and Choo have created a modern fable based on magic and family secrets, exploring the power―and limits―of wishes.
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 379 reviews
January 12, 2023
hmmm. wonderful artwork, beautiful coloring, loved the worldbuilding, love interest, and the woodcutter and the witch bits — didn’t love how easily the plot resolved, and i really hated the goblins. i would love to be done with greedy cheating goblins in fantasy forever please and thanks, it added nothing to the story or characters and they had no dimension or reason to exist besides plot convenience. harmful tropes do in fact ruin otherwise perfectly fine books! let’s be done with it! use your big brain and come up with a different creature not based in antisemitic stereotypes!! you’re a writer, act like it!!! anyways
July 25, 2022
slay story and art
December 19, 2023
Lizzy lives with her grandfather on one of many small islands in an world plagued by mist and monsters. Her mother, father, and grandmother all died fighting against the leviathan that used to threaten the seas between the islands; Lizzy has heard the stories, but never knew any of them. Her daily concerns are with goats, the market where she sells their cheese and milk, and her crush on a girl who works the island ferry. Magic doesn't regularly touch her life, except when she foolishly steals three coins from a wishing well, and is then tasked with completing the three wishes that are bound to them. This story has much the feel of a fairy tale with it's orphaned protagonist, three wishes, three tasks, and characters who are often more archetype than fleshed out people. But it manages a sweetly emotional ending and simple but lively and effective illustrations.
June 23, 2022
A beautiful book. It’s dark, haunting, and a little mysterious, but it also has the right amount of hope. I absolutely loved it, and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more things illustrated by Choo in the future.
September 21, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
The art was beautiful and the story was quite chill, but sometimes it all seemed too easy and it felt like there was no real danger or risk to anything that was happening in the story! Nevertheless, I still loved the world the author and illustrator created and I’d enjoy reading more from this series (if it continues) <3
The art was beautiful and the story was quite chill, but sometimes it all seemed too easy and it felt like there was no real danger or risk to anything that was happening in the story! Nevertheless, I still loved the world the author and illustrator created and I’d enjoy reading more from this series (if it continues) <3
January 11, 2024
Gostei bastante! A personagem principal é uma fofa e a arte me lembrou muito o estilo da Tillie Walden
October 17, 2022
The Well is a bittersweet yet hopeful little fantasy. You'd think the story of a reckless girl forced to grant wishes would be whimsical or madcap, but it's solid and solemn at its core. Lizzy is a likable and spirited protagonist, and the little moments of humor and surprise were wonderful, keeping this book from having in to something overly dark or deep. I would've like a little more of a character arc on Lizzy's part, and the sections felt just a bit disconnected, but all and all an enjoyable read.
January 25, 2023
I loooooved this comic, it’s so sweet and well written and charming!!
August 26, 2022
Well-plotted and beautifully drawn. I enjoy the worldbuilding and how the color palette evolves as the story progresses. My only complaint is that the panel transitions in some action scenes could've been clearer.
March 5, 2023
Cool and solid plot, awesome and clean art that slightly reminds me of Tillie Walden and the moth keeper. ending was a bit meh but that’s alright, I really enjoyed the romance that was just super cute. I liked it a lot and this is worth a read!
September 20, 2023
*3.5
It's disappointing. There's so much I liked about this book, but it ultimately fell flat on delivering a solid storyline. To summarize, it takes the path of a protagonist being given a direct, literal challenge and being told how to complete it - and then following those instructions.
It's like the opposite of ATLA. What I love about ATLA's conclusion (spoilers here) is the agency that Aang takes. He needs to defeat Ozai, but he's told by the past Avatars that the only way to do so is by killing him. Aang holds onto his beliefs, though, and ends up finding a way to win the day without doing what he's been told.
Anyhow, back to The Well.
I liked the art style and color palette of this book, as well as the characters. Lizzy's relationships with her crush, Eli, and her grandfather were very emotional and well done. Every character in here, frankly, is great. And the worldbuilding wasn't half bad either. Also, love the casual queerness.
The plot of this book spins from Lizzy stealing coins from a wishing well and subsequently being chased by vengeful spirits. In penance, she must fulfill three wishes which she "stole" from the well.
