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From the amazing imagination of bestselling author Holly Black, a mysterious and wonderful teen graphic novel masterpiece.
Rue Silver's life is not what it appears to be. Her mother is a faerie, and has been taken back to the faerie realm. As Rue goes to bring her back, she must travel deep into an inhuman world. At the same time, the faerie realm is venturing into our world too, and taking its toll on those Rue loves. When her grandfather's plans threaten Rue's city, she realizes that she's the only one who can stop him. But is Rue a human or a faerie? Where does she fit? How does she know the difference between love and enchantment?
Rue Silver's life is not what it appears to be. Her mother is a faerie, and has been taken back to the faerie realm. As Rue goes to bring her back, she must travel deep into an inhuman world. At the same time, the faerie realm is venturing into our world too, and taking its toll on those Rue loves. When her grandfather's plans threaten Rue's city, she realizes that she's the only one who can stop him. But is Rue a human or a faerie? Where does she fit? How does she know the difference between love and enchantment?
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
19 people are currently reading
2608 people want to read
About the author
Holly Black
225 books127k followersHolly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
December 13, 2017
Rue's world is getting darker. In the last volume of The Good Neighbors, she discovered that faeries are real and not harmless, glitter-sparkled fantasies like fairy tales have described them.
In this installment, Rue learns about the perils of faerie enchantments and intricate faerie plans. Mixing magic with the every day world, human and faerie, is downright dangerous.
Rue also discovers more about her mother's (Nia's) family and not everything she learns is comforting.
"You can't keep mom here against her will." "Oh, can't I?" "Give me a test then. A test like you gave my dad. I'll win her from you." "Don't be silly. Nia, do you want to leave my hill? Does the moral world hold anymore allure for you?" pg 49. Yeah, does it?
Rue's parents didn't have a traditional first date. It's awfully sad just how their two worlds came together.
Rue spends much of this volume trying to walk the line between the faerie and human worlds and feeling guilty about loving and belonging to both.
"Let me propose a toast. To love. In what we love best, our worst selves are revealed." pg 52.
Love and jealousy play a large part in this story as does control and betrayal.
Sometimes, we ruin the relationships that mean the most to us because we're careless or confused or bored. Other times, we may not be completely honest with ourselves about whether two people, or in this case human and faerie, even belonged together in the first place.
Rue stumbles her way through these questions in a teenage, angsty sort of way. She's a flawed heroine, but I rather like her.
I'm looking forward to the last entry in the series.
In this installment, Rue learns about the perils of faerie enchantments and intricate faerie plans. Mixing magic with the every day world, human and faerie, is downright dangerous.
Rue also discovers more about her mother's (Nia's) family and not everything she learns is comforting.
"You can't keep mom here against her will." "Oh, can't I?" "Give me a test then. A test like you gave my dad. I'll win her from you." "Don't be silly. Nia, do you want to leave my hill? Does the moral world hold anymore allure for you?" pg 49. Yeah, does it?
Rue's parents didn't have a traditional first date. It's awfully sad just how their two worlds came together.
Rue spends much of this volume trying to walk the line between the faerie and human worlds and feeling guilty about loving and belonging to both.
"Let me propose a toast. To love. In what we love best, our worst selves are revealed." pg 52.
Love and jealousy play a large part in this story as does control and betrayal.
Sometimes, we ruin the relationships that mean the most to us because we're careless or confused or bored. Other times, we may not be completely honest with ourselves about whether two people, or in this case human and faerie, even belonged together in the first place.
Rue stumbles her way through these questions in a teenage, angsty sort of way. She's a flawed heroine, but I rather like her.
I'm looking forward to the last entry in the series.
June 30, 2014
The plot is decent, not great, but decent.
It's also a fast and easy read, so that's nice, too.
Now I'm going to pick on it for a second, so just bear with me. The way the characters are drawn is just plain weird.
It was a train wreck that I couldn't look away from.
You know that poor crazy woman who gets in the news sometimes because she keeps having plastic surgery to make herself look like a cat?
Yeah.
They look like that.
All of them.
Brrrr.
It looks like the skin on their faces has been stretched into some nutty artist's version of sensual.
Think: Heath Ledger as The Joker.
It's also a fast and easy read, so that's nice, too.
