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To Know You're Alive
Dakota McFadzean's story collection To Know You're Alive is deliberate, creepy and wonderful.
These stories might be called haunting or disturbing, but that loose description doesn't do justice to their subtle and graceful complexity. The first story profiles a man remembering his time as a young boy with the gnoshlox, creatures that came alive from the clay in his sandbox. As with a later story, 'Hollow in the Hollows," contemplative pacing indicates that something more than a simple scare is happening; both stories carry an implicit commentary on the dangerous power of childhood imagination.
Other stories feature kids exploring an old house, growing more misshapen as they do; a girl terrorized by a breakfast cereal mascot; and a stay-at-home dad narrating a strange experience while watching Mister Rogers with his son. Humor and terror sometimes share space in the same sentence: "There was something moving around the darkened set of Mister Rogers' house."
The writing is brilliant and imaginative, providing just a nudge in one direction or another that leaves the reader to fill in the blanks. It's engaging, mysterious, and satisfying. The characterizations of children are noteworthy, with small details that speak volumes - a girl's excitement over a Scholastic Book order in 'Buzzy,' or her tortured, lonely classmate's bitter response: "That book is for idiots."
The masterful art shifts styles from one story to the next to suit the mood, or sometimes to ironically oppose it. One half of an equal partnership, the images convey as much plot and characterization as does the text. To Know You're Alive is a thoughtful, chilling peak into the darkest corners of life.
-Review by Peter Dabbene for Forward Reviews
These stories might be called haunting or disturbing, but that loose description doesn't do justice to their subtle and graceful complexity. The first story profiles a man remembering his time as a young boy with the gnoshlox, creatures that came alive from the clay in his sandbox. As with a later story, 'Hollow in the Hollows," contemplative pacing indicates that something more than a simple scare is happening; both stories carry an implicit commentary on the dangerous power of childhood imagination.
Other stories feature kids exploring an old house, growing more misshapen as they do; a girl terrorized by a breakfast cereal mascot; and a stay-at-home dad narrating a strange experience while watching Mister Rogers with his son. Humor and terror sometimes share space in the same sentence: "There was something moving around the darkened set of Mister Rogers' house."
The writing is brilliant and imaginative, providing just a nudge in one direction or another that leaves the reader to fill in the blanks. It's engaging, mysterious, and satisfying. The characterizations of children are noteworthy, with small details that speak volumes - a girl's excitement over a Scholastic Book order in 'Buzzy,' or her tortured, lonely classmate's bitter response: "That book is for idiots."
The masterful art shifts styles from one story to the next to suit the mood, or sometimes to ironically oppose it. One half of an equal partnership, the images convey as much plot and characterization as does the text. To Know You're Alive is a thoughtful, chilling peak into the darkest corners of life.
-Review by Peter Dabbene for Forward Reviews
195 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 8, 2023
A collection of short comics by Dakota McFadzean - I believe most showed up in various magazines. McFadzean is a superb cartoonist, the artwork and precision is wonderful to look at. I enjoyed a few of the stories, some fell short. Overall a pretty good collection of comics and I'd be willing to check out more by this creator.
April 1, 2022
Another random pick from my last library visit. Saw this on the shelf and thought I'd give it a try since it was a graphic novel and had some interesting titles throughout. The word "haunting" comes to mind after reading this work. It was engaging, but paints images that are both intense and heavy reflections on what it means to be a child with an unruly imagination.
The illustrations were amazing and I got lost in the details in each mini-story, but wow McFadzean can create some pretty creepy and unsettling images. Probably won't read again, but appreciate the way in which he used emotion and illustration to communicate some foreboding and reflective imagery.
The illustrations were amazing and I got lost in the details in each mini-story, but wow McFadzean can create some pretty creepy and unsettling images. Probably won't read again, but appreciate the way in which he used emotion and illustration to communicate some foreboding and reflective imagery.
December 19, 2020
This book is drawn amazingly well but the content wasn't for me. However, I can still appreciate the talent behind this art.
May 31, 2021
there's a few good, creepy stories in here and I particularly liked the "Pasqua Pennysaver" pages parodying newspaper comics. The other stories are very slice-of-life, no real plot or ending, just depicting very realistic childhood scenarios. There's a definite mood being set with this collection and I vibed with it, but there wasn't anything super amazing that I'll be thinking about for years after reading.
February 18, 2021
No ei ollut kyllä mun mielestä ollenkaan niin greepy ja wonderfull kuin luvattiin. Kansi oli lupaava ja odotin ehkä liikoja, mutta valitettavasti se perimmäinen vinous tai häiriintyneisyys jäi multa kadoksiin ja käteen jäi vain laimea wannabe fiilis. Myöskään retrohenkinen pyöreäkaarinen piirustusjälki ei oikein puhutellut.
August 8, 2022
An amazing collection of short stories by Dakota McFadzean, who I had never heard of before but whose work I will now seek out. Dark, disturbing comics about difficult emotions. There’s a touch of the supernatural to most of the stories, but my favorite was the realistic “Buzzy,” which really captured the complicated feelings of pre-adolescence.
November 27, 2025
2.5 perhaps
I really wanted to enjoy this but tbh I don't think this book was really for me🥲
none of the stories hit really too hard for me or got me too invested in them. they were maybe 2 or 3 that I liked but yeah.
I do appreciate the diverse types of art styles of the artist tho, it's impressive
I really wanted to enjoy this but tbh I don't think this book was really for me🥲
none of the stories hit really too hard for me or got me too invested in them. they were maybe 2 or 3 that I liked but yeah.