I thought these tasks would be more metaphorical than literal, and I expected some overall message about wishes and true desires and all that. But that's not really what I ended up getting.
Spoilers for The Well past this point.
The first wish Lizzy is entrusted with is an old one: a woman who once wished to return to her homeland. Lizzy ends up recruiting Eli, her crush, into kidnapping this woman to fulfill the parameters of the wish. But Lizzy hadn't realized that the woman's homeland was destroyed, and she longed to return to a place that no longer existed.
There's some nuance here - the woman says "Take me home" when she walks away from her homeland, referring to her house with her wife and children. When I first heard this task, I thought it would be about Lizzy giving the woman a taste of her homeland or something - you know, not literal. But I don't really get what the point of this is - is it supposed to be that you don't always want exactly what you wish for? That seems like a harsh conclusion to shove onto a girl who just missed her home.
The second wish is by a ship captain who wants to be the richest man in town. Again, very literally, Lizzy has to fulfill this wish by fighting goblins for their gold. It is nice, though, how he ends up abandoning his money and leaving at the end of the book, showing that he didn't really want what he thought he did.
The final wish is from Lizzy's mother, who wants to be able to defeat the creature that used to terrorize their town. Lizzy thought that her parents and grandmother succeeded in this task when she was a baby, but they only put the monster into a slumber - Lizzy has to be the one to kill it.
This is where the book really lost me. A straightforward mission like this just felt so emotionally empty. Yeah, Lizzy does want to live up to her parents' legacy and stuff, but that's really not a big plotline. There's never any heavy emphasis on her being afraid of letting them down or anything. The real pseudo-conflict sort of comes from Lizzy turning to her grandfather and letting herself accept his help, but that's also not something that was a huge problem before the plot started.
I guess I should mention here that Lizzy has some magic. It makes sense because her mother and grandmother were witches, but it's such a come-and-go point! You can genuinely forget about her fire magic so easily. It sort of comes in during her second task, but it'd honestly slipped my mind entirely that she could do that. And then, of course, it's a whole thing for the final task, too.
There's not even anything to say about the final task. Lizzy wakes the monster. Her and her grandfather fight the monster. They kill the monster. The town is saved.
See what I mean? Where's the emotional conflict here? It's just Lizzy doing what she's told from point A to point B.
I called it, but I did like the ending reveal that the well woman was Lizzy's grandmother. It made me want something about her father, since he's the only one who gets a little sidelined, but I'm not complaining in that front.
The Well had a lot of potential, and I wanted to love it so badly. But the lack of a strong emotional storyline let me down.
3.5/5 stars.
It's disappointing. There's so much I liked about this book, but it ultimately fell flat on delivering a solid storyline. To summarize, it takes the path of a protagonist being given a direct, literal challenge and being told how to complete it - and then following those instructions.
It's like the opposite of ATLA. What I love about ATLA's conclusion (spoilers here) is the agency that Aang takes. He needs to defeat Ozai, but he's told by the past Avatars that the only way to do so is by killing him. Aang holds onto his beliefs, though, and ends up finding a way to win the day without doing what he's been told.
Anyhow, back to The Well.
I liked the art style and color palette of this book, as well as the characters. Lizzy's relationships with her crush, Eli, and her grandfather were very emotional and well done. Every character in here, frankly, is great. And the worldbuilding wasn't half bad either. Also, love the casual queerness.
The plot of this book spins from Lizzy stealing coins from a wishing well and subsequently being chased by vengeful spirits. In penance, she must fulfill three wishes which she "stole" from the well.
I thought these tasks would be more metaphorical than literal, and I expected some overall message about wishes and true desires and all that. But that's not really what I ended up getting.
Spoilers for The Well past this point.
The first wish Lizzy is entrusted with is an old one: a woman who once wished to return to her homeland. Lizzy ends up recruiting Eli, her crush, into kidnapping this woman to fulfill the parameters of the wish. But Lizzy hadn't realized that the woman's homeland was destroyed, and she longed to return to a place that no longer existed.
There's some nuance here - the woman says "Take me home" when she walks away from her homeland, referring to her house with her wife and children. When I first heard this task, I thought it would be about Lizzy giving the woman a taste of her homeland or something - you know, not literal. But I don't really get what the point of this is - is it supposed to be that you don't always want exactly what you wish for? That seems like a harsh conclusion to shove onto a girl who just missed her home.
