Thanks to Jen Campbell over on BookTube I was turned onto the magic that is Shaun Tan. Thus far, I've only read one of his books but I already know I'm going to have to READ ALL THE THINGS. (Note: I've just picked up two more and put another one on hold.) Until that day, however, here's a review of Tales from Outer Suburbia. :-)

You guys know how much I love all things creepy and dark. You also know that 2016 has turned out to be the year of the graphic novel for me. So it's no wonder that Shaun Tan is right up my alley. Tales from Outer Suburbia is a collection of short stories and illustrations of a typical suburban neighborhood turned on its head. Think The Burbs meets Home and you're in the right neighborhood. (Didn't even plan that little pun out. You're welcome.) It was his art style that caught my attention but his writing is really haunting and beautiful. It's also super snarky with political undertones. His "style" is a mixture of fine line drawing in pencil, bold paints, watercolor, and just plain unique which is why I feel like he can't really be pigeonholed into one genre. From the inside cover to the very last page this book is full to bursting with creepy, weird, and beautiful art with short stories to match. Some of the pages have no words at all which I've learned is one of his fortes so get excited for that in the near future. XD If you're a fan of Grimm's Fairy Tales or Neil Gaiman then this would very likely appeal to you. This was a definite 10/10 for me.

This book is a bit of a difficult one for me to review. I felt deeply connected to many of the short stories within, some reminding me a lot of my own experiences. I loved the art and a lot of the subtle messages in it portraying to the reader. I think Shaun Tan did an absolutely fantastic job in writing and illustrating this book. Words cannot even begin to convey what I feel about this book.

I'll admit that some of the stories are a bit on the bizarre side, but I feel that only adds to the charm and whimsical nature of this book. I can't recommend this book enough! Especially if you are going through a rough time in your life, I do think you should give this book a shot. I don't even want to mention all the reasons why I love this book. I want you to discover it yourself. See the beauty for yourself. It will give you a sense of peace and clarity, I think, which is something I definitely needed. I love this book. It's amazing!

A strange and bizarre collection of stories about a suburbia. 

This is apparently marketed towards children, however I wouldn't recommend it for that age group. I think this would be better for teens/young adults. 

The stories were more miss than hit. Some were really good and I enjoyed them, others were just too strange/weird/uncomfortable and I didn't enjoy them. 

I liked the illustrations, they made the book weirder, but also made the stories at times more enjoyable and also made some of the stories seem more understandable.

I really liked the scrapbook parts that were between stories. 

I wouldn't really recommend this book, unless you want a bizarre book that is a mix of stories and pictures. 

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/