4 out of 5 stars
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Hollywood Horror Jazz Festival by C. E. W. Brooks covers the lives of Scarecrow, Pumpkinhead, and their friends, Anthony and Dorothy. Scarecrow and Pumpkinhead are New Portland's outcasts because of their appearance. Scarecrow is an actual scarecrow, and Pumpkinhead has a pumpkin head. With the help of their friend Anthony, they started a band called Hollywood Horror Jazz Festival to help them deal with their biggest insecurity: their looks. The band players (which included Dorothy) and their audience must dress up as Hollywood horror characters. The lives of Scarecrow and Pumpkinhead get even weirder when they meet a Frost Sprite named Jax. They'll have to battle the dark forces within and outside of them or die trying.
When I saw the names Dorothy and Scarecrow, I expected to get the Wizard of Oz vibe. It did give the vibe, but I expected it to be different. The villains were not regular villains but powerful demons with strength that put them at the top. Despite not looking the part, the characters were equally strong; it was an exciting contrast.
One thing about this book is that it is weird. Fantasy is a genre where you can create your character from anything and by any means. However, it feels a lot different in this book. A scarecrow made of hay can kill, and a pumpkin conjures fire. The weirdness also adds spice to the plot because you won't know what's coming next; you can't predict the characters' nature, which will keep readers on their toes.
I also liked the illustrations in the book. The beautiful art made me visualize some scenes better. The illustrations are similar to what you get in comic books. Therefore, lovers of comic books can have something to keep them on the pages of this book.
Another thing I liked about this book was how the author was able to develop Jax, the Frost Sprite. Jax had two opposite characters, and seeing him choose which one to live by was interesting. It was a bit funny also. However, it showed the ability of the author to conjure characters with dual identities.
Unfortunately, a particular character had two different spellings of their name: "Kniesly" and "Knisley." At first, I wanted to mark it as an error. However, the two spellings occurred multiple times in the narrative, so I needed help determining which was correct. On the one hand, I would say the author did it intentionally. On the other, I would say it was an omission from the editor(s), as the spellings looked similar, and it would be difficult to tell them apart. Whatever the case, it didn't bode well with me. It affected my reading, as I had to determine whether it was the same or two different characters.
In summary, Hollywood Horror Jazz Festival is an exciting fantasy book with a mix of comic illustrations. It's a book to read if you're interested in an unconventional fantasy book with lots of mystery and truths to be exposed. This book is professionally edited. However, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars due to my earlier complaint.
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Hollywood Horror Jazz Festival
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