The second wish is by a ship captain who wants to be the richest man in town. Again, very literally, Lizzy has to fulfill this wish by fighting goblins for their gold. It is nice, though, how he ends up abandoning his money and leaving at the end of the book, showing that he didn't really want what he thought he did.
The final wish is from Lizzy's mother, who wants to be able to defeat the creature that used to terrorize their town. Lizzy thought that her parents and grandmother succeeded in this task when she was a baby, but they only put the monster into a slumber - Lizzy has to be the one to kill it.
This is where the book really lost me. A straightforward mission like this just felt so emotionally empty. Yeah, Lizzy does want to live up to her parents' legacy and stuff, but that's really not a big plotline. There's never any heavy emphasis on her being afraid of letting them down or anything. The real pseudo-conflict sort of comes from Lizzy turning to her grandfather and letting herself accept his help, but that's also not something that was a huge problem before the plot started.
I guess I should mention here that Lizzy has some magic. It makes sense because her mother and grandmother were witches, but it's such a come-and-go point! You can genuinely forget about her fire magic so easily. It sort of comes in during her second task, but it'd honestly slipped my mind entirely that she could do that. And then, of course, it's a whole thing for the final task, too.
There's not even anything to say about the final task. Lizzy wakes the monster. Her and her grandfather fight the monster. They kill the monster. The town is saved.
See what I mean? Where's the emotional conflict here? It's just Lizzy doing what she's told from point A to point B.
I called it, but I did like the ending reveal that the well woman was Lizzy's grandmother. It made me want something about her father, since he's the only one who gets a little sidelined, but I'm not complaining in that front.
The Well had a lot of potential, and I wanted to love it so badly. But the lack of a strong emotional storyline let me down.
3.5/5 stars.
November 1, 2022
Gorgeous art style with a story focused on magical quest and family love/ inheritance. Surprisingly the setting is Asian-esque and characters have Chinese names. Not surprising considering the illustrator is Asian. The artwork and character design are definitely the standout part of this book. The plot was nice too but it feels slightly way too easy for everything to resolve in the main character’s favor, also the mc’s personality is a little wonky and not fleshed out so well, and at points does some??? Very weird things?
August 13, 2022
God this was so good. I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.
August 17, 2024
I was drawn to this graphic novel for a silly reason: I saw the character on the cover and was reminded of Fakir from "Princess Tutu"—if his color scheme were closer to that of Princess Tutu herself. I thought, "What a dashing, princely character! I must know more about him!" I was delighted to start the book and learn that the "prince" on the cover is actually a young woman named Lizzy/Li-Zhen, whose personality instantly captivated me. She is charismatic and flawed, but also kind and easy to love.
The plot, too, is well crafted, and I'm impressed by how satisfying the story is, despite its relatively small number of pages. The art is gorgeous, and I love the use of color throughout the story. The world felt larger than what we could see on the page, and so did the characters. It was easy to believe that they'd had sprawling adventures and lives outside of the novel and that they will continue to do so once the book ends.
I was especially intrigued by their relationships with one another. Lizzy has a female love interest who doesn't take up so much space in the novel that their romance distracts from the plot, but it's easy to see what their dynamic is like and how they might complement each other well in a romantic relationship. The real stars of the show, in my opinion, are the members of Lizzy's family, whose dynamics gave me chills. I love Lizzy's connection with her grandfather and how both he and Lizzy feel connected to one another because of the parents/children they've lost. It's bittersweet and beautiful, and I love seeing non-traditional family structures like theirs.
I highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone who enjoys this form of storytelling, especially if you like fantasy and moving characters.
The plot, too, is well crafted, and I'm impressed by how satisfying the story is, despite its relatively small number of pages. The art is gorgeous, and I love the use of color throughout the story. The world felt larger than what we could see on the page, and so did the characters. It was easy to believe that they'd had sprawling adventures and lives outside of the novel and that they will continue to do so once the book ends.
