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The Unwritten
The Unwritten, Vol. 3: Dead Man's Knock
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics (2011)The third volume of the critically acclaimed New York Times best selling new series from the Eisner-nominated creative team of Mike Carey and Peter Gross!
The fictional adventures of Tommy Taylor are the biggest publishing sensation of the still-young century. And now, years after the last volume, Tommy’s creator Wilson Taylor, long missing and believed dead, is unleashing a brand-new Tommy Taylor book upon the world. There’s just none problem: It’s not a new Tommy Taylor book at all.
Sinister forces have create a fake book in Wilson’s name, a fraud designed to destroy his literary legacy – and coax the reclusive author of hiding so they can destroy him once and or all. But they didn’t count on Wilson’s most powerful creation: his son, the real Tom Taylor.
To unmasks the truth about the new Tommy, Tom must confront some of the darkest secrets that surround him, from the hidden fate of his father to the secret origin of his closest friend to the true nature of his fictional alter ego. Will Tom be able to stop his doppelganger’s return? Or will the publishing event of the decade lead to the end of time?
Collecting: The Unwritten 13-18
The fictional adventures of Tommy Taylor are the biggest publishing sensation of the still-young century. And now, years after the last volume, Tommy’s creator Wilson Taylor, long missing and believed dead, is unleashing a brand-new Tommy Taylor book upon the world. There’s just none problem: It’s not a new Tommy Taylor book at all.
Sinister forces have create a fake book in Wilson’s name, a fraud designed to destroy his literary legacy – and coax the reclusive author of hiding so they can destroy him once and or all. But they didn’t count on Wilson’s most powerful creation: his son, the real Tom Taylor.
To unmasks the truth about the new Tommy, Tom must confront some of the darkest secrets that surround him, from the hidden fate of his father to the secret origin of his closest friend to the true nature of his fictional alter ego. Will Tom be able to stop his doppelganger’s return? Or will the publishing event of the decade lead to the end of time?
Collecting: The Unwritten 13-18
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2011
26 people are currently reading
1777 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,261 books2,965 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
February 6, 2017
One cool thing about this volume is that you get a few answers.
I mean, not all of the answers, but enough to make you want to keep going with this title. I had a few a few suspicions that it was nice to get confirmation on, and there were some things that I didn't see coming at all. Good stuff!
Like most everyone else, I was really impressed with the issue that was a Choose Your Own Adventure of Lizzie's origin story. I thought it was neat that you don't get a definitive answer, because it looks as though she's not exactly stable enough to remember what actually happened. There were (I believe) about 4 different major paths you could take, and I really did have a lot of fun going back and forth between the pages. Kudos on the creativity, Mr. Carey!
If you're unfamiliar with this title, the short version is this:
A young man (Tom Taylor) finds out that the fictional world his father wrote about in his best-selling novels may be more truth than fiction. The main character of these books (think: Harry Potter) is named after him, and he's suddenly thrown into the center of a shitstorm that includes magic, assassins, and classic literature. <--It makes sense, I swear!
At any rate, I'm enjoying myself so far, and I'm looking forward to the next volume!
I mean, not all of the answers, but enough to make you want to keep going with this title. I had a few a few suspicions that it was nice to get confirmation on, and there were some things that I didn't see coming at all. Good stuff!
Like most everyone else, I was really impressed with the issue that was a Choose Your Own Adventure of Lizzie's origin story. I thought it was neat that you don't get a definitive answer, because it looks as though she's not exactly stable enough to remember what actually happened. There were (I believe) about 4 different major paths you could take, and I really did have a lot of fun going back and forth between the pages. Kudos on the creativity, Mr. Carey!
If you're unfamiliar with this title, the short version is this:
A young man (Tom Taylor) finds out that the fictional world his father wrote about in his best-selling novels may be more truth than fiction. The main character of these books (think: Harry Potter) is named after him, and he's suddenly thrown into the center of a shitstorm that includes magic, assassins, and classic literature. <--It makes sense, I swear!
