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The Deep Dark
From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator, comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic.
Everyone has secrets. Mags’s has teeth.
Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine makeouts with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there’s her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out -- like it did once before.
So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, bringing vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future, and a secret of her own. Mags won’t get attached, of course. She’s always been strong enough to survive without anyone’s help.
But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to drag her secret into the daylight, and choose between risking everything... or having nothing left to lose.
Everyone has secrets. Mags’s has teeth.
Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine makeouts with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there’s her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out -- like it did once before.
So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, bringing vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future, and a secret of her own. Mags won’t get attached, of course. She’s always been strong enough to survive without anyone’s help.
But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to drag her secret into the daylight, and choose between risking everything... or having nothing left to lose.
480 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2024
About the author
Molly Knox Ostertag
18 books2,139 followersI grew up in the forests of upstate New York, where I spent the first half of my childhood reading about fantastical adventures and the second half acting them out with foam swords at a live action roleplaying camp . I graduated in 2014 from the School of Visual Arts, where I studied cartooning and illustration, and I currently live in Los Angeles. My artistic interests include women in fiction, fantasy and sci fi, superheroes, and history.
I illustrate a twice weekly webcomic called Strong Female Protagonist with co-creator Brennan Lee Mulligan, which was listed as one of io9's Best New and Short Webcomics when it launched in 2012. I ran a successful Kickstarter in the summer of 2014 to print the first volume, which was distributed by Top Shelf comics and is now available in stores and online.
I'm currently working on a graphic novel with First Second named Shattered Warrior, coming out in Spring 2017.
I illustrate a twice weekly webcomic called Strong Female Protagonist with co-creator Brennan Lee Mulligan, which was listed as one of io9's Best New and Short Webcomics when it launched in 2012. I ran a successful Kickstarter in the summer of 2014 to print the first volume, which was distributed by Top Shelf comics and is now available in stores and online.
I'm currently working on a graphic novel with First Second named Shattered Warrior, coming out in Spring 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
June 7, 2024
*taps mic*
I NEED EVERYONES ATTENTION THIS IS NOT A DRILL Molly Knox Ostertag has a NEW graphic novel and It is beautifully illustrated, it is indeed deeply dark, it is super queer, and most importantly it is absolutely astonishingly good!
For real, this might be the best we’ve seen yet from her and that is saying something because The Witch Boy series was more or less a masterpiece and The Girl From the Sea has enough warm, cute feelings to melt even the coldest heart. The Deep Dark plunges readers in the California desert where a dark secret keeps Mags detached from a social life and pulls her childhood friend, Nessa, back to the hometown bothered by what is either a childhood fever dream or a horrific memory stained in blood. Aging the characters up from her typical coming-of-age tales, Ostertag takes on grittier subject matter in a story that is still very much about accepting and embracing one’s true self amidst the many monster the world may throw at us. The Deep Dark is a deeply moving and haunting look at the crushing weight of duty and secrets, generational trauma, identity, comings out and tension between friendship and love.
As always, Molly Knox Ostertag delivers eye-popping art that conveys an incredible sense of emotion and place. There’s some cool experimental stuff like inclusion of actual photographs and a really intense scene that conveys a fascinating duality of how the character is reacting in reality and how it is coming across in their own head that I just want to stand up and applaud for.
I love Ostertag's artwork and she has a very identifiable character design that really shines and gets a lot of emotion across. There is limited use of color here, mostly used to denote flashbacks or singular colors to make key elements pop and it is delightful to look at. I found the use of color for flashbacks instead of the present to be an interesting choice that flips the expectations on graphic novel formatting. Though it also shows the past as a brighter place whereas the present is plunging into darkness.
Something else I found engaging is all the different styles of coloring and art that Ostertag weaves together here and how they enhance the emotional resonance of their scenes by adding a bit of a visual texture that stands out from the rest of the story. This is a very emotionally charged story and you can feel it in every aspect of the art.
The story follows Mags, a queer young woman struggling with a dark family legacy as well as the sole care for her dying grandmother, and Nessa, a trans woman who has returned to seek out Mags. Accompanied with her pinhole camera, she hopes to create art with an imperfect medium to capture imperfect memories, though as the two begin to stroll down memory lane the darkness of the past begins to overtake them. This is a story of characters caught juggling the secrets they carry, both their own and the secrets of others that come either willingly or as burdens. This is also a story about being unsure whether to flee or stand one’s ground, in life or in love, and it seems everyone has their own form of monster on the prowl for them.
