xxxHolic is a unique story about a man who ends up working for a witch. He deals with spirits and tries to help others being tricked or taken advantage of by them.

The premise was super cool, but I think I would have liked this book way more if I had actually read the first two volumes. I was super intrigued and hooked, but it just felt off. I wasn't entirely sure why things were happening the way they were. If I had that extra knowledge, I definitely would have loved this book more.

The monkey paw story had me the most interested, but the previous story about the school children confused me.

The art is the best part of this book, 100%. I really liked the style and the action that was occurring on the pages. It was impressive!

Overall, this book was okay. I would like to read the previous two volumes before I pick this book up again. I can easily see manga fans loving it! I just need all the information before I grab this. I got this on clearance from an online book outlet since I wanted to expand my manga shelf a bit.

Three out of five stars. ( )

Two of the oldest and most well-known occult objects are explored in this third installation of Watanuki's adventures - the Ouija Board (or Angel-san) and the Monkey's Paw. Both of these superstitions are just that, but the story is none the less frightening and entertaining. Watanuki is mostly a spectator - he can't really help the woman with the Monkey's Paw and Yuko does most of the work with the guardian spirit who reacts to the Angel-san - but clearly his relationship with Domeki is evolving, and this is the true theme of this collection. They still hate each other, of course, but Watanuki has almost accepted the fact that Watanuki can be very useful in helping with spirits. ( )

5 stars specifically for the short chapter with the fox spirits at the end. ( )

" Holic " and " Gothic " ( look and similar in Japanese ) ( )

The weird juxtaposition of macabre and humor keeps this entertaining.
And as busy" as the artwork is, CLAMP has some wonderful illustrations in this volume." ( )