This is a story about Pinocchio, like you've never known him before. Unlike the (mostly) happy world of Ever After High, this fairy-tale retelling is dark. It starts off with an orphan Pinocchio, a vampire slayer in a town that refuses to believe in vampires. Apart from one girl, his only companions after Gepetto was killed would be the Blue Fairy and Master Cherry (a Carpenter and friend of Gepetto). There are many twists and turns, and no, I'm not going to tell them to you. Let's just say that being a real boy is involved, and no, it's not as good as it may be.
Wait, how does Pinocchio kill vampires? I admit, Vampire Hunter was not a job title that I would have given to Pinocchio. But think about it, to kill a vampire, you stake it in the heart. And for that, you need a piece of wood. Guess who's got an everlasting supply of ready-made stakes (contingent on his ability to lie)? Now that I thought about it, Pinocchio is the perfect vampire hunter!
Pinocchio's skill at lying/growing his nose is mostly used for comic effect, but I think one of the most powerful moments in the book I read came when it was used in a tragic way. I teared at that part (go read the book, you'll tear too!). I'm really amazed at how the authors of this book managed to use the original story elements to add both humour and gravity to the book.
Unfortunately, my preview copy on NetGalley only had half the pages of the complete edition (so I guess I finished volume 1 and half of volume 2). I tried looking for it in bookstores in Japan, but no luck yet. Perhaps I'll have better luck in Singapore - this is one book that I really want to finish.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This book looks so funny!
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