The present is haunted by the past across these pages in ways that address both personal and generational traumas. What really works is seeing how much coping strategies and emotional scars inform interpersonal relationships and we see how in order to care for others one must also remember to care for themselves. Fear of ones own demons getting out becomes a snake eating its own tail situation, though here the demons are much more than simply metaphorical.
The Deep Dark is exceptional and we find the cast of characters struggling with their past as well as their present in ways that are often as dynamically metaphoric as they are menacing. Secrets and sadness lurk in every decision but while the story lives up to its title of being deep and dark, there are also warm bursts of hope that keep the story going and the tension building. A very nuanced and emotional read with wonderful representation and narrative, The Deep Dark might just be the best graphic novel of the year.
5/5
I NEED EVERYONES ATTENTION THIS IS NOT A DRILL Molly Knox Ostertag has a NEW graphic novel and It is beautifully illustrated, it is indeed deeply dark, it is super queer, and most importantly it is absolutely astonishingly good!
For real, this might be the best we’ve seen yet from her and that is saying something because The Witch Boy series was more or less a masterpiece and The Girl From the Sea has enough warm, cute feelings to melt even the coldest heart. The Deep Dark plunges readers in the California desert where a dark secret keeps Mags detached from a social life and pulls her childhood friend, Nessa, back to the hometown bothered by what is either a childhood fever dream or a horrific memory stained in blood. Aging the characters up from her typical coming-of-age tales, Ostertag takes on grittier subject matter in a story that is still very much about accepting and embracing one’s true self amidst the many monster the world may throw at us. The Deep Dark is a deeply moving and haunting look at the crushing weight of duty and secrets, generational trauma, identity, comings out and tension between friendship and love.
As always, Molly Knox Ostertag delivers eye-popping art that conveys an incredible sense of emotion and place. There’s some cool experimental stuff like inclusion of actual photographs and a really intense scene that conveys a fascinating duality of how the character is reacting in reality and how it is coming across in their own head that I just want to stand up and applaud for.
I love Ostertag's artwork and she has a very identifiable character design that really shines and gets a lot of emotion across. There is limited use of color here, mostly used to denote flashbacks or singular colors to make key elements pop and it is delightful to look at. I found the use of color for flashbacks instead of the present to be an interesting choice that flips the expectations on graphic novel formatting. Though it also shows the past as a brighter place whereas the present is plunging into darkness.
Something else I found engaging is all the different styles of coloring and art that Ostertag weaves together here and how they enhance the emotional resonance of their scenes by adding a bit of a visual texture that stands out from the rest of the story. This is a very emotionally charged story and you can feel it in every aspect of the art.
The story follows Mags, a queer young woman struggling with a dark family legacy as well as the sole care for her dying grandmother, and Nessa, a trans woman who has returned to seek out Mags. Accompanied with her pinhole camera, she hopes to create art with an imperfect medium to capture imperfect memories, though as the two begin to stroll down memory lane the darkness of the past begins to overtake them. This is a story of characters caught juggling the secrets they carry, both their own and the secrets of others that come either willingly or as burdens. This is also a story about being unsure whether to flee or stand one’s ground, in life or in love, and it seems everyone has their own form of monster on the prowl for them.
The present is haunted by the past across these pages in ways that address both personal and generational traumas. What really works is seeing how much coping strategies and emotional scars inform interpersonal relationships and we see how in order to care for others one must also remember to care for themselves. Fear of ones own demons getting out becomes a snake eating its own tail situation, though here the demons are much more than simply metaphorical.
The Deep Dark is exceptional and we find the cast of characters struggling with their past as well as their present in ways that are often as dynamically metaphoric as they are menacing. Secrets and sadness lurk in every decision but while the story lives up to its title of being deep and dark, there are also warm bursts of hope that keep the story going and the tension building. A very nuanced and emotional read with wonderful representation and narrative, The Deep Dark might just be the best graphic novel of the year.
5/5
June 6, 2024
Oh to have a physical manifestation of the darkest parts of you that the woman you love will feed and teach you to accept
June 5, 2024
not the author's note making me cry, Molly never ever misses
August 2, 2024
This YA graphic novel was so so good: story, characters, concept, and art. Magdalena "Mags" Herrerra is only a senior in high school, but she's basically functioning as an adult (taking care of her disabled abuela, working a part time job), with a paranormal horror twist: there's a bloodthirsty monster living in her basement, tied to her life, that she has to feed from her hand everyday. The art is amazing, especially the strategic use of colour. I also loved the butch lesbian for bi trans femme romance subplot!