At any rate, I'm enjoying myself so far, and I'm looking forward to the next volume!
May 12, 2022
The announcement of a new Tommy Taylor book is a ruse to draw the series creator Wilson out, but these forces didn't count on the interference of Tom Taylor and his group; amd to be effective and better informed Tom will have to delve deeper into his, and his father's, pasts. More solid work from Carey and Gross. 8 out of 12.
2017 read; 2013 read
2017 read; 2013 read
January 7, 2020
Tommy is back for another volume. We are learning more of this world and how it works. Tommy is beginning to comprehend that he is more than just a normal human and maybe he is more his dad's character in this story. Lizzie has some surprising back story in the book as well.
There is one issue in this volume that is told like a choose your own adventure book and I did not care for that issue. It was tiring to read and a waste of time. Only my opinion.
I do wonder when Tommy is going to come into his power. He is afraid of who he is still.
I am excited to keep reading this story.
There is one issue in this volume that is told like a choose your own adventure book and I did not care for that issue. It was tiring to read and a waste of time. Only my opinion.
I do wonder when Tommy is going to come into his power. He is afraid of who he is still.
I am excited to keep reading this story.
May 14, 2015
I can't finish this. The series had promise and was quite ingenious in the way classic literature was incorporated into the story. Ultimately, the series suffered from schizophrenia and failed to be coherent. I could not follow the convoluted storyline and lost interest.
February 10, 2017
December 2015: The Unwritten continues with a volume that makes the weird and fictional even more indistinguishable from reality.
Several things are happening all at once here. Tom, Lizzie and Savoy have reappeared in London after their jaunt in "Jud Suss", only three months have gone by in the real world for their mere hours spent in "Jud Suss". Tom is presumed dead in the fire at Donostia prison, and the world is abuzz with the imminent publication of the fourteenth and final Tommy Taylor novel, which appeared mysteriously on the editor's desk in the last volume. Why now? everyone is asking. Will Wilson Taylor be at the book launch? Where has he been for ten years, and what has he been doing? These are answers that Tom is particularly keen to find out as well. He wants all the answers from his father and is determined to go to the book launch, even though he knows it's a trap, for his father or himself, or both. Because yes, the book is a fake. It was written by the leader of the cabal, Callendar, as a strategy to undermine the base of Taylor's power, which comes from all the billions of readers reading and loving his books, their Jungian subconscious creating a literal base of power that can shape the world.
Also going on: Lizzie is having a crisis of identity, and one of the issues in the collection is centered entirely on her backstory, told in a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of way that is as frustrating as it is fun (it's just a little hard to hold a comic book turned sideways like that). Her story sheds light on the ways that fictional characters enter our world, and shows us where she came from and why she's so determined to help Tom. On top of that, Count Ambrosio nee Warden Chadron, has followed them to London and turned Savoy (temporarily?) into a vampire. And the mysterious and threatening Pullman is lurking in the shadows, waiting for Tom and his father to show so he can kill them.
This volume is where The Unwritten really hits its stride. You know what's going on by now, and the mix of literary allusion, underlying themes, and existential crises are mixed perfectly with the actual plot of the story, which takes some tricksy and exciting turns. And really, more than any other comic I've read, I find the writing in this series beautiful and moving. As Paul Cornell says in the introduction for Volume 2, this isn't just a series about literature, it's literature itself.
Now, on to Volume 4, which I remember gets kinda freaky.
April 2011: This series is crazypants smart. Don't read it on an empty stomach or you'll be too stupid to understand it. And, man, I can't say it enough times. The artwork in this thing is stunning, but also (and more importantly), consistent. Everything feels real, which, given the medium and the subject matter, is somewhat ironic. Want Vol. 4 NOW.
