Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1-6

by Patrick Horvath

The Eisner-nominated cozy-horror comic series returns in this sequel to the critically acclaimed first volume!

It’s been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck’s family painstakingly sought justice…but this brown bear was smart…she covered her tracks…and in the ’80s, there simply wasn’t a way for the duck’s family to find answers.

But it’s not the ’80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven’t given up the flame of justice.

A reckoning is coming to Woodbrook. Join visionary writer and artist Patrick Horvath as he returns to the hit series that has taken the comic world by storm!

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Crime

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 21, 2026

Reviews

[Anne]

What a dark ride!



Our favorite fuzzy serial killer is back and bloodier than ever.
This time around, she's playing a dangerous game with Monica, the sister of the duck she killed in the first volume.



Monica has been at loose ends since her brother disappeared years ago. Her life has virtually stopped, and all of her focus has been on finding out the truth of what happened to him.
When she gets an invitation from a helpful bear to come check out her town and look into an old serial killer, she packs her bags and heads out.
What's the worst that can happen, after all? She's already lost everything.
Right?
Right?!



If you're a horror fan and for some reason you're not reading these, you need to remedy that.
Highly Recommended.

I originally read this as single issues, so here are the links to the longer reviews of each.
issue #1
issue #2
issue #3
issue #4
issue #5
issue #6

[Steph]

cute woodland animal characters & twisty grisly horror is truly an incomparable combination! one might not expect these disparate elements to work together so well, but horvath balances them brilliantly. it's right up my alley, and i adore it.

this sequel revisits our serial killer bear samantha, still off the hook eight years after the events of beneath the trees where nobody sees. she's a little older, and the townsfolk are a little more jaded as modern developments threaten to touch their old-school small town.

we also learn some dark new elements of samantha's backstory. this series only gets better as it becomes more layered.

impeccable aesthetic, especially the 90s fashions and vintage computer details. there's a touch of nostalgia for the early days of the internet, which is so charming. (A/S/L as age/species/location made me CACKLE!!)

this volume also gives us more context about the distinction between the anthropomorphized animal characters and their non-anthropomorphized counterparts. apparently the latter are considerd "wild animals," and now some of them are encroaching on the city due to habitat destruction. this adds interesting texture to the lore of the universe.

something about the cozy x murder juxtaposition in this series tickles my brain in a wonderful way. i'm hoping for more future installments - and the very end does seem to tease the possibility of a new angle of samantha's story.

oh, and the cover art between issues are bloody samantha-themed reimaginings of classic children's books! such fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Chr*s Browning]

Samantha Strong is one of the most evil characters to ever grace the pages of a comic book, and, as in the previous series, the dichotomy between the cute storybook designs and the graphic violence only heightens this. If you thought what came before was sickening, wait till you get to the back half of this one. Don't love the sequel tease at the end, but that's mostly because I just want Samantha to die already. Can't fault IDW for not wanting their most compelling "ongoing series", both narratively and artistically, to end so soon. .

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby)]

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the advanced copy.

4.5*

The sequel to Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (which I gave 5 stars and liked just a liiiittle bit more than Rite of Spring), this book picks up several years after the first and follows the sister of one of Samantha's victims from the first series... in fact, we only really get to Samantha about halfway through, which I thought would bother me but I think we really get just enough, and the addition of the new character was an interesting twist to the storytelling.

I'm surprised by how much Horvath fits into his story, which is like Richard Scarry's Busy Town if they had all the issues we experience here. The main setting is a small town in Vermont, quaint, friendly, idyllic, but it's also the hometown of a prolific serial killer. The first book covers the bulk of that story but we get more of Samantha's origins in this book, as we get to see her when she was younger and still living with her parents.

I don't quite understand Samantha's motivations in doing what she did (not the murders, she is a psychopath) that resulted in the entire second half of the book. I also wish we'd gotten more of her psychology and inner thoughts and a little less of the victim's sister. I do like the townspeople snippets we get though, of these decent folks just trying to survive and live their own lives. They all have their own inner turmoil, which is partially how Samantha gets away with so much. She found a perfect town to hide in... which, again, makes her motivations to do what she did unclear/weird.

