In this darling stand-alone middle-grade comic, Truff, the ghost of a wild boar, is determined to exact revenge on the hunter who shot her. Her determination wavers, however, when she recollects that her parents were abducted by the demon Mava while Truff was away from her village. With forest spirits Claude and Stanley at her side, Truff must decide whether she should pursue vengeance or rescue her parents. Readers will enjoy this heartening, funny story as they get to know spunky Truff. Stanley and Claude recall Abbott and Costello, not only in appearance but also in their comedic adventures. The illustrations, particularly those of the characters, are cartoonish yet detailed (Mava has a subtle stubble and chest hair on a large, exaggerated body), while the mountain setting is more defined. The text in the speech bubbles is larger than that in most graphic novels, which may be more appealing to young readers without much graphic-novel experience. Give this to fans of animal fantasy and to those who want a book to make them feel good.--Suzanne Temple Copyright 2019 Booklist

A wild pig's ghost must choose between seeking revenge against the hunter who killed her or freeing her still-living parents, who have been enslaved by a demon.When Truff, the deceased wild-pig protagonist, scares off two teenage boys out to pick "luminous plums," her "disembodied squeal" echoes so loudly it catches the attention of Claude and Stanley, two forest spirits interested in "keeping the peace." Claude and Stanley sense Truff's "serious negative vibes" and, after investigating, conclude this "haunting" results from a spirit "bound due to strong, unresolved feelings, or unfinished business." Claude and Stanley convince Truff to search for her parents, but when they reach Truff's home, they discover her parents have been captured by Mava, a mountain demon. Just as the three stand ready at the entrance to Mava's domain, the distant sound of the hunter draws Truff's focus back to desires of retribution, and she must decide between payback and family. The story's approach to the afterlife, mention of vegetarian "monks," and moral relativism reflect a modern outlook with roots in Eastern philosophies. Even the demon's name may remind readers of the Buddhist figure of Mara. Weiser's graphic novel, with its lively artwork reminiscent of Sunday comic strips, renders the complex themes both entertaining and understandable. Additionally, Stanley's straight man to Claude's funny man provides comedic moments.A light look at "vengeance" and what it really takes to "calm a wounded spirit." (Graphic fantasy/folklore. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Truffles the boar ("Truff") just wanted to harvest some delicious plums for her parents, but after a hunter turns her into dinner, she haunts a plum tree waiting to exact revenge. Forest spirits Claude and Stanley are wandering through the trees when they see Truff terrify a couple of humans out for a nighttime ramble, and the spirits offer to help her keep her anger from turning toxic ("Vengeance does not calm a wounded spirit"). They persuade the porcine spirit to take them to her village to find her parents and, hopefully, closure. But her parents have been kidnapped by the imprisoned demon emperor Mava, who has been forcing locals to dig a path out of the undermount in order to "conquer the outer world." On the cusp of entering the cave, Truff spots the hunter heading for home and is torn between avenging her own life and saving those of her parents. Weiser's standalone tale infuses simply drawn animal and spirit characters with emotional deliberation about navigating anger and deep inner turmoil. Ages 8-up. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 3-5-With the help of forest spirits Claude and Stanley, Truffles (an anthropomorphic pig) discovers she has become a vengeful ghost after being shot by a hunter. Aware that hauntings are typically caused by unfinished business, Claude and Stanley try to guide Truff on a journey to release her anger toward humans and embrace her new existence. Along the way, the trio learn that Truff's parents and other forest inhabitants have been captured by the malicious demon emperor Mava, who is using them to escape his imprisonment inside a mountain. Soft hues portray the world around the mountains, while life inside is depicted in subdued earth tones punctuated by fiery reds and oranges. Speech bubbles and characters are drawn with bold black outlines that suggest a certainty and strength that the writing lacks. The story explores revenge, forgiveness, and love through ineffective characters whose motivations and growth don't always make sense. Dry humor is attempted but often falls flat and feels out of place against the macabre backdrop of death and vengeance. Some details are never explained, such as why the demon Mava needs others to help him escape his open-door prison. Except for a comment about "piles of dead animals," language is largely inoffensive, and most violence is kept slapstick and impermanent in nature, if not off the page altogether. VERDICT This uneven quest tale about the power of love struggles to find its tone. An additional purchase.-Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.