Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld

For whatever reason, I don’t read too many graphic novels.  I’ve read the entire Scott Pilgrim series and loved it so much, but I hesitate to pick any others up, because I’m not sure if they’re really my thing or not.  When I heard about Spill Zone, I was instantly intrigued, and I am super glad I gave this one a chance!  Now that I’ve read this, I’m so looking forward to the next installment (and in the meantime, I plan on picking up more graphic novels because as it turns out, I think I might really love them).

Spill Zone is the first installment in the Spill Zone series, and it introduces us to the main characters, Addison Merrick, and her little sister.  Addison makes a living and provides for her little sister by sneaking into the Spill Zone and taking pictures of the aftermath of the Spill.  The Spill is something that happened and was never fully explained or understood – for all they know, it could have been some kind of portal from another world opening in the area or a nanotech accident – either way, it left the entire town in a strange state, and no one can go into the area anymore.  Addison sneaks in at night on her bike, taking pictures of things that she thinks people will pay money to own.  Since sneaking into the Spill Zone is illegal, she has to keep it secret, and she relies on the guy who sells the pictures for her to keep everything confidential.

One time when she sneaks into the Spill Zone to get pictures, she comes across a wolf like creature and gets a picture of it, sparking a real interest in one of her buyers, who tracks her down and offers her one million dollars to retrieve something for her.  Of course, since Addison is relying on that money to take care of her little sister, who hasn’t spoken since she was actually in the area of the Spill when it occurred, she has to consider the offer.

Even if Addison decides to take the offer, it would mean breaking some of her own rules and venturing into the hospital where her mom and dad worked before the Spill took them away from her.

There is a lot going on in this amazing first installment in what promises to be a spectacular graphic novel series – from creepy ragdolls to zombie people to the weirdness of the Spill itself, this book is such an amazing read.  I actually went through and read it twice, taking in the story and the amazing artwork even more the second time around.

I even love the cover, which is incredibly shiny and gorgeous, and the glossy pages that are simply beautiful to look at.  The story itself is a fun and fast-paced ride through a destroyed town and a post-apocalyptic world where even a ride down the street is terrifying  The entire story is like a dark and twisted Alice in Wonderland, only the wonders are zombies and creepy rats.

The story itself is kind of vague and I found myself left with a ton of questions, but I have a feeling we’ll find out what’s really going on in later books, so I’m definitely going to be not-so-patiently awaiting the next book!