But overall I really liked this book. The art, as usual, is absolutely on point and the coloring is gorgeous. I love everything about the visuals. The story-telling had some plot gaps but I wouldn't say I'm unsatisfied with what I read or the ending. I love that there's an opening for another sequel, but that this still feels like an ending if not.

I will forever recommend this series to people who are looking for a decent comic thriller because I really think this is a well-done and even if Horvath hadn't gone with the anthropomorphic animals and just made the cast humans, I still would've been engaged and into this story. But the art really does take it up a notch.

I just love these books lol

[Chantaal]

The first volume of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was a great surprise, a dark Dexter meets Richard Scarry vibe that I really enjoyed. Rite of Spring is a continuation of the story, taking place years after the events of the first volume. We split time between the sister of one of Samantha's victims as her depressing dedication to finding out what happened to her brother leads her to Samantha's neck of the woods.

We get to see some exploration of how characters have been dealing (or not dealing) with the events of the first volume, and also get some Samantha backstory to boot. A great follow up to an already great story, and a HELL of an ending that I really did not expect at all.

[Kelly]

I’m somehow rooting for Sam and praying for her demise

[Rosh (on a medical break)]

In a Nutshell: A sequel to the acclaimed horror graphic comic series. Excellent plot and character development, though both might be difficult to gauge for readers who pick up this book without reading the earlier one. Even darker than the first, but thankfully, not more gory. A great continuation, but not for those looking for justifications or closure. Has potential for a sequel. Must be read in series order. Recommended!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:
Many years after the horrifying events that plagued the small town of Woodbrook, Samantha Strong, now popular as the local hero who saved the townsfolk from a serial killer, still runs her shop. In the nearby city, Monica Brewer has spent the same period looking for information about her missing brother who vanished eight years ago without a trace. When she receives an anonymous tip with his possible location, she is relieved to have finally found a lead. But this lead comes from a dark person, and bears dark consequences.

This graphic novel is a compilation of the six comics of ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring’. This edition is complete in its main plot. Though some of the subplots can be called incomplete, there is no cliffhanger as such.

Those who haven’t yet read the Eisner-nominated horror comics titled ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ might process the above preview in a very different way from those who know Samantha Strong through the comics and are aware of what she is capable of. I shall not go into the sequel’s plot in detail as it is a proper continuation of the first book and hence needs to be read in series order without spoilers. So those who don’t know this series and want a mind-numbing dark horror story through graphics, just read both these comic compilations.

Those who have read the first set of comics either individually or through the graphic novel will find this new book a wonderful yet imperfect sequel. It offers answers, but raises many more questions. It provides some closure, but opens several other doors of possibility. You will end the book with a combined feeling of “Oh wow!” and “Oh my!” and “That’s it?”

As the story of this sequel is a continuation of the earlier plot but from eight years later, I regret not refreshing my memory by reading Book One again. While I remembered Samantha right down to her name (she is unforgettable in a creepy way), I had forgotten many of the other townspeople. It helped to go with the flow, but I would certainly recommend reading the first book before diving into this one.

The plot is much simpler this time in terms of width but makes it up in depth. The story is gripping right from the start, with a strong hook and steady pace. We see a glimpse of Samantha’s backstory and how she came to run the shop. We also get an idea of why she feels the way she does in the present time.

As indicated by the similarity in the title, the sequel echoes the first book in many ways. Most characters reprise their roles. Some have grown up, others have grown older. But their intrinsic nature hasn’t changed. (Which isn't good news for us when Samantha Strong is involved. She is so deranged!) Both books are quite dark, and the (im)morality of the main character makes the journey through the plot even darker. I was better prepared for the gore this time around, but its quantity was far less than in the first book. (Phew!) The focus is more on implied shock than visual shock.