Now I'm going to pick on it for a second, so just bear with me. The way the characters are drawn is just plain weird.
It was a train wreck that I couldn't look away from.
You know that poor crazy woman who gets in the news sometimes because she keeps having plastic surgery to make herself look like a cat?
Yeah.
They look like that.
All of them.
Brrrr.
It looks like the skin on their faces has been stretched into some nutty artist's version of sensual.
Think: Heath Ledger as The Joker.
November 15, 2023
Disturbing👀
July 16, 2024
Nie wiem jak ocenić, nie wiem co sądzę lol
Szczerze ta kreska naprawdę odbiera mi dużo frajdy, w sensie gdyby była kolorowa to po prostu czytaloby się to o niebo lepiej...
Ale fabuła jest po prostu dziwna? Nie porywa najzwyczajniej w świecie.
Mam też problem z postaciami, bo mylą mi się między sobą i szkoda, że na końcu tej powieści graficznej nie mamy małego szkicownika z podpisami postaci.
Szczerze ta kreska naprawdę odbiera mi dużo frajdy, w sensie gdyby była kolorowa to po prostu czytaloby się to o niebo lepiej...
Ale fabuła jest po prostu dziwna? Nie porywa najzwyczajniej w świecie.
Mam też problem z postaciami, bo mylą mi się między sobą i szkoda, że na końcu tej powieści graficznej nie mamy małego szkicownika z podpisami postaci.
January 23, 2018
I really like this series of books. I wish there were more! Wonderful fantasy about the Fairy World.
May 25, 2017
Good plot, but the art style throws me off.
August 11, 2023
3.5 stars. Definitely growing more invested in this story!
March 31, 2010
Two things about this book.
Physically: I like this book. I'm not much for comic books but they're a nice change from normal books. They're really quick reads and it's cool to actually SEE what's going on. It's just that sometimes I feel like the panels go by too fast. Like, the characters see something happen and get over it way to fast. And sometimes I have to kinda guess what just happened from what was implied by the picture. I don't get the whole picture, figuratively speaking, in just one panel. I still love it though. The whole thing is illustrated amazingly.
The story: I love Tam. I really do. I think Dale is a little over his head, and if he can't accept what Rue is and what she's involved in, then he doesn't need to be with her. I think she should just get with Tam, more than she already has. Even if he is human, he knows everything that Rue NEEDS to know. He knows all about faerie and how to deal with them.
Now I just can't wait for the next one. I don't know what will happen next, but it's gonna rock. :)
~T
Physically: I like this book. I'm not much for comic books but they're a nice change from normal books. They're really quick reads and it's cool to actually SEE what's going on. It's just that sometimes I feel like the panels go by too fast. Like, the characters see something happen and get over it way to fast. And sometimes I have to kinda guess what just happened from what was implied by the picture. I don't get the whole picture, figuratively speaking, in just one panel. I still love it though. The whole thing is illustrated amazingly.
The story: I love Tam. I really do. I think Dale is a little over his head, and if he can't accept what Rue is and what she's involved in, then he doesn't need to be with her. I think she should just get with Tam, more than she already has. Even if he is human, he knows everything that Rue NEEDS to know. He knows all about faerie and how to deal with them.
Now I just can't wait for the next one. I don't know what will happen next, but it's gonna rock. :)
~T
August 14, 2017
Nur minimal besser, als der erste Teil. Man konnte der Handlung ein wenig besser folgen, aber so richtig logisch stringent war es immer noch nicht.
Auch bleiben die Hintergründe, warum wer wie was wann macht ziemlich nebulös.
Auch bleiben die Hintergründe, warum wer wie was wann macht ziemlich nebulös.
July 16, 2019
Another fast read, this builds upon the last book. I still really love all of the art except the faces, which continue to not be to my taste. I again felt like this would have benefited by being longer.
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Rue Silver is half faerie, half human. Her mother died, leaving Rue and her father, Thaddeus, alone. Or did she really? Rue believes her mother is still alive somewhere.
Using her faerie powers, Rue travels into the world controlled by her magical grandfather and discovers her mother is still alive. Although she doesn't want to be tempted by this other world, Rue is entertained by her brief visit there. She knows she must return to keep her friends safe from her grandfather's plot to take over the city.
