Review - The Heart of the Forest

The Heart of the Forest (Animal Jack #1)
by Kid Toussaint
illustrated by Miss Prickly
Date: 2019
Publisher: Europe Comics
Reading level: C
Book type: graphic novel
Pages: 112
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Jack is a typical grade school kid... except that he never speaks a word, is followed everywhere he goes by a flying bug, and can turn into any animal he wants, usually to come to the rescue of his family and classmates. Not everybody appreciates his strange behavior, however. When the town’s children start disappearing into the forest, though, Jack's special ability is their only hope. Will Jack ever be understood and accepted by those around him? And will the townsfolk come to see the forest as anything besides a danger and a nuisance?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This graphic novel has a really interesting main character. Unfortunately, the story is juvenile and the resolution to the main conflict is facile and extremely unrealistic. The book also somewhat excuses and justifies the kidnapping of children, which is more than a little creepy.

Jack is a kid who can transform into any animal he wants. He doesn't speak, but his part in the story is narrated by this little bug creature who's his constant companion. I don't know why Jack doesn't speak, and it kind of brings up more questions. (He's not autistic or anything like that, and it's not that he can't speak--because he does at one point in the story. He appears to have a form of mutism, and its cause is never addressed. If a child is choosing not to speak, that's kind of a red flag!)

The basic story is that the kids in town start disappearing. Eventually, Jack's the only one left in his class. He goes in search of the other kids and eventually finds them living in a forested utopia in the woods, having all been kidnapped by a djinn. Then we find out that the mayor is trying to build a road and some parking lots and wants to destroy the forest to do it. The mayor is over-the-top unbelievable. "This forest is useless!" he screams while waving his arms and dancing around.

It's at this point that the forest creatures explain why they took the kids (basically, as ransom for the forest) and Jack gives a speech that turns everyone into raging environmentalists. The forest is saved, the mayor turns the forest into a park, and all the animals live happily ever after.

But then Jack and his friend see some random red eyes in the sky, and it's "to be continued..." Part of the problem with this--and it's something I felt while reading the whole book--is that it feels like I should know what this is all about. From the very beginning, it feels like you've been dropped into the middle of a story that's been running for a while. We don't know why Jack can do what he does, or why nobody thinks anything of his weird talent, and we don't know much about the preexisting relationships. Is Malek really Jack's friend? What's the deal with Gladys? Are they more than friends (even after he pees on his own tail in front of her)?

The illustrations are cute and the variety of animals that Jack turns into is impressive, but the story is so weak in this one that it kind of ruined my enjoyment. For very young kids, it might be okay. But for anyone a little bit older, the resolution is just too easy and unrealistic and probably won't ring true.

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing a digital ARC.

Plot: 1/5
Characters: 3/5
Pace: 3/5
Writing & Editing: 2/5
Illustration: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall Rating: 2.63 out of 5 ladybugs