September 28, 2024
This was exceptional. Mags, a recent high school graduate, lives a carefully controlled life. She cares for her aging grandmother, she works her restaurant shifts, she doesn't party, she doesn't let anyone get too close, even the girl she's sleeping with, who has a boyfriend. Also, she's feeding a dangerous secret, something fanged and strange that lives in the dark. Then Mags' careful routine is disrupted when a friend from childhood, Nessa, turns to the little town outside Joshua Tree where they both grew up. Nessa is being chased by a darkness of her own, and wants answers about a confusing childhood memory. The storytelling, the page layouts, the mixed use of color and black and white, all combined to build such delicious tension in this queer horror tale. Highly recommend!
September 2, 2024
You're all fired for not telling me how good this is. I finished all ~500 pages in one sitting and sobbed.
Ultimately, this is a story about accepting and loving the darkest, angriest parts of yourself—and allowing other people to love you in your entirety.
This is a new favourite.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
Ultimately, this is a story about accepting and loving the darkest, angriest parts of yourself—and allowing other people to love you in your entirety.
This is a new favourite.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
September 14, 2024
”Everyone has a secret, Mags’s has teeth.”
A queer story with a monstrous edge? I absolutely adored The Deep Dark! Mags and Nessa are such well-written, well-developed, and loveable characters. You just want the best for them under the most extraordinary of circumstances.
“Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate from high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her sick grandmother, working a part-time job, clandestine make-out sessions with a girl who has a boyfriend.
And then there's her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out —like it did once before.
When Nessa, Mag's childhood friend, comes back to town, vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future and her own secret emerge. Mags is determined to stay away, not get attached, and survive on her own. But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags has to drag her secret into the daylight and choose between risking everything ... or having nothing left to lose.”
5 Stars
A queer story with a monstrous edge? I absolutely adored The Deep Dark! Mags and Nessa are such well-written, well-developed, and loveable characters. You just want the best for them under the most extraordinary of circumstances.
“Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate from high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her sick grandmother, working a part-time job, clandestine make-out sessions with a girl who has a boyfriend.
And then there's her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out —like it did once before.
When Nessa, Mag's childhood friend, comes back to town, vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future and her own secret emerge. Mags is determined to stay away, not get attached, and survive on her own. But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags has to drag her secret into the daylight and choose between risking everything ... or having nothing left to lose.”
5 Stars
April 6, 2024
Absolutely brilliant story about grief, guilt and overcoming your inner demons.
February 21, 2024
I received an ARC of this book, so unfortunately didn't get to enjoy it in its full color glory - I'll just have to buy the final version when it comes out. XD
WOOF this was amazing and also reached into my chest a bit. You can read a lot into various aspects of this story, especially Mags' secret. I think in this way this book can mean a lot of things for different people, and I think that's fantastic. I am still thinking about it after finishing it. It deals with generational trauma, familial and romantic relationships (both healthy and unhealthy), metaphorical closets and coming out, self-sabotage, what it's like to be young and queer/trans, and how all of these things affect us. This story has a lot to say, and it does it magnificently. It's hard to even write a concise review because there's so many LAYERS. The fantastical elements in this are very much there as metaphors with deeper meanings and are woven throughout in a brilliant way. I fell in love with the characters, especially Nessa. I want her to be real. I fucking loved this story. Read it; you'll be glad you did.
WOOF this was amazing and also reached into my chest a bit. You can read a lot into various aspects of this story, especially Mags' secret. I think in this way this book can mean a lot of things for different people, and I think that's fantastic. I am still thinking about it after finishing it. It deals with generational trauma, familial and romantic relationships (both healthy and unhealthy), metaphorical closets and coming out, self-sabotage, what it's like to be young and queer/trans, and how all of these things affect us. This story has a lot to say, and it does it magnificently. It's hard to even write a concise review because there's so many LAYERS. The fantastical elements in this are very much there as metaphors with deeper meanings and are woven throughout in a brilliant way. I fell in love with the characters, especially Nessa. I want her to be real. I fucking loved this story. Read it; you'll be glad you did.
June 14, 2024
she just gets it
June 4, 2024
yes, yes to all of it
June 13, 2024
I have SO many feelings about this. The characters were great, there are so many layers in all of this, and there is so much cool stuff happening with the art! Incredible!
February 4, 2024
THE DEEP DARK is a fantastic graphic novel about the marks left by generational trauma and the process of healing through self acceptance. Molly Knox Ostertag's story and illustrations are absolutely captivating!
