Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

TW: Self-harm, child abuse

This story wanted to be full of twists and turns, but none of them were hitting. Instead, it’s just a disorganized, confusing mess.

First, the artwork is lovely, colorful, and stylized though some shots of Naja feel gratuitous. I loved seeing the color palette change with each new location.

Does Naja hate every country? I was put off by the narrator. I understand this was to show how detached Naja is from the world, but she just sounded like a butthole to me. The false equivalence with Haiti overthrowing slavery was not it. At all.

Anyway, the story is definitely older. A character is referred to as a “faggot.” It’s twisted as well. Naja’s father beat her repeatedly when she was younger entirely out of love from his perspective, as he knows how desperately she desires to feel pain.

The ending is too outlandish and disgusting. Were y’all trying to be edgy? Najais the LI's mom and half-sister. And they were in instalove for the first half of the book. Why do y’all put this incestuous junk in here?

Ultimately, this story wasn’t for me. ( )

First of all, the artist does an amazing job of conveying the story -- the emotional impact, the action, and the connectedness of the unfolding plot -- through illustration.

Secondly, the storytelling is really quite excellent as well . . . until the end approaches, and the revelations that draw the plot together feel a bit rushed, almost like the writer had trouble figuring out how to let things unfold naturally, so he ended up just kinda dumping it in the reader's lap via awkward in-character exposition.

I found the wrap-up a bit jumbled, and the "big reveal" that draws the plot together somewhat difficult to swallow in its over-the-top drama, but the story as a whole was so well put together up to that point in every way that it still managed to warrant four stars, in my estimation. I have found that graphic novels from the French "comic book" market seem to enjoy some of the same virtues, and suffer some of the same vices, as the writing in Naja carried with it -- which makes sense, given the writer evidently got his start there. I think some US comic book writers could learn some things about storytelling by both reading and writing in the French market some more, and some French comic book writers could learn some things about how to tie a plot together by both reading and writing in the US market some more.

In addition to being a great read, the hardbound edition of this story is beautiful. It's going to look fantastic sitting on my shelf. ( )

3.5/5 stars. Naja is an assassin. That's all she is. She doesn't acknowledge anything before this life and she's happy that way. One day she's taken by someone who tells her one of her fellow assassins wants her dead. To save her own life, she looks up someone from her past. Then things all fall apart.

I don't want to spoil this story for anyone because what Naja unravels is fascinating and horrifying. It's sad and disturbing and a very good story.

Trigger Warning: Child abuse, violence against women.

(Provided by publisher) ( )

Not bad, very well drawn with an improbable plot. Drops off towards the end but well worth a read. ( )