Title: Cherise the Niece
Author: J. K. Benton
Illustrator: J. K. Benton
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: PLUME
Publish Date: June, 2008
ISBN: 97804522289482
No Aunts or cats were harmed in the writing of this book. Under no circumstances should people harm other people or cats even if they are Aunts. And besides, Cherise is a fictitious character. Although, if I was an Aunt, I’d probably check under my bed tonight just in case we’re wrong about that part.
With that as an opening paragraph, I knew this book was going to be absolute fun. Cherise is a self-made orphan, who methodically eliminates her aunts, one by one (and two at a time in the case of the twin aunts), until she finally runs out of aunts. The illustrations are morbid, drawn only black and white, and reveal a sinister eight-year-old girl with fangs who is very creative with her methods of murder, varying her M.O. from bug spray in the aunt’s tea to stabbing one aunt with the Christmas star tree-topper.
Cherise the Niece is written and illustrated by J. K. Benton, creator of It’s Happy Bunny. It is a dark comedy about a sociopathic little girl with a taste for murder. It is an adult children’s book, meant for 14 and up, but also appealing to the child still residing in every grown-up.
Benton’s rhymes are hilarious and creative, each page containing one four line stanza on one side and an illustration on the other. Cherise herself is somewhat cute, but has a menacing look complete with evil looking eyes, fangs, and demonic pointed ears.
I, personally, love this book. I had written to Benton asking for a copy to review, and he sent me one with a postcard on which he wrote a quick note, and autographed the book “To Aunt Alisha” and drew a picture of Cherise. I shall never part with it 😀
They told her the orphanage
Was where she must go.
But Cherise softly uttered:
I have Uncles, you know.
*Shivers*… 5 out of 5 stars, I recommend it to all grown-up children with a morbid sense of humor and an appreciation for the finer points of murder 😀
Filed under: Book Reviews | Tagged: adult child lit, aunt-icide, Cherise, Happy Bunny, illustrated, J. K. Benton, matricide, morbid humor, murder, patricide, poetry, satire | 4 Comments »
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