My Favourite Thing is Monsters, v1

In the turbulent political times of late '60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional diary of Karen Reyes, a 10-year-old girl in love with B-movie horror and trashy pulp monster magazines iconography.
Karen is fascinated by solving the murder of Anka Silverberg, her charming and aloof upstairs neighbor and holocaust survivor, while the intertwining stories of her family and neighbours unfold around her. Past, present, personal and political life converges as we read through the eyes of Karen and she documents her investigation, exploring the rich tapestries of her own life and that of Anka's in Nazi Germany. The grim reality of the world around her intertwines with her love of the macabre and passion for graphic design, painting a unique view of a turbulent and dark time in American history.

My Favourite Thing is Monsters deals with the ugliness and fear of everyday life in the 60's from the naive perspective of a 10-year-old, and its collage-like construction draws on the aesthetics of the time period. This novel is the first in a series still in development-- readers that enjoy being part of an evolving story can jump on now knowing that the second volume is just around the corner. Those seeking a story in full with a resolution might want to wait until the series is complete, however.

Written by Emil Ferris.
Published by Fantagraphics Books Ltd, Seattle, WA, 2016.
Image credits: https://www.tcj.com/the-emil-ferris-interview-monsters-stories-and-art-part-1/