The girl from the other side vol 2 by nagabe

Another Outsider has broken into the house and threatens to curse Shiva. Teacher takes an ax to it and chops off its head, but that doesn’t kill it. The stranger mutters some things about Shiva’s soul, and its “mother,” and it intrigues Teacher. The now-headless one teases Teacher, saying he knows how to lift the curse, and he brings Teacher to “Mother,” who is under the water in a deep lake. Teacher only learns of more disturbing news rather than a cure for Shiva, so the two head home in defeat. Strangely though, Shiva doesn’t show any of the classic signs of one who is cursed. Inside, a Father sets into motion the plan to bring back the girl from the other side for some unknown purpose.

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This second volume is giving me a lot more vibes of The Ancient Magus Bride.  The wilderness of the Outside is very reminiscent of the countryside in Bride, which is also like many English-influenced fae worlds. The scariest part of the first volume was this second Outsider who isn't nice like Teacher is, but the scariest part of the second volume is Teacher going to TOWN with an ax on this second Outsider. Even that doesn't kill it, though, so it's a poignant example of how difficult Outsiders are to destroy. There are now more questions about Shiva and not only whether she is cursed or not, but what she means to this world, both Outsiders and Insiders, and it's a mystery that will keep me reading.

Nagabe's chaotic lines and illustrations in this were a little bit confusing when there was more than one Outsider on the page. They're all the same shade of black, and basically a void of definition, so they tend to bleed into one another. This might be on purpose, but it then made it a little difficult to distinguish between the one Teacher attacked and some of the others they were following.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1

Publisher: Seven Seas
Publication Date: May 16th 2017​
ISBN: 9781626925236 (Paperback)


Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Supernatural, Survival, ​Seven Seas