Relationships between Rue's friends are strained, making them vulnerable prey to the powers of the faeries. Rue realizes her boyfriend, Dale, is definitely under their control, but her attempts to convince him to fight their power over him fail miserably. Even with her ability to control plants, Aubrey, her grandfather, continues his plans to make the city his.
Holly Black, along with illustrator Ted Naifeh, is the creator of THE GOOD NEIGHBORS series. KITH is the second book, following KIN. Fans of Black's fantasy style will appreciate the mystical world inhabited by good and evil faeries. The twists and turns of the story are enhanced as the graphic illustrations bring the characters to life.
KITH is sure to be a hit with graphic novel/manga fans everywhere.
Rue Silver is half faerie, half human. Her mother died, leaving Rue and her father, Thaddeus, alone. Or did she really? Rue believes her mother is still alive somewhere.
Using her faerie powers, Rue travels into the world controlled by her magical grandfather and discovers her mother is still alive. Although she doesn't want to be tempted by this other world, Rue is entertained by her brief visit there. She knows she must return to keep her friends safe from her grandfather's plot to take over the city.
Relationships between Rue's friends are strained, making them vulnerable prey to the powers of the faeries. Rue realizes her boyfriend, Dale, is definitely under their control, but her attempts to convince him to fight their power over him fail miserably. Even with her ability to control plants, Aubrey, her grandfather, continues his plans to make the city his.
Holly Black, along with illustrator Ted Naifeh, is the creator of THE GOOD NEIGHBORS series. KITH is the second book, following KIN. Fans of Black's fantasy style will appreciate the mystical world inhabited by good and evil faeries. The twists and turns of the story are enhanced as the graphic illustrations bring the characters to life.
KITH is sure to be a hit with graphic novel/manga fans everywhere.
December 13, 2010
Sadly this installment was worse than the first. I didn't understand the characters any more than in the first installment and frankly thought many of their actions were unfounded and stupid (to both their health and the overall plot).
Overall I am just disappointed with this whole thing. I expected so much more considering the author is Holly Black. The art is done fairly well but the actions of the characters are insanely jumpy since the words themselves jump from scene to scene without solid segues.
I figure I will go ahead and get the 3rd in the series since they only take about an hour to read and my library has it just to see the conclusion to the plot but I don't really have a hope for the characters to suddenly make any sense to me.
Overall I am just disappointed with this whole thing. I expected so much more considering the author is Holly Black. The art is done fairly well but the actions of the characters are insanely jumpy since the words themselves jump from scene to scene without solid segues.
I figure I will go ahead and get the 3rd in the series since they only take about an hour to read and my library has it just to see the conclusion to the plot but I don't really have a hope for the characters to suddenly make any sense to me.
May 29, 2023
4/5 Podobał mi się bardziej niż tom 1
September 2, 2023
*3.75 ⭐ rounded up
This one was definitely better than the first, the plot is good and I like the story but it still doesn't feel complete enough to stand on its own. I also wonder what it would be like if it didn't have the illustrations... Overall, I'm enjoying the series so far and it's very fast paced but maybe not the best quality literature yk
This one was definitely better than the first, the plot is good and I like the story but it still doesn't feel complete enough to stand on its own. I also wonder what it would be like if it didn't have the illustrations... Overall, I'm enjoying the series so far and it's very fast paced but maybe not the best quality literature yk
August 4, 2025
Como con el primero me lo leí demasiado rápido. Atrapada por la adrenalina de descubrir que pasara. Y al igual que con el primero, nos dejan un final abierto lleno de dudas y misterio para descubrir en el siguiente (y último) libro. Admito que lo disfruté tanto como el primero, y eso que lo leí hace años y espera poder conseguir la continuación para finalizarlos. Aunque en este sentí que hubo menos diálogos y explicaciones y que todo fue más rápido y conciso, me siguió pareciendo interesante.
November 6, 2018
Faeries are just pure chaos. The plot takes quite a twist and turn. Very interesting characters.
March 26, 2022
Some more interesting development in the storyline. End left me wondering what the heck was going to happen in the third and final installment.
April 16, 2022
3.25 stars
March 12, 2023
less confused and I like the pictures
May 17, 2023
wyjątkowo polubiłam się z tą historią I bardzo trafia w moje gusta, a ilustracje robią dodatkowo świetny klimat. Teraz będę wyczekiwać trzeciego tomu.