I was especially intrigued by their relationships with one another. Lizzy has a female love interest who doesn't take up so much space in the novel that their romance distracts from the plot, but it's easy to see what their dynamic is like and how they might complement each other well in a romantic relationship. The real stars of the show, in my opinion, are the members of Lizzy's family, whose dynamics gave me chills. I love Lizzy's connection with her grandfather and how both he and Lizzy feel connected to one another because of the parents/children they've lost. It's bittersweet and beautiful, and I love seeing non-traditional family structures like theirs.
I highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone who enjoys this form of storytelling, especially if you like fantasy and moving characters.
August 4, 2024
very fairy tale-esque in nature with sweet family and friends themes running through. i liked the messages the author was trying to send through about greed and the true nature of wishes. also the art was pretty
August 26, 2023
The art was just great, and the character design was outstanding. I felt the story didn’t really have enough time to properly develop the themes and ideas that it was going for which kind of made the narrative feel a little compressed. That said, I think this gave the story sort of a folklore sensibility which was cool to see.
Special shout out to Macey, to whom I dedicate this book review. Thanks for your kind gift of this book, which I very much enjoyed.
Special shout out to Macey, to whom I dedicate this book review. Thanks for your kind gift of this book, which I very much enjoyed.
January 23, 2023
I don't know what I was expecting from this story, but -goblins aside- this was quite good. Just enough magic, just enough danger, just enough world-building.
Coulda used more Ferdinand.
Coulda used more Ferdinand.
November 25, 2022
Incomplete promises. Incomplete destinies. Acrimonious ferry captains. Petulant goats. THE WELL is a tightly wound adventure story about a young woman whose crack-whip bravery flirts in open contrast to her bold ignorance. She means to help, but gets sidetracked and makes mistakes. She means to do well by others, but rarely keeps her sharp tongue at bay. She senses the anger and pain buried in the recent past, but cannot help herself from unearthing the mystery and mistrust lurking beneath her own two feet.
Li-Zhen (Lizzy) is a shepherd girl, true, but she's gregarious, a talented entrepreneur, and more than capable with a hand axe. One shouldn't be surprised Lizzy is also the daughter of a famous spellcaster (who repelled an ancient sea beast); she's inherited plenty of grit. One also shouldn't be surprised how Lizzy stumbles into a heap of supernatural trouble; she's also inherited plenty of bad luck.
THE WELL is a fast, snappy read. The graphic novel conjures an accessible blend of Asian/South Asian fantasy with an early 20th century backdrop. The tale of a youth who got a whole lot more than she bargained for is ages old. However, here, readers are paired with a cheeky young shepherd forced to boost her wits and courage, with time running out.
Lizzy pinches a few coins from a local well to pay for boat fare. Good for getting home in the waning hours of the day; bad for the supernatural caretakers of the well and all of the unfulfilled wishes it harbors. And thus, Lizzy has a choice to make; either (a) fulfill the wishes imprinted on the coins she swiped, or (b) die. Time for an adventure!
The self-contained nature of THE WELL is part of its strength. Lizzy must atone for her thievery, but in doing so, educates herself on the goings on of the Crescent Isles she calls home. Sidestepping the minor plothole of Lizzy's inexplicably congenital magicks (How is she literally the only person alive who knows magic?), the story focuses on the young woman's moment of growth in a way that far outstrips what she previously knew as a mere goat herder.
The chaotic battle that brought down that nasty sea creature a generation ago? Only stalled; never finished. The fear and darkness sifting about the hearts of the survivors of the sea creature's rampage? Only suppressed; never forgotten. The murderous beasts crawling among the shadows of massive shipwrecks on abandoned islands? Only whispered about; never disturbed. THE WELL snatches Lizzy's pride and confidence and pledges to return it only upon her completing multiple tests of gallantry. Sometimes, cleverness wins the day. Other times, luck.
Good thing Lizzy has a few solid allies to lean on. Her grandfather, stubborn but steadfast, is never out of earshot from a call for help. And Eli, a buff lady currently employed on oars for a nearby ferry, blushes more than anything else, but she and Lizzy's mutual friendship and affection grants the book a familiar, recurring, personal frame of reference. Yes, Lizzy doesn't want to fail because she might die. However, she also doesn't want to fail because doing so would mean disappointing her grandfather and abandoning her close friend.