The characters once again are anthropomorphic animals of various species. And echoing the earlier book, there are civilised animals (who function as characters for our story) and wild animals (who are just ordinary, non-verbal animals.) It is really strange to see animal-like characters judging wild animals for their appearance or behaviour when they are almost the same in physicality. It reminded me of how we humans judge ‘outsiders’ (humans of other races or religions or countries or even immigrants) even though they too are humans like us. I don’t know if the story meant to be metaphorical in this regard, but it does strike a sad chord.

The ending of this book left me feeling the same way as I did after the first book. Is it a great ending? Yes. Does it offer closure? Not really. Does it offer justice? Not at all. But keeping in mind that this is a horror story, the ending makes perfect sense. This book’s finale has a good potential for a sequel, and I hope we get one!

The art style is also reminiscent of the earlier collection, with the pastel watercolour style offering a bizarre contrast to the morbid proceedings. The only part where I struggled was in the flashbacks of Samantha’s younger years. The shift in colour tone was quite subtle when read digitally, so the sudden change in timeline was a bit confusing at times.

Overall, I wasn’t as creeped out or fascinated by this book as I was the first time around. It is still quite chilling, so it might just be that I was much, much better prepared for a reading experience involving dark deeds and missing ethics. It is a very good and absolutely bonkers book.

Definitely recommended to those who have read and enjoyed Book One: ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’. These two graphic novels ought to work well for fans of cozy horror. Better if read in series order.

4 stars.


My thanks to IDW Publishing and IDW Dark for providing the DRC of “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||

[Amanda Almén]

Jag fullkomligt älskar de här serierna om den seriemördande brunbjörnen. I första delen hejade jag på Sam: i del två? Not so much. Jag håller alla tummar för att vi får en tredje del där Sam faktiskt får vad hon förtjänar.

[aubrey]

a much stronger outing than the first one and the first installment was great. am deeply looking forward/excited to see what Horvath comes up with next, considering I think Sam's arc is closed. i think maybe he could pump about 50 more pages in because the third acts are so abrupt

[Kim]

This graphic is Shady Hollow with the gore of Dexter. Patrick Horvath does a great job at making serial killing and murder cozy? cute? I wouldn't necessarily call this cozy, as the gore is pretty extreme but the setting and characters are whimsical.

I particularly had a great time with the overlaid artwork on to classic children's literature cover themes. Well done Patrick.


Disclosure: I received an e-ARC copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Reece]

I'm so glad this sequel lived up to my expectations after an absolutely outstanding first outing by Patrick Horvath. It didn't flow the way I expected it to, which is a testament to Horvath's writing. A great example of this is Samantha's origin story. It doesn't exist to simply contextualise her actions but contextualise her whole existence, and it flows so seamlessly between the present and the past.

4 years since the events of the first series, and the world is moving in, that familiar slice of Americana is being torn down Walmart by Walmart and there's no space in thus world for a small town series killer anymore.

In that, I think it is the central theme of the story, Sam's first outing is defined by control, whereas this reflects her losing control. That pesky Internet is making it harder and harder for her to exist. People are collaborating stories and building an image of American Serial Killers, a common thread of the modern day as well. There is no resentment or anger. She accepts the changing natural order, like the cold killing machine she is.

She is indeed sloppy in this run. She's found out by several characters and barely escapes several scrapes with death. But there is a release in that she knows it can't go on, but she's made her peace.

My only criticism is the almost cartoonishly villainous escape she makes at the tail end of the series. Even in a small town, I have a hard time believing she had contingencies to burn an entire town to the ground. I feel like her escape could have been handled better.

All in all, it was still a brilliant second part of a story, dare I hope for a third?

[Gwendolyn]

We finally have our next round of stories about Samantha, the serial killer bear hiding in plain sight in Woodbrook. This is a cozy-horror comic series that follows Samatha, a cuddly brown bear who works at the local hardware store by day and kills people at night. It’s been 8 years since Samatha killed Daniel Brewer, and Daniel’s sister, Monica has been searching for him the entire time. She’s hit dead end after dead end until Samatha sees an opportunity to lure her to Woodbury under the guise of helping her. Not only do we get Monica’s investigation into the disappearance of her brother, but we get more backstory on Samantha too. We find out what the residents of Woodbury have been up to and we see the changes the town is undergoing. I’m still really enjoying the series and hope we continue to follow Samatha’s story.

