Review by Adana Gardner Marfield
It’s Halloween time! Whether you’re embroiled in “Jason vs. Freddy” debates, or you’re finding that It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is more your speed, there are plenty of classic movie options to keep you feeling festive. For many, including me, spooky season would not be complete without a viewing of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. But what are you reading to celebrate the season this year? For me, It’s Kiana Medina’s She Is My Darkness He Is My Light.
Beyond the intriguing title, this book is as curious as it is simple and fun. Meeting the characters referenced in the title, Lord Life and Lady Death, is like meeting TNBC‘s Jack and Sally again. These unique characters are immediately iconic, sure to become as ingrained in our culture as Tim Burton’s seminal creations. Though Medina created the duo in 2019, they feel comforting and familiar, as if they’ve always existed.
The book is a simple, easy read with 11 short chapters in an 8.5″ x 11″ format. It contains 80 pages with large type and several hand-drawn illustrations. Though written for a young-adult audience, this sweet story can be enjoyed at any age. Those with younger readers should know that the brief love scene is written discreetly and tastefully.
Though the story (simple, fun, and episodic) stands on its own, this book is more about the characters themselves and the stories they begin to weave in the reader’s imagination. I am excited to see the role this iconic duo will take on in our culture. What traditions will they inspire? What form will their movie adaptation take — claymation, animated, or live action?
It’s only a matter of time before we see a couple of teens on Halloween, one with their body painted with vines, the other wearing a cloak, calavera makeup, and a corset with crosses. What a great moment in Halloween iconography this will be.
Medina’s dedication tells you all you need to know about her characters and her personality. It reads, “Dedicated to all of those who do not fit into society’s cookie-cutter mold… Normal is just way too boring. Unique is more fun!” I couldn’t agree more.
She Is My Darkness He Is My Light is on sale for Halloween at $5.98 on Amazon. Get a copy, support a young artist, and set your imagination free!
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