Choo's art style wields flat coloring throughout, but musters a surprising variety of emotional depth through detailed facial expressions and a talent for guiding readers' eyes to the most important facet of each panel or page almost every single time. For example, in reading flashbacks of Lizzy's mother, Li Lei, one needn't be told how, or from whereupon, the woman drew her magical abilities; one only need to track the visual point of focus on each page. It's a clever and effective storytelling strategy that works well in a fantasy mini-epic that could easily risk telling its audience what it needs to know (rather than showing it).
THE WELL is fun and dramatic and only passingly yields to genre tropes and traditions. The book speaks to the difficulty of shared trauma and the square-jawed ferocity of greed that forfeits personal safety. It blends with ease all of the sharpest corners of hope and pride and skepticism and uncertainty.
Li-Zhen (Lizzy) is a shepherd girl, true, but she's gregarious, a talented entrepreneur, and more than capable with a hand axe. One shouldn't be surprised Lizzy is also the daughter of a famous spellcaster (who repelled an ancient sea beast); she's inherited plenty of grit. One also shouldn't be surprised how Lizzy stumbles into a heap of supernatural trouble; she's also inherited plenty of bad luck.
THE WELL is a fast, snappy read. The graphic novel conjures an accessible blend of Asian/South Asian fantasy with an early 20th century backdrop. The tale of a youth who got a whole lot more than she bargained for is ages old. However, here, readers are paired with a cheeky young shepherd forced to boost her wits and courage, with time running out.
Lizzy pinches a few coins from a local well to pay for boat fare. Good for getting home in the waning hours of the day; bad for the supernatural caretakers of the well and all of the unfulfilled wishes it harbors. And thus, Lizzy has a choice to make; either (a) fulfill the wishes imprinted on the coins she swiped, or (b) die. Time for an adventure!
The self-contained nature of THE WELL is part of its strength. Lizzy must atone for her thievery, but in doing so, educates herself on the goings on of the Crescent Isles she calls home. Sidestepping the minor plothole of Lizzy's inexplicably congenital magicks (How is she literally the only person alive who knows magic?), the story focuses on the young woman's moment of growth in a way that far outstrips what she previously knew as a mere goat herder.
The chaotic battle that brought down that nasty sea creature a generation ago? Only stalled; never finished. The fear and darkness sifting about the hearts of the survivors of the sea creature's rampage? Only suppressed; never forgotten. The murderous beasts crawling among the shadows of massive shipwrecks on abandoned islands? Only whispered about; never disturbed. THE WELL snatches Lizzy's pride and confidence and pledges to return it only upon her completing multiple tests of gallantry. Sometimes, cleverness wins the day. Other times, luck.
Good thing Lizzy has a few solid allies to lean on. Her grandfather, stubborn but steadfast, is never out of earshot from a call for help. And Eli, a buff lady currently employed on oars for a nearby ferry, blushes more than anything else, but she and Lizzy's mutual friendship and affection grants the book a familiar, recurring, personal frame of reference. Yes, Lizzy doesn't want to fail because she might die. However, she also doesn't want to fail because doing so would mean disappointing her grandfather and abandoning her close friend.
Choo's art style wields flat coloring throughout, but musters a surprising variety of emotional depth through detailed facial expressions and a talent for guiding readers' eyes to the most important facet of each panel or page almost every single time. For example, in reading flashbacks of Lizzy's mother, Li Lei, one needn't be told how, or from whereupon, the woman drew her magical abilities; one only need to track the visual point of focus on each page. It's a clever and effective storytelling strategy that works well in a fantasy mini-epic that could easily risk telling its audience what it needs to know (rather than showing it).
THE WELL is fun and dramatic and only passingly yields to genre tropes and traditions. The book speaks to the difficulty of shared trauma and the square-jawed ferocity of greed that forfeits personal safety. It blends with ease all of the sharpest corners of hope and pride and skepticism and uncertainty.
October 21, 2022
i lov the art sm
January 2, 2023
Beautiful colours and illustrations, would love to see this as a studio ghibli number. a fable.