Several things are happening all at once here. Tom, Lizzie and Savoy have reappeared in London after their jaunt in "Jud Suss", only three months have gone by in the real world for their mere hours spent in "Jud Suss". Tom is presumed dead in the fire at Donostia prison, and the world is abuzz with the imminent publication of the fourteenth and final Tommy Taylor novel, which appeared mysteriously on the editor's desk in the last volume. Why now? everyone is asking. Will Wilson Taylor be at the book launch? Where has he been for ten years, and what has he been doing? These are answers that Tom is particularly keen to find out as well. He wants all the answers from his father and is determined to go to the book launch, even though he knows it's a trap, for his father or himself, or both. Because yes, the book is a fake. It was written by the leader of the cabal, Callendar, as a strategy to undermine the base of Taylor's power, which comes from all the billions of readers reading and loving his books, their Jungian subconscious creating a literal base of power that can shape the world.
Also going on: Lizzie is having a crisis of identity, and one of the issues in the collection is centered entirely on her backstory, told in a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of way that is as frustrating as it is fun (it's just a little hard to hold a comic book turned sideways like that). Her story sheds light on the ways that fictional characters enter our world, and shows us where she came from and why she's so determined to help Tom. On top of that, Count Ambrosio nee Warden Chadron, has followed them to London and turned Savoy (temporarily?) into a vampire. And the mysterious and threatening Pullman is lurking in the shadows, waiting for Tom and his father to show so he can kill them.
This volume is where The Unwritten really hits its stride. You know what's going on by now, and the mix of literary allusion, underlying themes, and existential crises are mixed perfectly with the actual plot of the story, which takes some tricksy and exciting turns. And really, more than any other comic I've read, I find the writing in this series beautiful and moving. As Paul Cornell says in the introduction for Volume 2, this isn't just a series about literature, it's literature itself.
Now, on to Volume 4, which I remember gets kinda freaky.
April 2011: This series is crazypants smart. Don't read it on an empty stomach or you'll be too stupid to understand it. And, man, I can't say it enough times. The artwork in this thing is stunning, but also (and more importantly), consistent. Everything feels real, which, given the medium and the subject matter, is somewhat ironic. Want Vol. 4 NOW.
May 30, 2019
Continues to be fun!
March 27, 2014
I think I like the direction this seems to be going in now. Many of the plot threads from the previous volume have been wrapped up, or seem to have been wrapped up, with some new ones to keep momentum up. The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style of Lizzie's origin was cool, clever, and a good reflection of what was going on in her own head. But I always did love Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. It was easy enough for me to explore every path, because there's a lot of overlapping. Trying to read it straight through is probably a terrible idea, for the record.
One place where I lost my willing suspension of disbelief: the actual 14th Tommy Taylor book is awful, judging by the excerpts we're given. I can't imagine an actual book written in this style, with such a literally messianic character, would be well-received at all. I'm trying to take it as further proof that Wilson was working some interesting kinds of literary magic when writing it, because it is so hard to accept it as a legitimately beloved book.
One place where I lost my willing suspension of disbelief: the actual 14th Tommy Taylor book is awful, judging by the excerpts we're given. I can't imagine an actual book written in this style, with such a literally messianic character, would be well-received at all. I'm trying to take it as further proof that Wilson was working some interesting kinds of literary magic when writing it, because it is so hard to accept it as a legitimately beloved book.
July 24, 2011
Despite the Our Mutual Friend (one of my favorite books) connection, I didn't like this installment nearly as much as the first two. That's probably because I never cared for the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books (my youngest brother read some of them), which is the well-done 'gimmick' in the middle of this book. I didn't follow the directions, but read the pages straight through, just as I was instructed not to do, but doing otherwise would've driven me batty. There's also one big unanswered question I have (not related to the "Choose Your Own ... " story) and I'm not sure it's something that will be addressed in a future issue.
March 31, 2022
The shadowy cabal makes a move, forcing Wilson out from the shadows. There’s a very excellent choose-your-own-adventure issue that’s double the size by splitting pages in half, all about Lizzie’s backstory. More reveals than anything previous, and one or two plot tangents are closed entirely (AFAI remember).
