When Shirley chases her lost coin through a manhole, she doesn’t expect to end up in the Underworld. Nor does she expect to make friends with a cockroach called George, and set off on a quest in search of the Big Bad. This is a fun quirky graphic novel that is full of heart, adventure and unexpected friendships.

A comic that nicely delivers with the wacky, partly as it has an almost Dantean grounding, where things make sense. Our heroine, Shirley, chases after a £1 coin that rolls along the pavement and down an open manhole cover, and ends up joining it in the underworld. There she is told by a large, talkative cockroach with bright red spectacles that she has to defeat the Big Bad for the only way to get back out. Hence an odyssey through a dodgy forest of dodginess, a bog of the bonkers, and so on. Throughout the art has a quick, slapdash liveliness to everything, but even if things can never stay in the same place from one frame to another, even if they're background matter, you don't care how rough and ready it all is. Shirley and her roach friend make for a likeable pair, it reads really pacily, and almost counts – in the privacy of one's home at least – as an all-ages-friendly drama. I liked it enough to anticipate the sequel(s) – a strong four stars.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publishers and Tor Freeman for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Boss of the underworld was a cute and quirky graphic novel that grabs you immediately and was an easy and enjoyable read in one sitting, giving labyrinth vibes and absolutely leaking childhood nostalgia and humour I know this would be great fun to read for anyone from kids to adults.

A really fun book, would definetly recommend.

This was a quirky, fun graphic novel! Shirley, a young girl who falls down a manhole, ends up in the underworld and needs to find a way out. When she hears of the “boss”, she goes on a quest across the underworld. She makes friends along the way. I loved the illustration style, and the story made me chuckle!

This is engaging and funny. I love how it refers to some traditional tales in a humorous way. The unlikely friendship between Shirley and George is so adorable.

Humorous and engaging, in this comic-strip style modern fairy tale, we follow two interesting characters, who encounter many weird situations and curious characters like themselves.
Freeman’s unique style is both fresh and familiar.
The setting and the story are extremely imaginative.
Cannot wait for the next adventure.

Brilliant! I love Tor Freeman anyway so was very keen to read this. This book is completely, magnificently bonkers and I can't wait for the next one.

Shirley follows a coin down a man hole and ends up in the Underworld, where she meets George, a cockroach. George was washed down the drain after he and his family were discovered by the human whose cupboards they'd been living in. George only knows one way of getting out but it involves a perilous journey to The Boss.

I really liked the way that this story referenced other stories (for example, Alice in Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel) and children (and adults) will enjoy spotting these.