Booklist

Rue Silver’s everyday life with her professor father and ethereal mother comes crashing to a surreal end when her mother one day simply disappears. As Rue starts noticing oddities in her little town—people with wings or animal faces, or vines that seem to sprout up over everything at night—she tries to tell herself that such things would be crazy. When her extended family appear and claim that she is part of a hidden faerie world, Rue finds herself embroiled in a magical fight for power. The first volume in a series, this book goes a long way in setting up a foreboding, darkly mysterious atmosphere while giving the reader quick details for characterization. Black, one of the authors of the Spiderwick Chronicles, does a wonderful job of weaving an alien faerie world through Rue’s urban landscape, and Naifeh’s art, rich with shadows, is expressive and angular and pulls the reader into the story with a solid sense of place. Urban-fantasy readers of Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lindt, and Terri Windling will be immediate fans of this title. Grades 10-12.

--Tina Coleman

 

VOYA

Readers meet Rue Silver at a pivotal time in her life - on the day she starts seeing things for what they truly are. Her ethereal mother has disappeared, and there is a possibility that her professor father has had something to do with it. Further complicating her situation, the people around her begin to resemble creatures from another world. When her mother's strange family takes her under its wings, she realizes and tries to reject her ties to the fairie world, but the gift of sight that is awakening in her will prove too seductive to refuse. The story ends at the beginning of Rue's acceptance of her supernatural birthright and her determination to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance. Black's provocative characters and story line blend perfectly with Naifeh's shadowy black-and-white illustrations. The melding of high school reality and the fairie existence that is taking over Rue's world is skillfully done, and the story's themes of family and how it is perceived and of how one see the world are profound. Black is no stranger to the fairie realm, and her first foray into graphic novels is a ringing success.

Reviewer: Laura Lehner

 

KLIATT

Rue Silver sees strange people skulking around her hometown, people with wings and horns and long pointy ears. Rue thinks she might be going crazy, just like her missing mother, who has a history of walking around naked in gardens and talking to willow trees. Friends and family are no help: Rue's father is in jail, the main suspect in the murder of a student; and her boyfriend is scared of her. Rue is a bit scared of herself, especially when she finds out that she can talk to ivy and turn invisible. Enter Aubrey, Rue's grandfather, who tells her that she is one of the Fair Folk, The People of Peace, The Good Neighbors: a fairy. Aubrey wants Rue all to himself, and he's not the type to take no for an answer. The Good Neighbors: Kin is the first volume of a series. Fantasy fans will enjoy this graphic novel; the writer, Holly Black, is the author of the Spiderwick Chronicles. Rue is a likable protagonist, a strong yet vulnerable woman who is in the process of self-discovery. The art focuses on all manner of strange beasties. The plot is a bit complex, but pulls together in the end. The reader will realize that Rue's mother is a fairy long before Rue does; clues include her long pointed ears and the fact that she hasn't aged a day in decades. The Good Neighbors contains comic book violence and is recommended for middle school and high school graphic novel collections; if you cater to fantasy fans, it is a must buy.

Reviewer: George Galuschak

Children's Literature

Sixteen-year-old Rue Silver has been experiencing some troubling changes. First her mother disappears without a trace. Then her father is accused of murdering a former student. But worst of all, Rue discovers that when she looks at some people, she sees them as demonic beings with horns and wings. Is she going crazy? No such luck. Turns out Rue's mother was a faerie and Rue has inherited some faerie traits of her own—including the ability to turn invisible, command plants, and see faeries in their true forms. With the help of her friends and her powers, Rue searches for answers to the mysteries around her and discovers her town is full of faeries, her father had an affair that drove her mother away, and her faerie grandfather may be coming to take her away. Best known for her "Spiderwick Chronicles" series, author Holly Black tackles her first graphic novel with The Good Neighbors, creating a contemporary faerie world that is fun to look at thanks to Ted Naifeh's moody black-and-white art. Unfortunately the plot meanders, with Rue taking forever to acknowledge her faerie heritage, despite the fact that her powers manifest in very conspicuous ways. Most of the characters are not well developed and come across as a stereotypical group of perpetually scowling "emo" teens. While its combination of teen angst and fairy tales can attract readers, as the first book in a series, The Good Neighbors needed to establish a quicker plot to sustain interest.

Reviewer: Michael Jung

 

School Library Journal

After her mother suddenly disappears, Rue Silver finds out that the woman was a faerie. Rue's father, Thaddeus, a human, is suspected of murdering her, as well as one of his students. As Rue solves these two mysteries, she also finds out more about her parents' relationship, and her own relationship with them. Willowy, brooding Rue and her Goth punk friends don't look too different from the glamorous, aloof faeries, and this sophisticated tale is well served by Naifeh's stylish, angular illustrations. This book will appeal to readers of Holly Black's fiction and fans of intelligent, otherworldly stories such as Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series (Vertigo).

-Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

 

Kirkus Reviews

From two accomplished veterans comes a dark urban fantasy about a girl seeking the truth about her past-and her future. Rue, a typical goth teen, discovers that she is able to see the faerie realm, something that humans cannot do. As she struggles to piece together whether she is descending into madness, her father is arrested for allegedly murdering a student. Yearning to figure out who she is and where the future may take her, she finds herself torn between the faerie realm and the mortal world. Dark, black-and-white shadowy art creates a pleasantly eerie mood. Naifeh's fantastically rendered faeries range from a stunningly beautiful elfin goddess to devilish horned creatures. With a healthy smattering of angst, romance and faerie lore, fans of the genre should enjoy this volume. Providing enough introductory exposition, this should hook its reader, but still leave enough mystery to leave readers clamoring for the next installment. (Graphic fantasy. 12 & up)