GRAPHIC NOVELS - 3 Reviews

Graphic Novels – 3 book blurbs               

Since I haven’t posted in Jan/Feb I’m making up for that with three graphic novel reviews – so basically one for each month. 😊 That works, right? And as life has it, reading is very good activity, not only especially now with social distancing, but always. We can all use an escape into a new world.

I’m always amazed at how different most graphic novels are from each other. But I really shouldn’t be. They’re like any other type of book genre – there are so many different middle grade books, YA books, chapter books, picture books. 

The three I read are a testament to that diversity – in content, illustrations, layout, story, character, level. Another great thing about graphic novels is their accessibility. Everyone can appreciate them.

First up: Aster and the Accidental Magic by Thom Pico

On the Penguin/Random House website, the category is Children’s MG and Children’s PB. Age range 8-12. Pub date: March 3, 2020.

It did have a chapter book feel to it with two stories in the one book, but it is definitely MG.

From the publisher: A fun, action-packed fantasy adventure about a girl, her dog, and magic gone wrong!

Quiet . . . birds . . . nature. . . .

That’s what Aster expects when her parents move their whole family to the middle of nowhere. It’s just her (status: super-bored), her mom and dad (status: busy with science), her brother (status: has other plans), and . . .
. . . magic?

In her new home, Aster meets a mysterious old woman with a herd of dogs who gives her a canine companion of her own. But when she and her dog Buzz are adventuring in the forest, they run into a trickster spirit who gives Aster three wishes. After wishing for the ability to understand and talk to her dog, she becomes only able to talk in dog language . . . and the trouble she gets into is just starting. 

Maybe the middle of nowhere will be more interesting than Aster thought.

I guessed that it was a translated book and the stories felt like they were based in folklore. The magical and fairytale elements mixed with present day issues and a talking dog, made for a fun read. Once Aster meets the old lady with the dogs, I was very involved. Loved the colors, the maps, the creatures, The Chestnut Knights and lots of action. Quite an enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the next Aster adventures.

Second Book: New Kid by Jerry Craft

On the HarperCollins website: Coretta Scott King Award (Author) & 2020 Newbery Medal

From the publisher: Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

Really well done. I was fascinated by the cool panels and how interwoven they were with dialogue, captions, action, interaction. The art draws you into Jordan’s life and you’re on this ride with him. Torn between two worlds, fitting in, race, class – it’s all in there and when you get to the end, you say, wow. And, there's a book 2.

Third book: Thornhill by Pam Smy

On the Macmillan website ages 10-14 (a little higher than regular MG). This was published in 2017.

From the publisher: Parallel stories set in different times, one told in prose and one in pictures, converge as a girl unravels the mystery of the abandoned Thornhill Institute next door.

1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it's shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.

2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill's shadowy past.

Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines—Mary’s through intimate diary entries and Ella’s in bold, striking art—Pam Smy’s Thornhill is a haunting exploration of human connection, filled with suspense.

Total ambiance in the darkness of the illustrations and shown in the illustrations. So striking and creepy. Fascinating with the alternating points of view between the diary entries and the current day in illustrations. Both POVs grab you and don’t let go. Poignant stories of bullying, loneliness, how much goes on inside that doesn’t always get to come out, and lots of pain and hurt. It’s haunting. I thought about it for days afterward. The ending shows the cycle of loneliness and was a bit shocking to me. Something I discussed with a writing friend to get another perspective. I don’t want to give anything away, but am always up for a discussion if you read it.