Disclaimer: Some links in my review for Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn, illustrated by Claire Roe, are affiliate links. If you click them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Whether or not you make a purchase is entirely up to you.
A version of this book review first appeared in The Lesbrary.
Summary of Bury the Lede
Madison Jackson started as an intern at The Boston Lede, fetching coffee and grabbing quotes for senior writers. But she finds herself thrust into the spotlight when Dahlia Kennedy, a prominent socialite charged with a gruesome murder, latches onto her. Madison must decide how far she’s willing to go and how much to trust Dahlia to get her shot at becoming an ace reporter.
Plot
The story starts strong, pulling the reader in with the mystery. A constant back and forth of whether or not Dahlia actually committed the murder creates a palpable tension that moves the mystery forward. But about halfway through, the push and pull without any clear evolution in sight for the characters becomes tedious. After so much buildup on the mystery, when the truth comes to light, it’s more a relief than satisfying.
Characters
While the overall plot falls flat, Dunn effectively captures the newsroom politics. It’s the nature of these dynamics that defines Madison’s character development throughout the story. She starts as a typical, shy intern, and it seems like she’s going to make a name for herself. But the path she takes to do that leads to selfish decisions that hurt others, making her a rather unlikeable character.
Unlikeability in a character isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but between her devolving character arc and the tiresome plot, it doesn’t leave much for the reader to root for. Especially because most of the characters are unlikable. The diversity of supporting characters made the story feel real, but there was very little to like about most of them.
Artwork
The artwork helps keep the story moving even after the pacing starts to fall short. Vibrant colors make every panel pop on its own. And yet, it has a style that still feels very noir, remaining true to the mystery genre.
Conclusion & Rating for Bury the Lede
This graphic novel did keep me entertained for the most part. But it lagged and lost the thread, which actually falls in line with the idea of burying the lede.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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