The concept of a liminal, physical space for both the mark a story has on culture and history, while also putting a different importance on the relationships to stories, is such a fantastic device and commentary. Fertile ground the series builds on, I happen to know. Such a fun and excellent re-read, knowing what comes in the very next issue.
The concept of a liminal, physical space for both the mark a story has on culture and history, while also putting a different importance on the relationships to stories, is such a fantastic device and commentary. Fertile ground the series builds on, I happen to know. Such a fun and excellent re-read, knowing what comes in the very next issue.
February 8, 2015
This 3rd volume is where the story really starts to take off! Don't get me wrong - the first two volumes were chock full of 'HELL YEAH,' but it's in this third arc where, as the reader, you discover that you have to be alert and pay attention to what's going on. This story is smart. You can't be dumb.
Also...CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!! What? Awesome! I loved how we finally got the goods on Lizzie Hexam and it was presented to us as a Which Way book. Lotta fun to read - but brutal on my physical TPB. Fucking gutter loss, reading those horizontal pages made it pretty much impossible to not crack the spine a little.
I freaking love how many layers this story has going on in it. This is my second time reading this volume (I think after the next volume I will finally be into the books I have not yet read) and there were still tiny little things that I hadn't absorbed from my first read through.
All the characters really start fleshing themselves out in this one. I fucking love Pullman as a villain and I hate Callendar appropriately. The Count also steps up his bad-assness which makes for an interesting plot twist, and really, there is so much going on with all these arch-type bad dudes that I'm still trying to piece it all together.
Don't even get me started on Savoy and Lizzie. I love them both! They are the perfect Sue and Peter for Tommy! I love the changes made in Savoy - I can't wait to see how that all evolves, and now that we have a better grasp on Lizzie, I'm sure a curveball is going to be coming along to mess all that up as well.
The Unwritten is a damn fine comic book and with the end of the epic journey looming closer every day (final issue is sometime this year I think) I am beyond excited to see how Mike Carey plans on wrapping everything up! Still, I'ma not rush myself. I have a hell of a lot of story to catch up on before I have to worry about not having any left to read!
July 18, 2014
I preferred this to the last volume. I am still undecided whether I like this series as a whole. Good and bad. I love the literary nods and the concept of metafiction. How can I not as such a bibliophile? I find the imagination of this series infectious, but there is a lot of meanness with the storyline and the characters.
I feel a lot of sympathy for both Tom and Lizzie. They are both being manipulated by grand masters at the game. Lizzie is both better off in that she has more understanding of the situation than Tom, but worse off because of how she was used as a pawn. Her origins are pretty intriguing, in fact.
I liked the "Choose Your Own Adventure" part of the collection, but I couldn't figure out how to get past page 35, so I gave up and just read it panel by panel. Shame on me, veteran Choose Your Own Adventure book-reader.
The bad guys in this are truly evil, and I don't mean Count Ambrosio. The mustache guy, man I despise him. Waiting for him to be "written off," permanently. The rest are more of the corporate cabal type of evil (don't get their hands dirty themselves).
Tom is slowly gaining awareness of his situation and starting to realize he has power to shape his next steps in the battle against the Cabal his father sacrificed everything to fight. He also has two friends on his side, much like his literary counterpart, Tommy.
I'll keep reading.
I feel a lot of sympathy for both Tom and Lizzie. They are both being manipulated by grand masters at the game. Lizzie is both better off in that she has more understanding of the situation than Tom, but worse off because of how she was used as a pawn. Her origins are pretty intriguing, in fact.
I liked the "Choose Your Own Adventure" part of the collection, but I couldn't figure out how to get past page 35, so I gave up and just read it panel by panel. Shame on me, veteran Choose Your Own Adventure book-reader.
The bad guys in this are truly evil, and I don't mean Count Ambrosio. The mustache guy, man I despise him. Waiting for him to be "written off," permanently. The rest are more of the corporate cabal type of evil (don't get their hands dirty themselves).