[Bryan Fischer]

While I appreciate this sequel took a very different storytelling approach and didn’t rehash ideas from the first series, I didn’t prefer it.
It expanded on lore and provided additional backstory to side characters, and interweaved their plots throughout. This worked at times and there were some nice payoffs to this, but I felt it watered down the main story and split my attention far too often. I also didn’t feel the main storyline was that strong to begin with.
Without going into spoiler territory, I just want to say I really liked the Tarantino-esque final act. Caught me by surprise.
The standout aspect of this book, like the previous, was the artwork, covers, and overall book design. Loved the watercolour art style mixed with the horror tones, makes for some memorable moments.

Thanks IDW and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Heather Stewart]

I enjoyed this sequel and the originality of plot. I appreciated the short recap of first volume and how it was weaved into the first couple pages without boring the reader. I wanted more from the ending, but the movie posters were great!

[Lou]

Un peu moins happant que le premier mais toujours aussi étonnant

[Grace Stafford]

Even better than the first, but ugh, that cliffhanger is the reason I usually wait for series to wrap up before starting them!!

[Mox Leonard]

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees kept popping up on my radar for a while, and it came highly recommended. Many friends were surprised it took me so long to finally dive in, since it felt completely up my alley: cute animals telling a story of murder.

Once I picked it up, I read it in one sitting and immediately wanted more. I wasn’t sure where the story could go next, but Rite of Spring did not disappoint. Patrick Horvath continues to balance the charming art style with unsettling horror, delivering a follow-up that feels every bit as twisted and compelling as the first book.

[Timothée Currence]

Whew.
The first issue was fantastic with its serial killer twist on an otherwise cute aesthetic.
This issue kicked it up a notch and got real dark.
Absolutely love this series and can’t wait to see what the next issue brings.

[Justin Soderberg]

Patrick Horvath 's Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring is an outstanding sequel that matches, maybe even tops, the original miniseries with familiar art and fresh, chilling twists.

It's been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck's family painstakingly sought justice... but this brown bear was smart... she covered her tracks... and in the '80s, there simply wasn't a way for the duck's family to find answers.

But it's not the '80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven't given up the flame of justice.

You can never really relive the feeling of reading a story for the first time. When I first picked up Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1 , it was a fresh and captivating story with artwork that was the opposite of what you'd expect but worked so well in this format. While the rest of the first volume was fantastic, I never thought I'd feel that spark again from reading the debut issue. I was 100% wrong. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring brought back that magical first-read feeling in the best way.

The original series blend of Dexter -style story with Richard Scarry -esque artwork was truly original and honestly, breathtaking. It hit in such a way that made it standout from the crowd. I couldn't image how Horvath would replicate the lightning in a bottle success while crafting a fresh and gripping continuation. Yet here we are. This sequel not only matches the original series, but in many ways surpasses it. Patrick takes the story eight years forward and delivers a twist I didn't see coming from a mile away.

The time jump in Rite of Spring opens the door for many places for Horvath to take the story. Samantha must not only continue to face her dark past but also contend with the new reality of living in a time when nothing truly stays hidden, thanks to things such as the internet. Not only is there this new found fad, the internet, but Samantha gets close to one of the victims family in a way that makes the story all that more riveting.

Following the first volume, I wanted more, but not if it was going to ruin what we already had. Now, with Rite of Spring I am wanting so much more. I feel Horvath has the skill and ability to craft more stories in Woodbrook that can be just as unique and riveting as these first two books.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring delivers with its signature artwork and engrossing story, Patrick Horvath has truly outdone himself. This sequel has the same engird and suspense of the original series but takes it to a new level that I didn't see coming. Horvath has me wanting to immerse myself in the world of Woodbrook, well not so much Woodbrook, but Samantha all over again! Like with the first series, Rite of Spring is a must-read.

