A Big Hallucination to Move the Plot Along… Next Time

I feel like I’ve said this before, but this is one of those series that for some reason I never really read back-to-back, but end up having long breaks in between picking up new volumes. Is this a good thing? I’m not sure, but fortunately, I don’t run into that problem I usually have of forgetting the plot or characters when I come back after some time, as John Layman makes sure to do small recaps of characters and their abilities as the story goes along. It really doesn’t take anything away either, as the refresher is good, and is always tied into what is currently occurring the plot, so as not to become a distraction or drag the action.

In any case, what we have in this 8^th volume of the Chew series is Tony Chu using his ability of gaining a psychic impression of the past of anything he eats, as a way to contact his recently deceased sister. Meanwhile, Tony’s late sister, Toni, has the ability to see the future of anyone she bites. She has therefore used this gift to see her own future and death, and now holds information that Tony desires in order to catch Toni’s killer. So what does Toni do, to prepare for her death and her brother’s desire to avenge her? She leaves a toe behind for Tony to eat, as a way to contact her and gain any information she may have.

The whole thing is a real trip, honestly, but Toni is such a fun and erratic character that it makes it an absurd but hilarious ride. And with the exception of some side-plot action with Tony’s partner at the FDA, John Colby, this volume is not really heavy on plot-progression, so much as giving information and developing characters. And you know what? Sometimes that’s exactly what you need, and I really enjoyed this instalment of the story. The art style of Rob Guillory also definitely fits the kind of strange and humorous nature of the story, though at some times I wonder what exactly is going on with the bizarre proportions of his human characters. But overall, it works really well with the tone of the series.

Am I planning on continuing with it? Absolutely. But once again, it’s just a question of when I managed to get around to it (so many books and series, with so little time, you know?).