Tom is slowly gaining awareness of his situation and starting to realize he has power to shape his next steps in the battle against the Cabal his father sacrificed everything to fight. He also has two friends on his side, much like his literary counterpart, Tommy.
I'll keep reading.
March 7, 2018
This series continues to be really great, but this volume gets ...eh, let's say a 3.5 rounded down to a 3 for two reasons that, while annoying to me, might have no bearing on your enjoyment whatsoever.
The first is that one of the issues is a choose your own adventure style book about Lizzie's past. I am psyched that we got an issue all about Lizzie, but I hate choose your own adventure and also it just does NOT work when I'm reading this digitally. I cannot flip to page 50 then back to page 9 then ahead to page 29 then etc etc, it's just entirely too much. So I just read that issue front to back and while I was able to keep the two different possible backstories straight, it was just annoying to have to deal with it at all.
The second thing was the whole Messiah archetype thing and while I totally understand why it's there and necessary ...it also gave me horrible Chronicles of Narnia flashbacks so I was rolling my eyes a bit [we get it! the lion is Jesus! let me live my life, Lewis! I was not a CoN fan to say the least]. But everything other than that was interesting and it's nice to finally be getting answers on a few things.
The first is that one of the issues is a choose your own adventure style book about Lizzie's past. I am psyched that we got an issue all about Lizzie, but I hate choose your own adventure and also it just does NOT work when I'm reading this digitally. I cannot flip to page 50 then back to page 9 then ahead to page 29 then etc etc, it's just entirely too much. So I just read that issue front to back and while I was able to keep the two different possible backstories straight, it was just annoying to have to deal with it at all.
The second thing was the whole Messiah archetype thing and while I totally understand why it's there and necessary ...it also gave me horrible Chronicles of Narnia flashbacks so I was rolling my eyes a bit [we get it! the lion is Jesus! let me live my life, Lewis! I was not a CoN fan to say the least]. But everything other than that was interesting and it's nice to finally be getting answers on a few things.
January 10, 2024
The ingenuity and skill of this series continues to boggle my mind. Are you a reader? Read it. Read it. Read it.
a quote from the intro, by Steven Hall:
Most people don't have the first idea about the true power of stories. I'm sure you know this. I'm sure you do, because you're a reader - you're reading this book right now. You're bound to know a thing or two about it.
Maybe you're the woman on the train who doesn't ever let the raised eyebrows of grey-looking office workers put her off her comic books. Maybe you're the kid at high school who gets teased for always having his nose buried in a Stephen King. Maybe you're a writer, like me, who was always being told, "When are you going to grow up and do something useful with your life?"
It doesn't matter which one you are, just that you're one of us. You're clued in. You know what they don't. You know how it all works. Or at least, you will soon, if you keep reading this book.
It's a sad fact that most people can't even spot a story when they see one. Most people don't know that stories aren't confined by the covers of books or by half-hour slots on TV. The world is made of stories. The world is driven by stories. When a sunburned-friend tells you about their holiday, it's not a straight list of everything that happened to them - it's a story, an anecdote with a plot, a beginning, a middle and an end. Each one of their holiday snaps is a story too. When you're making a decision, and you imagine the possible outcomes - what are you doing if not telling yourself a story? History is a story. Society is a story. Countries are stories. Your plans are stories. Your desires are stories. Your own memories are stories - narratives selected, trimmed and packaged by the hidden machinery in your mind. Human beings are story engines. We have to be - to understand stories is to understand the world.
a quote from the intro, by Steven Hall:
Most people don't have the first idea about the true power of stories. I'm sure you know this. I'm sure you do, because you're a reader - you're reading this book right now. You're bound to know a thing or two about it.
Maybe you're the woman on the train who doesn't ever let the raised eyebrows of grey-looking office workers put her off her comic books. Maybe you're the kid at high school who gets teased for always having his nose buried in a Stephen King. Maybe you're a writer, like me, who was always being told, "When are you going to grow up and do something useful with your life?"