April 26, 2024
SO GOOD AAAAA
i was lucky enough to get my hands on an arc copy of this thanks to my wonderful coworkers and OH MY GOD AHHHHH!!! molly knox ostertag is such a powerhouse and i've loved their previous works but this is far and above my favorite. the characters and story are so compelling and immediately catch your attention - i loved mags from the start and by the end i was crying over her SO. that's a solid endorsement if there ever was one. obviously the art is gorgeous and ostertag clearly has an excellent sense of how to make a story flow using visual storytelling. i often find that graphic novels run into issues with pacing but this one doesn't struggle in that area at all which was super refreshing! the story moves quickly when it needs to build tension but also has room to breathe and let the characters develop, which gives you time to get attached. plus it's absolutely heartbreaking! win/win/win. just a really lovely book and i highly encourage everyone to pick it up when it comes out in june!
i was lucky enough to get my hands on an arc copy of this thanks to my wonderful coworkers and OH MY GOD AHHHHH!!! molly knox ostertag is such a powerhouse and i've loved their previous works but this is far and above my favorite. the characters and story are so compelling and immediately catch your attention - i loved mags from the start and by the end i was crying over her SO. that's a solid endorsement if there ever was one. obviously the art is gorgeous and ostertag clearly has an excellent sense of how to make a story flow using visual storytelling. i often find that graphic novels run into issues with pacing but this one doesn't struggle in that area at all which was super refreshing! the story moves quickly when it needs to build tension but also has room to breathe and let the characters develop, which gives you time to get attached. plus it's absolutely heartbreaking! win/win/win. just a really lovely book and i highly encourage everyone to pick it up when it comes out in june!
June 18, 2024
6/16/24
Molly Knox Ostertag truly never disappoints.
I didn’t really start this book until, like, 8 hours ago. At the beginning, I thought an almost 500 page graphic novel would take me forever to read. But I swear every moment since starting this graphic novel has been spent wanting to get back to reading it.
It’s almost 2 AM and I’m crying in bed while/after finishing this. It started when color started to be used regularly in the pages (*clenches fists* THE IMPLICATIONS!!!) and my tears reached their peak after the last page.
I can’t even articulate what touched me so deeply right now. There are so many layers to this story, and even with an English degree I do not feel qualified to analyze everything.
Anyway, maybe I’ll write a more legit review tomorrow. Maybe I won’t. But please read this! Just be aware of the trigger warnings; I’ll try to update with those once I’ve slept because this has QUITE a few dark part (pun intended)
Molly Knox Ostertag truly never disappoints.
I didn’t really start this book until, like, 8 hours ago. At the beginning, I thought an almost 500 page graphic novel would take me forever to read. But I swear every moment since starting this graphic novel has been spent wanting to get back to reading it.
It’s almost 2 AM and I’m crying in bed while/after finishing this. It started when color started to be used regularly in the pages (*clenches fists* THE IMPLICATIONS!!!) and my tears reached their peak after the last page.
I can’t even articulate what touched me so deeply right now. There are so many layers to this story, and even with an English degree I do not feel qualified to analyze everything.
Anyway, maybe I’ll write a more legit review tomorrow. Maybe I won’t. But please read this! Just be aware of the trigger warnings; I’ll try to update with those once I’ve slept because this has QUITE a few dark part (pun intended)
May 14, 2024
Hands down the best graphic novel I've ever read, and that's just for the b&w ARC version. This is going to be one where the less you know going into it, the better it will be. I'll just say that there are incredible characters who pull you alllll the way into their world, a great unexpected thing, and beautiful, layered art that works SO WELL with the story. A++
June 1, 2024
Ostertag has taken her craft to the next level with The Deep Dark. As a new adult graphic novel, it delves into more mature themes than her previously published works without losing the tender heart she’s famous for. I absolutely love the main characters: Magdalena (a queer Latina) and Nessa (a bisexual trans woman). Their interactions with each other as childhood friends and again as adults attempting to rediscover each other feel realistically messy and genuine.
Read
July 30, 2024This was so good! I may be partial, but I’m always excited for some masc lesbian representation. The fact that this also has a slight horror element? Even better! It was a quick read but so super worth it. People smarter than me could probably wax poetic about the symbolism, and I *get* the symbolism, I’m just not great at waxing poetic. Highly recommend for a light read, especially for Halloween coming up.