The collected edition of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring hits local comic shops and bookstores everywhere on July 21, 2026 from IDW Publishing.

[Alan]

Eight years after the events of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, Sam Strong is still running her hardware store in Woodbrook while making trips to the big cities to sate her thirst for killing, while Nigel is blamed for her murders as well as his own. Meanwhile, one duck-woman has been relentlessly searching for her brother who went missing years ago. Thanks to the new invention called The Internet, Sam happens across one of the duck's posts. Realizing she's the sister of one her murders, Sam tricks her into coming to Woodbrook where she pretends to be helping her search, blaming the disappearance on Nigel. This game makes Sam feel a sort of closeness with the duck, while also feeding her sadistic side. Though this opens Sam up to being discovered, she won't go down without a fight that threatens the entire town.
Sam has become more sociopathic and deadly in this series. Her deadly nature is frighteningly dark and psychotic as she plays out her game. By the end the story just went balls to the wall crazy and gruesome.

[Norman Cook]

2026 Eisner Award finalist - Best Limited Series, Best Lettering (Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou)

Samantha Strong is one of the most vile and evil characters imaginable, a serial killer with no remorse. Yet, because the story is presented with bright, cute anthropomorphic artwork the reader starts to see her as someone to root for. Quite a feat!

The story takes place some eight years after the previous series, sometime in the 1990s when the internet was young. The sister of one of Samantha's victim's uses nascent electronic bulletin boards to find leads on what happened to her brother. What she doesn't know is that Samantha herself posted a clue in a twisted ploy to lure the sister to the tiny town of Woodbrook for nefarious purposes. Meanwhile, the citizens of Woodbrook are still recovering from the shocking events of eight years ago while facing some major infrastructure improvements that will almost certainly bring outsiders and more modern life to the town. All of these elements converge to make this an utterly fascinating book, despite the gore and Samantha's complete psychopathy.

Read as individual issues.

[Book Club of One]

The series that asks, "What if a serial killer lived in Busytown?" returns for Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring. Patrick Horvath returns us to Woodbrook eight years after the events of book one, though no one has forgotten what happened.

In fact, that is what fuels this story arc. In the first issue, we're introduced to Monica. She has moved to the city in which her brother used to live, all these years later still desperately searching for what may have happened to her brother. She has no interest in others, a dead end job to pay for her needs and a regular rotation through the police stations and hospitals seeking updates or any sign of her brother. She wants closure, unable to live her own life with this uncertainty. In a strong wink to the AOL discs of old, the internet is now available and Monica spends time pursuing webforums exposing the worst of humanity (wonderfully illustrated in a way to show the absorption one can experience) in cold cases and murder forums. Then one night, a suggestion is made that triggers an impulsive trip and our reintroduction to Samantha Strong and Woodbrook

Where volume 1 felt like a Dexter season 1, but animals!, retread, here in volume two Horvath expands the emotional depth. Strong is still a brutal unfeeling killer, but the rest of the town still shows their scars and the spectrum of emotional responses murder creates.

Rite of Spring gives more of Strong's backstory and can serve to ask wider questions of what does it mean to belong to a community? How much can you truly know another person?

The covers of the series also play with the genre, recreating other classic children's books with the twisted horror bent, included Harold and the Purple Crayon or Corduroy.

Recommended to readers of slasher horror, anthropomorphic stories or sequels that surpass the original.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[André-Paul]

Très content de retrouver l’univers de Beneath the Trees dans ce tome 2 (Rite of Spring). Globalement, on reste sur les mêmes bases solides qui ont fait le succès du titre.
Le vrai plus de cet album, c'est le développement de Samantha : on en apprend davantage sur elle, ce qui donne plus de profondeur au récit.

Mon seul bémol concerne l'intrigue autour de Monica. Je pense sincèrement que Samantha a fait une erreur en la faisant venir, et cela m'a un peu sorti de la logique du personnage. Quoi qu'il en soit, la conclusion en fin ouverte est très réussie et relance totalement l'intérêt.
Vivement la suite pour voir comment cette situation va évoluer !