It doesn't matter which one you are, just that you're one of us. You're clued in. You know what they don't. You know how it all works. Or at least, you will soon, if you keep reading this book.
It's a sad fact that most people can't even spot a story when they see one. Most people don't know that stories aren't confined by the covers of books or by half-hour slots on TV. The world is made of stories. The world is driven by stories. When a sunburned-friend tells you about their holiday, it's not a straight list of everything that happened to them - it's a story, an anecdote with a plot, a beginning, a middle and an end. Each one of their holiday snaps is a story too. When you're making a decision, and you imagine the possible outcomes - what are you doing if not telling yourself a story? History is a story. Society is a story. Countries are stories. Your plans are stories. Your desires are stories. Your own memories are stories - narratives selected, trimmed and packaged by the hidden machinery in your mind. Human beings are story engines. We have to be - to understand stories is to understand the world.
July 17, 2011
It starts out a confusing read - lots of secondary characters to keep track of/remember from the previous volumes, and sideways references to happenings/literary devices that I'm sure I'm not following. This series begs a re-read all at once.
I truly enjoyed the choose-your-own-adventure story in the middle. Not only does it give you a taste of where Lizzie's head must be, but also plays out her origin in a fun and Memento-like way. Re-reading the story non-linearly was an extra bonus, and the tale that plays out is at once weird and inspiring, so that by the end I can't wait to see where they're headed next. This is just getting good!
I truly enjoyed the choose-your-own-adventure story in the middle. Not only does it give you a taste of where Lizzie's head must be, but also plays out her origin in a fun and Memento-like way. Re-reading the story non-linearly was an extra bonus, and the tale that plays out is at once weird and inspiring, so that by the end I can't wait to see where they're headed next. This is just getting good!
April 7, 2011
Something happened with this series after the first dozen issues -- it went, somehow, from a fascinating exploration of the relationship between fiction and reality (personified by the Harry Pottereseque Tommy Taylor) and became just another weird, magical, deadly, but not wildly original Vertigo series.
It's not bad, mind you. Carey can definitley write, and Peter Gross does his usual fine workman's job on the art. But the story's gotten too busy, too many parties involved, too much bloody action taking place, and ... well, just not ringing my chimes.
I'll probably not pick up the next collection. A shame, that.
It's not bad, mind you. Carey can definitley write, and Peter Gross does his usual fine workman's job on the art. But the story's gotten too busy, too many parties involved, too much bloody action taking place, and ... well, just not ringing my chimes.
I'll probably not pick up the next collection. A shame, that.
July 8, 2016
The "choose your own" adventure section in the middle was SO annoying. It makes no sense to me that a book that's been told straightforwardly this whole time would suddenly have those elements. Choose your own adventures should be stand-alone books, not randomly thrown in the middle of a story. I want to know what actually happened, not 1000 possibilities of what could've happened.
The rest of the plot is also getting to be too confusing and all-over-the-place for me. Complexity in a plot is nice, but there is a fine line between just enough and too much. I may try one or two more in the series because I really liked the first two, but this one really frustrated me.
The rest of the plot is also getting to be too confusing and all-over-the-place for me. Complexity in a plot is nice, but there is a fine line between just enough and too much. I may try one or two more in the series because I really liked the first two, but this one really frustrated me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2011
The whole Tom/Tommy Taylor story appears on the surface to be a riff off of J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. The whole story is much more than that, and writer Mike Carey (of the Felix Catsor novels) is beginning to tread deeper into the realm of metafiction. As in the impact of stories on our lives. We finally meet Wilson, Tom's father, and we do get some explanation as to why Tom and the Tommy Taylor books are important. While much is left unresolved this remains a fulfilling read.
December 31, 2016
Volume 3 continues referencing literature and finally gives a tiny exposure to the unwritten.
This volume is stronger than the second with Tommy coming to terms with his legacy, importance of stories in our lives and slowly discovering the value of friendship.
This isn't Harry Potter for the adults. Its far darker, a lot messier and not as entertaining, unfortunately.
This volume is stronger than the second with Tommy coming to terms with his legacy, importance of stories in our lives and slowly discovering the value of friendship.
This isn't Harry Potter for the adults. Its far darker, a lot messier and not as entertaining, unfortunately.
August 27, 2012
So good! I wish more people read graphic novels - they're willing to experiment and expand the boundaries of fiction in such extraordinary ways. I can't wait o see where the story will travel to next!
April 27, 2017
More 3.5 for me. The Lizzie chapter was really cool and creative.
August 17, 2018
The “Choose You Own Adventure” portion of this book alone made it worth reading.
November 12, 2019
DNF- This Story is incredibly complex and while I’m very interested in how it finishes up, I’m not interested enough to finish this as a graphic novel series. I think I’d love this as a novel.
June 18, 2022
Last volume had one of the antagonists stuck forever in a Pooh-like world. As Rabbit of course. This time there is a choose your own adventure. We finally get the back story of the mysterious woman sidekick.... sort of.
Still along for the ride and laughing. I'm not used to reading many series, so I find these somewhat hard to review. Overall, recommending the series far and wide. Please don't make me regret it 🤣
Still along for the ride and laughing. I'm not used to reading many series, so I find these somewhat hard to review. Overall, recommending the series far and wide. Please don't make me regret it 🤣
September 9, 2014
4.5 stars!
By far my favorite Unwritten volume. From the introduction to the last page I was very much attached to the story. Not as heart wrenching as the last one but still my sympathy was needed for Lizzie. I don't know what to think about Wilson and the path he has created for his "characters". Was what he did to Lizzie / for Lizzie the right decision? The "choose your own adventure" part was fantastic. What a great way to switch things up and get the reader even more involved in the story. I happened to choose all the "right" paths and didn't get much of the backstory the first time through so I was excited to do it again to see the other outcomes.
Many of the questions that I had about the previous volumes were answered in this one and I am happy with the direction that the plot seems to be heading it. This series is a big guilty pleasure for me because I loved the Harry Potter series and this is sort of a continuation for me with all the Rowling references. I just can't get enough.
The only complaint I had about this volume is the content of the 14th Tommy Taylor book. Being reborn again as a messiah so now all those who suffer may be reborn again though...Tommy Taylor? Yeah...I don't think so. We already have a world renown book with that plot. It's called the Bible. And based on todays society it is very unbelievable that a novel with that plot would be loved and cherished by the teen generation.
By far my favorite Unwritten volume. From the introduction to the last page I was very much attached to the story. Not as heart wrenching as the last one but still my sympathy was needed for Lizzie. I don't know what to think about Wilson and the path he has created for his "characters". Was what he did to Lizzie / for Lizzie the right decision? The "choose your own adventure" part was fantastic. What a great way to switch things up and get the reader even more involved in the story. I happened to choose all the "right" paths and didn't get much of the backstory the first time through so I was excited to do it again to see the other outcomes.
Many of the questions that I had about the previous volumes were answered in this one and I am happy with the direction that the plot seems to be heading it. This series is a big guilty pleasure for me because I loved the Harry Potter series and this is sort of a continuation for me with all the Rowling references. I just can't get enough.
The only complaint I had about this volume is the content of the 14th Tommy Taylor book. Being reborn again as a messiah so now all those who suffer may be reborn again though...Tommy Taylor? Yeah...I don't think so. We already have a world renown book with that plot. It's called the Bible. And based on todays society it is very unbelievable that a novel with that plot would be loved and cherished by the teen generation.
November 17, 2014
Another fun volume, a lot of time spent on Lizzie Hexam/Jane Waxman, but never at the expense of the overall plotline. There is a choose your own adventure style issue which gives Lizzie's background and surprisingly it wasn't a mess. Perhaps I should have had more confidence in Carey and Gross, but I have to admit that I couldn't see how it would work without either offering almost no choices, or resulting in such widely divergent stories that it would be really annoying as a reader. Instead there are enough choices for the gimmick to work without feeling cheap and yet the paths that lead through the issue funnel you through the same key events (even referencing thins you missed from the other choice in some instances, for example as background noise in a panel) so that the essential elements of the story are the same. In fact instead of being disappointed I found my self reading it multiple times to get as much information as possible. An excellent volume with the return of the "sweary" rabbit in the last issue.
