The Mare - by Seth Christian Martel (Paperback)

About the Book

A coming-of-age story in graphic novel format, exploring issues of self-doubt and restlessness in the late teenage years.

Book Synopsis

While she battles her own demons during the day, Indigo's nights are haunted by something much darker.

Everyone else may be enjoying the summer, but Indigo's life isn't going so well. Her dad's marriage just ended in a very public divorce, and now he's drinking again. Indy barely graduated from high school, she just lost her job, and she doesn't know what to do with her life. The stress is causing her nightmarish sleep paralysis--or so she thinks.

Indy confides in her best friend, Kasia, who blames "The Mare" for her troubles--the spirit of someone wronged that saps its victim's energy at night. It sounds crazy to Indy, but is it?

Steeped in the nostalgia of lazy summers and mixtapes, concert tickets and coffee, The Mare is a story about friends, family, and finding one's way--with a touch of the supernatural and a powerful, surprising twist.

Review Quotes

"[A] solid premier to connect with subsequent storylines, and Indigo is endearing enough to create a following." --Denise Hill NewPages.com

"Martel's debut is a visual spectacle in mostly black, brown, and white panels enhanced with washes of deep blues and occasional splashes of reds and golds. Gorgeously saturated spreads announce the chapter delineations. Indy's nocturnal horrors are bathed in smoky, swirling cerulean, cobalt, azure tones. Martel's artistry triumphs throughout." --Terry Hong, Booklist

A teenager overwhelmed by personal conflicts combats a supernatural entity disguised as sleep paralysis in Martel's evocative horror graphic novel. Teenage Indigo's life just keeps going from bad to worse. Her father and stepmother's marriage recently ended in a contentious divorce, driving her father to take refuge in drinking; Indy was fired from her food service job for repeated tardiness; and Indy's been plagued by sleep demons that evoke the appearance of a blue-hued creature. She finds steadfast support in best friend Kasia, who offers comfort even in Indy's lowest moments. Kasia infers that the sleep paralysis Indy is experiencing is caused by the Mare, "someone who was wronged, or a rejected woman who visits in the night," and suggests various solutions, such as sleeping upside down. But when Indy wakes one night standing outside her stepmother's house, she worries that something more sinister is afoot. Martel portrays Indy's menacing nightmares using oceanic hues and the waking world in thinly lined b&w images; this direct juxtaposition lends a surreal element to the grounding normalcy of Indy's everyday life. Centering conflicts both fantastical and mundane, Martel delivers a tale redolent in suspense and earned plot twists. Ages 13-up. (Mar.) - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Seth Christian Martel is a graphic designer and freelance illustrator based in the Hudson Valley. A lifetime comics fan, Seth attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition to his work in graphic design, Seth has worked as a set painter and special effects makeup artist at a Hudson Valley haunted attraction. He's a big fan of cats, especially orange ones.