June 20, 2022
fuck it 5 stars
Choo's illustrations are 🔥🔥🔥🔥
(ça donne juste envie que Necropolis soit un jour complet)
(pls)
Choo's illustrations are 🔥🔥🔥🔥
(ça donne juste envie que Necropolis soit un jour complet)
(pls)
August 20, 2023
3.5 stars
Eh. Honestly, I was hoping for this to be more absorbing than it actually was. I mean, the art was nice, and it was clear the author put a lot of passion and care into the story. But it also seemed to drag on at times for no other reason than keeping to that three-part structure (three wishes, three main parts, etc, etc). It seemed to want to be more mystical that it actually was, and the whole thing just felt too clean and simple. It was like, "this happens, then this happens, now the story is done."
Maybe I just hate the three-part story structure when it's laid out in this way, but it didn't every plot twist that was supposed to make the story exciting could easily be seen from a mile away. (Except for the goblins, and the part where they rowed that lady back to her childhood island. Those parts were actually pretty interesting.)
Our main character, Lizzy, fell into the unfortunate trope of "fantasy character with modern behaviors that doesn't really feel like they're a part of the world." I just. I don't know. I've read much more interesting fantasy graphic novels than this one (the Daughters of Ys and Through the Woods come to mind if we're naming names). Hell, if we're speaking more in the "other-world" sense, then Tillie Walden's sci-fi graphic novel On a Sunbeam does a much better job of actually selling you on the idea of a world rather than just telling you about it. It's not even about language - a lot of the graphic novels I mentioned use relatively simple and sparse language, but the characters all act like they're a part of the world and do so much to make you care about it that you just can't help to buy into the world. It doesn't bode well if the characters take you out of the world every time you read them.
I don't know. This was all really rambly, and sort of just me spilling out my thoughts onto a screen. This book was nice, but it just wasn't it, you know? Maybe it's just not for me, but I just was not as into it as I wanted to be.
Eh. Honestly, I was hoping for this to be more absorbing than it actually was. I mean, the art was nice, and it was clear the author put a lot of passion and care into the story. But it also seemed to drag on at times for no other reason than keeping to that three-part structure (three wishes, three main parts, etc, etc). It seemed to want to be more mystical that it actually was, and the whole thing just felt too clean and simple. It was like, "this happens, then this happens, now the story is done."
Maybe I just hate the three-part story structure when it's laid out in this way, but it didn't every plot twist that was supposed to make the story exciting could easily be seen from a mile away. (Except for the goblins, and the part where they rowed that lady back to her childhood island. Those parts were actually pretty interesting.)
Our main character, Lizzy, fell into the unfortunate trope of "fantasy character with modern behaviors that doesn't really feel like they're a part of the world." I just. I don't know. I've read much more interesting fantasy graphic novels than this one (the Daughters of Ys and Through the Woods come to mind if we're naming names). Hell, if we're speaking more in the "other-world" sense, then Tillie Walden's sci-fi graphic novel On a Sunbeam does a much better job of actually selling you on the idea of a world rather than just telling you about it. It's not even about language - a lot of the graphic novels I mentioned use relatively simple and sparse language, but the characters all act like they're a part of the world and do so much to make you care about it that you just can't help to buy into the world. It doesn't bode well if the characters take you out of the world every time you read them.
I don't know. This was all really rambly, and sort of just me spilling out my thoughts onto a screen. This book was nice, but it just wasn't it, you know? Maybe it's just not for me, but I just was not as into it as I wanted to be.
February 20, 2023
I've been a fan of Jake Wyatt and Choo for literal years now so I've been trying to get my hands on this comic since I first saw it got published.
The story itself is pretty simple but impactful. It has the feel of fairy tales, which made it really fun. Going into spoiler territory, I particularly liked how the idea that the well doesn't care if people still want their wish granted was implemented. I also really liked how it was highlighted that not every wish you will see in there is a good one or comes from good people. It made it feel more realistic.
The art is absolutely drop dead gorgeous, as is to be expected from Choo. I would frame every page if I could.
Is this review biased? Definitely.
Do I think it's objectively a good comic? Also definitely. I think anyone can read it and enjoy it. It's a short read and a beautiful collaboration between two amazing creatives, it definitely deserves a read.
The story itself is pretty simple but impactful. It has the feel of fairy tales, which made it really fun. Going into spoiler territory, I particularly liked how the idea that the well doesn't care if people still want their wish granted was implemented. I also really liked how it was highlighted that not every wish you will see in there is a good one or comes from good people. It made it feel more realistic.
The art is absolutely drop dead gorgeous, as is to be expected from Choo. I would frame every page if I could.