June 16, 2023
Ledwo przebrnęłam przez to, co chwila się gubiłam i nie wiedziałam kto jest kim oraz co się dzieje.
April 8, 2024
This story keeps going darker. All the reasons I’ve taught my kids the rules about faeries are in this short, disturbing novel.
December 20, 2024
Nieco lepsze od 1 tomu. Po zakończeniu nie wiem czy warto kontynuować dalej choć ciekawie będzie zobaczyć jakąś walkę
May 27, 2024
i dont wsnt to talk about it
November 15, 2023
2,5⭐
Matko, ja tak bardzo nie mam pojęcia co mogę powiedzieć o tej książce.
Bo fakt, kreska jest świetna, a to że rysunki są biało czarne idealnie pasuje do klimatu. Zamysł też jest dobry.
Problem w tym, że cała fabuła jest poprowadzona strasznie chaotycznie, a akcja dosłownie pędzi. W dodatku nie byłam w stanie przywiązać się do żadnej postaci. Jak liczyłam, że w tej części świat przedstawiony zostanie bardziej rozwinięty, no to cóż. Myliłam się
Matko, ja tak bardzo nie mam pojęcia co mogę powiedzieć o tej książce.
Bo fakt, kreska jest świetna, a to że rysunki są biało czarne idealnie pasuje do klimatu. Zamysł też jest dobry.
Problem w tym, że cała fabuła jest poprowadzona strasznie chaotycznie, a akcja dosłownie pędzi. W dodatku nie byłam w stanie przywiązać się do żadnej postaci. Jak liczyłam, że w tej części świat przedstawiony zostanie bardziej rozwinięty, no to cóż. Myliłam się
March 14, 2011
Despite being a fan of Holly Black's writing in general, I'm very unimpressed by The Good Neighbors. Volume two, Kith, did little to change that. The characters remain unsympathetic. Most of their actions are driven by selfishness. They don't seem to care how their actions will make those around them feel. The only character who seems to be a decent, kind person is Amanda.
While the plot moved forward at a good pace considering how few pages Black had to work with, there were more than a few plot points left dangling. Why was Rue's friend given the love potion locket? What was the purpose of Tam giving Rue the knife when A) she didn't need it to get Ann out of the tree, B) There was already a knife in the tree anyway and C) You'd think that someone of Tam's knowledge of faeries would realize that Ann would come back different, and evil. Also, what's with Rue's boyfriend letting those water nymphs (or whatever they were) bite and drain him? I've seen this particular subplot before, it was on Buffy, and it was carried out a lot better than this.
I could forgive the dangling plot lines, and even unlikable secondary characters, but when the main character is so hard to empathize with, the whole book becomes hard to enjoy. Rue has a mother who doesn't appear to have a maternal bone in her body. It's unclear how Rue could be attached to her in any way. Her father can't make up his mind about what he wants, and it wreaks havoc on those around him. And to top things off, Rue can't seem to summon enough energy to give a crap over whether or not the faeries will take over the city. How are the readers supposed to care what happens, when the protagonist clearly doesn't?
All in all, pretty disappointing.
While the plot moved forward at a good pace considering how few pages Black had to work with, there were more than a few plot points left dangling. Why was Rue's friend given the love potion locket? What was the purpose of Tam giving Rue the knife when A) she didn't need it to get Ann out of the tree, B) There was already a knife in the tree anyway and C) You'd think that someone of Tam's knowledge of faeries would realize that Ann would come back different, and evil. Also, what's with Rue's boyfriend letting those water nymphs (or whatever they were) bite and drain him? I've seen this particular subplot before, it was on Buffy, and it was carried out a lot better than this.
I could forgive the dangling plot lines, and even unlikable secondary characters, but when the main character is so hard to empathize with, the whole book becomes hard to enjoy. Rue has a mother who doesn't appear to have a maternal bone in her body. It's unclear how Rue could be attached to her in any way. Her father can't make up his mind about what he wants, and it wreaks havoc on those around him. And to top things off, Rue can't seem to summon enough energy to give a crap over whether or not the faeries will take over the city. How are the readers supposed to care what happens, when the protagonist clearly doesn't?
All in all, pretty disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews