Name: Maggie Gordon's review of The Disappearance of Melody Dean by Alexis Sugden
Item: The Disappearance of Melody Dean
Rating: 2
Author: Maggie Gordon

Alexis Sugden

The Disappearance of Melody Dean

Maggie Gordon

I really like Alexis Sugden's work, so it does pain me to have to leave a lower star review. The Disappearance of Melody Dean is beautifully drawn with rich, vibrant colours, but the narrative is still rather weak. Sugden is definitely still learning (but I will be watching out for more from her!)

The story is about two young women, Melody and Rose, out for a walk to get snacks. When they are attacked, Melody fights back, killing the person who assaulted her. Rose tells her that they had to hide the body... in the crack in space time in Rose's wall. Melody takes this revelation surprisingly well, and life goes on. Until her brother is attacked by transphobic school mates. Melody freaks out, almost killing the person who led the assault against her brother. She shoves him into the crack in the wall, but he survives... to attack her in the future!

I enjoyed the premise of the story, but overall it is uneven. Melody's violence is never fully addressed, and her sacrifice at the end feels less like a sacrifice and more like running away. Where the graphic novel a bit longer, it would have helped with character development and made some of the behaviours seem less baffling. The happy ending that Sugden wrote feels unearned and unfulfilling. A good structural edit by a more experienced author would have served this story well. 

In any case, it is a beautifully made book, and I expect good things from Sugden in the future!

Maggie Gordon &
The Disappearance of Melody Dean by Alexis Sugden

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Maggie Gordon &The Disappearance of Melody Dean by Alexis Sugden

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Maggie Gordon &
The Disappearance of Melody Dean by Alexis Sugden