I do appreciate the diverse types of art styles of the artist tho, it's impressive
September 3, 2022
The Gnoshlox story at the beginning is the best segment of the book. It's all downhill after it.
December 5, 2021
Great collection!
December 28, 2020
Creepy, sad, funny, weird, unsettling
January 25, 2021
Absolutely loved this - brilliantly written and drawn, great storytelling here across a range of styles. Evocative drawings help to paint the picture so perfectly.
February 2, 2021
A couple really nice works (Hollow in the Hollows) sticks out, but almost entirely too weird for me.
May 22, 2022
Overall, I liked this collection of stories. It was very well organized but I would have liked to see bigger font from the publisher. It didn’t feel like as good/accessible of a product as other graphics. As always, the score is calculated by individual ratings and mini reviews which you can read below:
Gnoshlox - 3/5 - Strange and simple and sweet, if not entirely memorable.
The Truck - 3/5 - Also simple and not entirely memorable, but it was also tangible and nostalgic.
Buzzy - 4/5 - So sad and impactful, but also endearing in its own way.
Good Find - 4/5 - The art was the most interesting yet. Good, spooky buildup and interesting reversal from what we expected the villain would be.
Hollow in the Hollows - 5/5 - Loved this! Perfect in every way.
Ghostie in “Ghost-Mashers” - 5/5 - Woahhhh
Voices - 2/5 - Not sure I really got this one.
Posthumans - 3/5 - Sooo true. But not entirely memorable or special.
The Pasqua Penny Saver - 4/5 - These were great. I laughed and said “mmmm.” I get why it was presented this way but it was a little hard to read some of them cause they were so small. I wish they could have fit it over four pages instead.
(Symbols I can’t type) - 1/5 - just not for me
Debug Mode - 4/5 - Interesting but I wish the concept would have evolved a bit more.
First - 6/5 - I love stories like these. All the yes. Also I want one of those things.
To Know You’re Alive - 5/5 - Loved this!!
Gnoshlox - 3/5 - Strange and simple and sweet, if not entirely memorable.
The Truck - 3/5 - Also simple and not entirely memorable, but it was also tangible and nostalgic.
Buzzy - 4/5 - So sad and impactful, but also endearing in its own way.
Good Find - 4/5 - The art was the most interesting yet. Good, spooky buildup and interesting reversal from what we expected the villain would be.
Hollow in the Hollows - 5/5 - Loved this! Perfect in every way.
Ghostie in “Ghost-Mashers” - 5/5 - Woahhhh
Voices - 2/5 - Not sure I really got this one.
Posthumans - 3/5 - Sooo true. But not entirely memorable or special.
The Pasqua Penny Saver - 4/5 - These were great. I laughed and said “mmmm.” I get why it was presented this way but it was a little hard to read some of them cause they were so small. I wish they could have fit it over four pages instead.
(Symbols I can’t type) - 1/5 - just not for me
Debug Mode - 4/5 - Interesting but I wish the concept would have evolved a bit more.
First - 6/5 - I love stories like these. All the yes. Also I want one of those things.
To Know You’re Alive - 5/5 - Loved this!!
October 7, 2025
This is a very creepy set of short stories. The art is affective and the limited colour palette works well. Many of these are about children doing things. A couple are wordless. I'm not sure what I think about the whole book. It's well done and achieving what the author is trying to achieve. And sometimes I like kind of creepy. But I'm not sure I like these. I might look for more from this author.
April 14, 2021
I had read some of these stories before as they had been previously published as mini comics and enjoyed them but it was nice to revisit them. Some of these stories are pretty dark and McFadzean has always been good with telling stories from the perspective of children. The seemingly autobiographical story at the end of being a parent was also a nice change of pace and appreciated.
May 22, 2021
Outoja, kummallisia, todellisuudesta irrallisia, vähän kammottavia, ahdistavia ja raadollisia lyhyitä sarjakuvia sisältävä albumi, josta en tiedä mitä ajatella.
Tätä oli kiinnostava lukea ja osa sarjakuvista oli todella hyviä, mutta osasta en saanut lainkaan kiinni. Ehkä niin oli tarkoituskin - jäädä ihmettelemään.
Ei noussut lemppariksi, mutta ei ollut lainkaan huono kuitenkaan.
Tätä oli kiinnostava lukea ja osa sarjakuvista oli todella hyviä, mutta osasta en saanut lainkaan kiinni. Ehkä niin oli tarkoituskin - jäädä ihmettelemään.
Ei noussut lemppariksi, mutta ei ollut lainkaan huono kuitenkaan.
December 27, 2020
It was a great quick read. Great imagination. Fun stories. I read it in a few hours and enjoyed it.
January 20, 2021
Art is simple but good, sets the scene well. Sometimes mentally difficult to swallow and a lot of times disturbing. Very creative.
February 11, 2021
That was unsettling both in good and bad ways. Holy crow.
June 8, 2021
The last story in this collection literally made my skin crawl.
June 21, 2021
In interesting collection of creepy graphic shorts.
June 24, 2021
Existential dread: the comic.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
September 22, 2021
Spooky AND Cool!
April 17, 2022
This felt like weird horror. More gross horror than scary horror.
October 11, 2022
Zbiór kilku osobnych historyjek, z dziećmi i ich wyobraźnią w roli głównej, które są dosyć niepokojące i dziwaczne. Ładna kreska i dobranie kolorów, ale to chyba nie dla mnie.
December 30, 2022
So depressing love it
April 3, 2023
liked some stories more than others, but overall really moving. the first and last ones were my favorite - they’ll probably live in my head for a long time
Read
May 1, 2023This made me deeply uncomfy.
May 28, 2023
Oh this was so deliciously creepy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews