Graphic Novel Review - 'Pilu of the Woods' by Mai K. Nguyen

A lovely, sweet, sad, raw and heartfelt little all-ages graphic novel.

'Pilu of the Woods' could easily be a Cartoon Saloon film - there is a lot here that reminds me of 'The Secret of Kells', especially. A bit of 'Where the Wild Things Are', 'Bridge to Terabithia', and 'A Monster Calls' also come to mind.

It's the coming-of-age story of a young, grief-stricken tomboy named Willow, who goes to her favourite place, her escape - the woods near her home - after a fight at school, and a fight with her older sister at her house. It's in these woods where she meets a lost child forest spirit named Pilu. Willow sets out to take Pilu back home, determined to save her - and herself, from her own inner monsters. This symbolises Willow projecting her own feelings of loss and loneliness, and trying to fix her broken family and home, on her own.

'Pilu' explores themes and issues of grief, dealing with emotions in a healthy way, emotional instability, family connection and love, appreciating your loved ones, friendship, the woods and the wonders of nature, and how hard life is for a child - a lonely child, burdened with, and internalising, so much.

You'll learn a lot from reading 'Pilu of the Woods', and not only about plants, flowers, trees, mushrooms, fairy rings, and recipes (like mushroom rice!).

Mother Nature has more than one meaning in this story.

The art is gorgeous, adorable, rustic, dramatic, and suits the graphic novel brilliantly.

I had read and liked Mai K. Nguyen's latest work, 'Anzu and the Realm of Darkness', and I'm glad I finally checked out her previous book, which has made its mark in the graphic novel world.

The moral of 'Pilu of the Woods' is:

Bottling up your emotions, like anger and sadness, and grief and guilt, and trying to ignore them and keep them to yourself, never makes them go away. It makes them worse. It will make you miserable, irritable, and lost and helpless; even lash out eventually, like a stoppered volcano. You can't run from your feelings, for they are a part of you. It is not being kind to yourself, nor is it forgiving yourself, if you avoid confronting them. Calm down, and listen to them. Being a child who is carrying all this weight, all this pain, all these memories and broken promises, all by their lonesome, is especially harmful.

Be kind to yourself and others. Open up to your loved ones, and trust that they will understand you and what you are going through. That they love you. And the people you love and have lost are never really gone, as long as you remember them, and keep on loving them.

It's difficult, seemingly impossible. But it will get better. For life moves on, moves forward. You should never be alone in your suffering.

Plus, 'Pilu' has a cute dog in it!

It is iconic, as well as very sad and harrowing, yet uplifting and hopeful by the end.

What a woodsy, flowery, shroomy (not a word, I know), rainy, beautiful, pygmy-mole's-star-nose of a comic.

Final Score: 3.5/5