July 31, 2011
Anybody on Goodreads obviously cares about stories, whether they provide an alternate world for your brain to reside in for awhile, tell you about a historical event or educate you about how to fix a toilet, illuminate people's experiences in beautiful, brutal, or uplifting ways, or just provide an hour or two of amusement. Stories matter, whether people get them from books or not, but reading and the writing of stories has its own power.
The Unwritten knows this deeply, this obvious truth that we all take for granted: the world is made up of stories. Why are some stories told, accepted, and believed over others? Does someone control those stories? Does the world exist as we believe it exists< Are we telling our own story or just acting out a character penned by another?
Maybe all these questions won't get answered in this series, but the story so far is fantastic, intelligent, exciting, and, at times, as good as anything I've ever read.
Highly recommended.
The Unwritten knows this deeply, this obvious truth that we all take for granted: the world is made up of stories. Why are some stories told, accepted, and believed over others? Does someone control those stories? Does the world exist as we believe it exists< Are we telling our own story or just acting out a character penned by another?
Maybe all these questions won't get answered in this series, but the story so far is fantastic, intelligent, exciting, and, at times, as good as anything I've ever read.
Highly recommended.
May 24, 2011
This collection concentrates on the main plot around Tom(my) Taylor unfortunately without actually moving forward a lot. We do not learn anything new (at least nothing really important) about either Tom(my) Taylor's identity and past or the workings of the cabal. Yes, we do get to see some interesting rituals and we do learn something about Lizzie. But where the other collections featured outstanding single issue story-arcs that helped flesh-out the fictional universe, these are sadly missing here. What raises this above average though, is the issue with the Pick-a-Story-Book about Lizzie, which I liked very much.
May 8, 2011
This installment definitely stretched my mind a bit. A lot of questions are answered - sort of - but it done so cryptically I am still totally confused as to what is happening overall. I just had to put aside this confusion and keep reading. If I tried to figure it out to far I just got even more confused. So at this point I am going on faith that eventually I understand it all!
What made this volume insanely awesome though was that one chapter was a "pick your own story" scenario. At the end of each panel you had to decide what the characters were doing and jump to that page. I loved these types of stories when I was a kid and it was a fantastic surprise as I was reading!
What made this volume insanely awesome though was that one chapter was a "pick your own story" scenario. At the end of each panel you had to decide what the characters were doing and jump to that page. I loved these types of stories when I was a kid and it was a fantastic surprise as I was reading!
February 9, 2017
I think this one might be the best so far, it had a nice even pace and was a lot less wordy than previous books. One of the issues is a 'choose your own ending'type of format that was entertaining but a little deceptive since there are really only 2 endings and one of them is ridiculously short and would leave the reader confused, I'm assuming the author expects that if you get the crappy short ending you go back. So really it's more of a choose the middle of the story, either way it was cool.
The true magic of this story is how they get away with looking like they are answering the reader's questions but really they aren't. Again, I'm okay with that, I like open-ended.
The true magic of this story is how they get away with looking like they are answering the reader's questions but really they aren't. Again, I'm okay with that, I like open-ended.
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December 15, 2014
This volume is BRILLIANT! The fake "Tommy Taylor" novel which forms a major plot point now is as truly, deeply terrible as the characters say it is. In the actual story, it is said to include "charmless steals from Rowling, Gaiman, Wynne Jones and Uncle Tom Cobley"; the excerpts of the novel we are given contain HILARIOUSLY unsubtle references and tropes lifted from Moorcock, Pullman (also the name of a brutal, charmless character in the actual story!), Baum, and Tolkien! Even "Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace" and (i suspect) "Mage: The Acension".
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