The Undertaking of Lily Chen

Title: The Undertaking of Lily Chen
Author: Danica Novgorodoff
Illustrator:  Danica Novgorodoff
Publisher:  First Second (:01)
Copyright:  2014
Price: $29.99
ISBN: 978-1-59643-586-5
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: Deshi's brother Wei has died and it was partially Deshi's fault. The biggest problem with Wei's death? He died unmarried. To make up for the death, his parents send him out to find Wei a wife to be buried with. Thus begins Deshi's quest to find a body.

On the flip side. Lily needs to get out of town. She's stuck on her father's farm and they need money. Lily needs an out and a ride to Beijing. A chance encounter at night has Lily following Deshi, unaware that he sees her as a potential wife...for Wei. The only problem is, she's alive.
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Recommended Audience: Adults.
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Things to be aware of: sex, some violence
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Further Thoughts:  Ok. Here's a weird one. If you or your patrons like weird, off the wall stories, take a look at this one. It's a bit unnerving.

Deshi is weak as a person. Lily is strong but naive and innocent. It is by her hand that they travel together and for Deshi, it's a small chance at soul searching for him. Most of the story is "will he or won't he" and "why did he make that choice?" For Lily, the story is what lies beyond her small world?

The art is interesting. I liked the interspersing of water colors, but occasionally, I couldn't figure out who the ghost faces were or what I was looking at. The cover is a great example of what you'll find in the story: images overlapping into other images, watercolor. I'm not so sure about how the characters are drawn though. Lily is pretty (it's an obvious sort of thing when you look at the art). Deshi is awkward. Everyone else is a caricature of something. It works but in some ways rubs the wrong way. I can't put my finger on it.

The basis of the story is interesting. The idea of "ghost marriages" where two dead bodies are married is at once creepy and interesting. It is or was actually a thing and thanks to Wikipedia, here's the full article quoted in the beginning of the story. It's interesting how you know that this is what Deshi is up to, but Lily has no idea.

Overall feeling: Not a must have, but one that is certainly different and worth adding if you have the extra funds.

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Source: Review/Library Copy