What a strange combination! Avril Lavigne and graphic novels, but it's not what it seems.  These two volumes are enchanting tales for teenagers but they carry a dark undercurrent.  it's a careful blend of comic book storytelling, teenage angst and Japanese manga.

Hana is a loner and feels invisible. She has no friends at school and her parents are always arguing. Increasingly she takes comforts in online chatrooms, pretending to be other people. However, she chances upon a website make5wishes.com which offers a mysterious box that promises to make her dreams come true. The box contains a small red demon, who's both lovable and cunning.  He grants her 5 wishes, breaking off one
of his horns each time.  However, what she desires and what she gets are not necessarily the same.

Whilst both these full-colour graphic novels are seemingly aimed at the teenage audience, the story has a macabre edge to it that echoes both familiar fairy tales and Japanese folklore.  Popstar Avril Lavigne is introduced as an inspirational figure as well as acting as Hana's voice of reason, a kind of Jiminy Cricket to Pinocchio.  She makes her question her motives, whilst trying to build her confidence.  Co-creators artist Camilla d-Errico and writer Joshua Dysart have combined elements of teenage angst - first love, bullying, lack of confidence - but darker elements overshadow the
normality.  For example, when wishing to be more popular at school, Hana doesn't expect it to be by being the sole survivor of  a fire that kills all her classmates. However, it also picks up elements of popular Japanese culture such as the Ring films and mangas such as Deathnote.

The drawings reflect the simplicity of mangas, bright and uncluttered with those distinctive wide-eyed, round-faced look, serving as a fine counterpoint to the story.  Equally Avril Lavigne follows a tradition of rock stars in comics  such as Alice Cooper and Kiss, whilst Rob Zombie has even turned to writing them. What Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes proves is be careful what you wish for.