Is this review biased? Definitely.
Do I think it's objectively a good comic? Also definitely. I think anyone can read it and enjoy it. It's a short read and a beautiful collaboration between two amazing creatives, it definitely deserves a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2024
If anyone asked Lizzy to describe her life, she’d say it was pretty sweet. While she sadly lost her parents and grandma to a battle with the leviathan that brought fog and destruction to their home, she’s lived a life full of love. Things go awry when she accidentally spends all her extra coin at the market, leading her to borrow money from the wishing well. Now she’s forced to grant the wishes attached to the coins or find herself claimed by the fountain.
This is such a beautifully illustrated book with a touch of magic. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and how much love we see between many of the characters. I do think that there needed to be more information at times, such as the games with the goblins, but otherwise, it was a great story. I enjoyed reading it and loved all of the artwork. It was also fun to see Lizzy learn to think before taking action thanks to her experience with the wishing well. I also like that there’s a touch of humor here and there to keep the story from getting too sad since it was clear it was meant to be mostly lighthearted. All in all, I really enjoyed the story and I’m excited to see what the author as well as the illustrator put out in the future.
This is such a beautifully illustrated book with a touch of magic. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and how much love we see between many of the characters. I do think that there needed to be more information at times, such as the games with the goblins, but otherwise, it was a great story. I enjoyed reading it and loved all of the artwork. It was also fun to see Lizzy learn to think before taking action thanks to her experience with the wishing well. I also like that there’s a touch of humor here and there to keep the story from getting too sad since it was clear it was meant to be mostly lighthearted. All in all, I really enjoyed the story and I’m excited to see what the author as well as the illustrator put out in the future.
May 22, 2023
The Well is a wonderfully engaging adventure with charm to spare. Lizzy's stuck with her overattentive grandfather after her parents and grandmother were killed defeating a magical leviathan. On a routine trip to market, Lizzy gets caught up with her friends (and cute love interest) and forgets to save enough money for the fare to return home. Her only option is to snag some coins from a wishing well.
An all too real wishing well. Lizzy learns she's cursed unless she can complete three of the wishes in the well. Cue the rousing adventure as Lizzy completes impossible tasks in clever ways while unexpectedly improving her own life and relationships. The Well is a smart, well-built read that isn't necessarily stunning in the art department, but it very much gets the job done. This is a graphic novel you won't be able to put down once you pick it up.
An all too real wishing well. Lizzy learns she's cursed unless she can complete three of the wishes in the well. Cue the rousing adventure as Lizzy completes impossible tasks in clever ways while unexpectedly improving her own life and relationships. The Well is a smart, well-built read that isn't necessarily stunning in the art department, but it very much gets the job done. This is a graphic novel you won't be able to put down once you pick it up.
September 8, 2024
When a mistake leaves Lizzie without cash to pay the ferry fee, she impetuously reaches into the ancient wishing well to borrow a few coins. She doesn't realize she's taking more than money but is actually taking the wishes themselves. It turns out that if she doesn't return the exact coins or fulfill the wishes, she will be cursed to drown in the well. But not all wishes are wholesome and magical, nor are they easy to fulfill.
I appreciate that this book makes a point that even though it's Lizzie's fault that she ends up having to work off her curse, it's not fair. The story is well-crafted, and the plot satisfying. I was a little disappointed in the characters, and I wish there had been just a bit more budget for the artwork, as this really could have been spectacular with a little more detail and color.
I appreciate that this book makes a point that even though it's Lizzie's fault that she ends up having to work off her curse, it's not fair. The story is well-crafted, and the plot satisfying. I was a little disappointed in the characters, and I wish there had been just a bit more budget for the artwork, as this really could have been spectacular with a little more detail and color.
March 15, 2023
This was a lot darker than I initially thought it would be! The story started out seemingly light, and then just got darker and darker. It was beautifully written/constructed, though, and the illustrations were great and really added to the story. I really loved how determined the main character is. She doesn't sit around feeling sorry for herself, she doesn't try to get out of the consequences of her actions, she just goes 'Welp. Let's go do the impossible things' and then... does them. Her relationship with her grandfather is also really great. There is humor mixed in with the darkness which helps keep it from being too overwhelming.
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