Book Review: Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula by Andi Watson

Friday, February 20, 2015
I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...



Title: Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula
Author: Andi Watson
Publication Date: February 24th 2015

Synopsis: "Princess Decomposia is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Even though she has plenty of her own work to do, Decomposia always seems to end up doing her father's job, too. The king doesn't feel good, you see. Ever. So the princess is left scurrying through the halls, dodging her mummy, werewolf, and ghost subjects, always running behind, and always buried under a ton of paperwork.
Enter Count Spatula! This charming go-getter chef is determined to help Princess Decomposia to sort out her life. And with the count at her side, you can be sure she'll succeed."

My thoughts: This graphic novel is super cute and also manages to have an interesting story-line. I only say that because I went into this expecting a cute, but simple romp with little real plot. I was pretty wrong there (sorry about that...). This book actually has a really decent little story, following Princess Decomposia around as she tries to cope with the demands of her kingdom, and also the demands of her (supposedly) sick father.

I have to say I did react initially to the portrayal of the father - it triggered me because he represented everything that I try to avoid: pretending to be sick when you're not, trying to guilt trip those you love into caring for you, generally lying around and not doing anything because you're lazy. But once I got past that (I had to realise again that I am not like that), I began to really enjoy the story and was absolutely cheering on Decomposia and Count Spatula. 

The character creation was so lovely, and the little things that Spatula does to cheer up Decomposia really made me smile. I loved all the side characters, too, there's even a tiny flying skull! The art is simple, but charming in it's depiction of the character's emotions.

While I did say the plot was great, I did find that it tried to do a few too many things and I feel like it could have been a little longer and maybe explore the relationships between the characters a little more. Not a huge complaint, but one that I felt fairly strongly. Otherwise, this is a sweet book with even sweeter characters. :)


I received a review copy of this book from First Second Books (thank you!).

You would like this book if: You like slightly dark characters with a sweet twist; you enjoy lovely graphic novels that make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Rating:  8/10

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