Graphic Novel Review: Made for Each Other

Media Type: Graphic Novel
Title: Made for Each Other
 *Series: My Boyfriend is a Monster
Author: Paul D. Storrie
Illustrator: Eldon Cowgur
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Pages: Paperback; 128
Release Date: April 28, 2011
Source: NetGalley

Tom Stone stepped into Seward High and into Maria McBride’s life like a bolt of lightning. He’s the perfect guy for Maria–nice, smart, and well-built. There’s just one problem: his family. Tom’s father is the town’s new funeral director, and business is booming. The bodies are piling up thick and fast in Persephone Falls, Alaska, so Dr. Stone keeps Tom up late at night working in the funeral home. And it’s clear that Dr. Stone and his creepy assistant, Graves, don’t want Maria around. Maria knows Tom was made for her. She’s determined to find out what Dr. Stone has against her. When Tom refuses to stand up to his father, Maria begins to stitch together the clues…and finds out that the Stones are into recycling in ways she never could have imagined.

If you follow my reviews, you might have noticed that I already reviewed (and fell in love with) the first in this series. Made for Each Other is the second book in the “My Boyfriend is a Monster” series. As a fan of graphic novels, I’m always raring to pick up a new set! So I dove into the second one with as much fervor as the first.

I think it should be mentioned that I didn’t realize until after I started reading that each novel in this series has a different story line, along with different characters. This particular installment follows Maria McBride as she delves into the mysteriousness that surrounds the new boy, Tom Stone. He’s unlike any other boy in her high school class. Dark, brooding, and downright handsome. Maria makes it her goal to find out why he’s being so cold and distant.

First, as always, let’s talk illustrations. One of my favorite parts about these is that they are in black and white. It’s not that I don’t love color illustrations, I do. There’s just something about the black and white that speaks volumes to me. The ability to tell such a vivid story without color is astounding. That being said, the illustrations in Made for Each Other are rather simple, but lovely. The action scenes pop off the page with broad and hurried strokes, while the slower scenes display the tiny brushstrokes that bring a face to life. They fit the story perfectly and each panel is filled with detail. Right down to the wrinkles on Maria’s mother’s face, they are beautifully done.

In terms of story, that’s where this installment lost a star for me. Again, each graphic novel in the series has different characters, and is also (I found out) written by a different author. Although I liked Maria and Tom, I just couldn’t fall in love with them as much as I would have liked to. Without spoiling anything I can definitely tell you that this is a different kind of story. If you think you know what it is about by looking at the cover, chances are you are right. It will still amaze you though. What Tom is, well, it definitely adds a story element that keeps things fresh. However, as I said, I just didn’t fall in love with it as much as the last installment. Maybe I’m just biased because there are no zombies? It’s possible.

I am honestly still in love with this series, and look forward to the next installment! I can’t wait to see what “My Boyfriend is a Monster” has in store for us. If you are a lover of graphic novels, give these a shot. If you haven’t yet taken the big plunge into graphic novels, these are a great way to start!

Other books in the series:
I Love Him To Pieces (My Boyfriend is a Monster #1)

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.