[Elenanovelera]

Después de 8 años, hay cosas que cambian. Internet, grandes almacenes, la forma de vida de nuestros vecinos, se olvidan cosas… o no.
Hay cosas que no se olvida, la falta de un ser querido puede ser un aliciente para investigar por tu cuenta que ocurrió y eso puede llevarte a un pueblecito donde los vecinos son muy agradables, donde nada malo ocurre (salvo el descubrimiento de un asesino en serie entre sus parroquianos).

Sin querer, descubres una realidad, y si la vecina que te ha estado ayudando, ¿es la asesina en serie?

Pff lo muchísimo que me tiene dentro esta historia ha sido magnífica.
Si te gustan los thrillers y con toque irónico con esas viñetas tan infantiles y tonos pastel, no voy a dudar que te vas a quedar dentro de estas páginas

[Emily Sarah]

Review of free advanced copy received from Netgalley

I adored the first Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, so I had sky high expectations for this. I have to say, it totally managed to meet them.

If you can I would read the other volume first. Sure you can read these out of order but you will get some spoilers, and you’ll gain some context reading the first prior.

I have to say I adored the premise of this. Whilst it calls back to the first volume it also feels vastly different in terms of plot. It feels fresh, and I was happy to see more from the chaotic murderous bear that is Samantha.

For anyone who hasn’t entered the universe before think Wind in the Willows meets Dexter. It’s a small town that should be cozy and yet couldn’t be further from. It’s a wild ride from start to finish and I couldn’t put it down.

I adore the art style. I have to say the watercolour look is the main draw for me the panels are beautiful and whimsical which makes the horror feel even more absurd in such a town.

[Jacob]

Moving on from the first book which was a generic Dexter season with anthropomorphic animals incorporated, this is a sequel (with some prequel sections) which now instead follows the Dexter/Doakes plotline and relationship using Samantha Strong and the sister of the duck she killed in the first book.

Where the first one was at least entertaining and ‘new,’ I’m not sure what was gained from this continuation of the plot, the story didn’t really go anywhere and mostly meandered through three differing plotlines, two of which were side stories with zero payoff or intrigue.

Thankfully what it does have going for it is the art, which remains as consistently great as the previous entry in this newly forming series.

Once again the ending is left ambiguous so that it can potentially get another continuation, unfortunately it probably needs a continuation now as this comic answered effectively nothing from the previous comic and instead created multiple plot lines that are left underbaked and unanswered.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy.

[Harvey N]

3.8⭐

Didn't get enjoy the direction of this one as much as the first series, turned in to an absolute mess by the end imo, still absolutely stunning artwork and a unique horror series but some of the actions the animals took in this one was super frustrating and major suspension of disbelief. Samantha the main character has plot armour up the wazoo, was hoping it might be a little more contained but it got ridiculous by the end.

Favourite part was the turtle his dog anchovy and the retirement home

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy]

Sam is given heavy sequel stakes, everything is BIGGER and MORE. She’s substantially more evil and clearly has major plans- I’ve always hated that villain cliche where they plan everything down so like the train crash happens exactly as the hero walks by- Sam blowing up the whole town was a fun twist but it really made this feel a little too big. I liked the small town, cute animals and gruesome murders- now it reads like a series. Not sure what will happen next but I’m engaged enough to pick it up!

[Riley Moffatt]

I didn’t realize there were more of these so what a pleasant surprise to see this was released recently! The art style remains fun and I like the time jump into the advent of the internet. I wish the turtle subplot was a bit more directly related to Sam’s murder spree and like they all died because of her or affected her in some way but it was sweet nonetheless. I like the twist that she murdered her parents and that she literally exploded the whole town- that was hilarious.

[GabbyGetsReading]

This was such a wild read! This kind of reminds me of watching Dexter. I actually found myself gasping throughout this story. Samantha is one sly fox for a bear. The different art styles/posters/book covers included in this book edition were super cool to see. I love how alive this town felt and how these animals were portrayed with human characteristics. What a great follow up book and I'm excited for the next one!