July 14, 2024
4.5 (and ONLY bc i think it could've been slightly shorter, particularly in the middle) -- molly knox ostertag's best work yet, imo. a very touching and well done YA story about intergenerational trauma + its consequent complex familial dynamics. mags' growth as a character felt very real and anchored, and was made all the more touching by the parallel with tio hugo we see in conclusion. plus, i just feel that molly knox ostertag's composition levelled up with this gn, maybe bc she wrote it serially and published it for free on substack originally, but it felt looser and like she let herself play more with shape and form in a way that was very emotionally evocative and visually interesting! also i just love to see butches and trans girls fall in love in my YA comics
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2024
3.5 stars with a lot of potential!! Great representation as always with Ostertag!! Great illustrations and the plot was engaging and purposeful! Overall I really liked it, but I feel like it just kinda lost something in the storytelling.
For one, the creature situation gets introduced a bit too late for my liking which totally curved the storyline. But okay let’s roll with it, right? Well not really because we don’t get a whole lot about the creature, its history, its abilities, its purpose, etc… It’s just there with no explanation and then no real purpose?
For the length of this book I feel like we didn’t get a whole lot out of the tertiary characters either? Just some more depth would’ve gone a long way.
The Tio Hugo situation at the end? 10000% LOVED and it gave me chills. Was not expecting that and I LOVED that.
I feel like this book tried to do A LOT. And maybe it was too much! But I still absolutely recommend because I had a great time with it and others will, too!
For one, the creature situation gets introduced a bit too late for my liking which totally curved the storyline. But okay let’s roll with it, right? Well not really because we don’t get a whole lot about the creature, its history, its abilities, its purpose, etc… It’s just there with no explanation and then no real purpose?
For the length of this book I feel like we didn’t get a whole lot out of the tertiary characters either? Just some more depth would’ve gone a long way.
The Tio Hugo situation at the end? 10000% LOVED and it gave me chills. Was not expecting that and I LOVED that.
I feel like this book tried to do A LOT. And maybe it was too much! But I still absolutely recommend because I had a great time with it and others will, too!
June 22, 2024
Another to add to my favorite graphic novels. Loved this one so much. This was chunkier than I thought and it still went by quickly. I teared up a few different times because this was powerful. So many good messages about loving every part of yourself and not keeping it locked away. I love how accepting everyone was of Nessa and she and Mags were so cute. I’m glad they both found someone that was worth their love and time and they had each other. The plot twist at the end gave me whiplash I was floored by that one and yet it made sense. Don’t want to give too much away but I highly recommend this one.
August 20, 2024
Another beautiful queer YA paranormal graphic novel from a fav, Molly Knox Ostertag. This book features a Mexican American teen girl, Mags (Magdalena) with a dark secret who loves her Abeula and reconnects with a trans childhood friend who goes by the name Nessa now. Part ghost story, part family story, part romance and really great on audio with amazing sound effects. Highly recommended for fans of books like The hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin.
May 30, 2024
WOW OH MY GOD
July 16, 2024
Comfort read and comfort author for the win
...💜
...💜
August 24, 2024
4.5 stars
August 25, 2024
I loved the art and atmosphere of The Deep Dark, the characters are compelling and fun, and the main reveal is interesting. More could have been done with all these pages in my opinion, but overall a great read.
May 15, 2024
Touching, multifaceted, beautiful
Mags lives in a small town in California with her abuela. From the outside, she is always alone. But she has a secret that is always with her. When a childhood friend returns from LA and brings up old memories, Mags grapples with her relationships and the life she wants to live.
I'm incredibly happy to have gotten an arc of this book because it is a gorgeous story about connection and fear. The characters feel so real in the story and I adore Ostertag's illustrations. This book touches on deep topics which blend so effortlessly into the narrative. I think this book is one of my favorite graphic novels of the year!
Mags lives in a small town in California with her abuela. From the outside, she is always alone. But she has a secret that is always with her. When a childhood friend returns from LA and brings up old memories, Mags grapples with her relationships and the life she wants to live.
I'm incredibly happy to have gotten an arc of this book because it is a gorgeous story about connection and fear. The characters feel so real in the story and I adore Ostertag's illustrations. This book touches on deep topics which blend so effortlessly into the narrative. I think this book is one of my favorite graphic novels of the year!
July 1, 2024
never misses!!!
April 30, 2024
4.5 stars!
March 17, 2024
This is, without a doubt, one of the best graphic novels I’ve read in a long time. Beautiful story, lovable and flawed characters, and an unexpected ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews