Clara & the Devil, the sleek, tense, and seductive first volume of a graphic collaboration between Olivie Blake (Gifted & Talented; Masters of Death) and artist Little Chmura, makes temptation new again.
Clara and her boyfriend of seven years plan to stay in town after they graduate college; they'll finally have sex, and everything will be perfect. She even has a full-time position lined up at the public library. When the devil comes in for a library card, she knows better than to get involved with him. But as the devil focuses his charms on Clara's very attractive neighbor and best friend, Jonah, Clara grows concerned. How can she protect Jonah when she fears she wants the same things for herself?
Chmura's art is beautiful and dark, a perfect fit for Blake's story. Chmura works in ink-wash blues and grays, with vibrant pops of watercolor in the foreground. The library stacks and desk are gray, but Clara is in color. The devil's vivid blue eyes stare out from a pale, pale face. The overall effect is dreamlike, with elements that drip in some places and float in others.
This series starter leaves plenty of room for more, and readers will be eager to see where Clara's moral compass and newly awakened urges lead her. "I only realized later--the revelation hitting me just when I could no longer stand whatever was burning inside me--that it wasn't what I had done, but what I would, inevitably, do." Fans of The Wicked + the Divine or the work of Maria Llovet should pick this up. --Suzanne Krohn, librarian