An appealing and creative coming-of-age tale.
During winter break, a girl in Montreal gains the ability to see ghosts and becomes swept up in their cause.
When Adèle, who’s depicted with curly black hair and pale, rosy skin, inherits the family gift of being a medium, she learns it’s linked to getting her first period. Her Gran and older sister, Helen, are there to support and guide her through the period stuff, but when it comes to navigating ghosts, Adèle is kind of on her own; Helen never gained the family power, and Gran does all she can to ignore it. When an elderly, mustachioed ghost named Jules asks for her help, Adèle hesitantly agrees. He wants her to convince his grandson to not sell his house to shady developers. Jules is part of a group of ghosts who are fighting against gentrification, a cause Gran is also passionate about. With the help of a young ghost who frequents the library, Adèle finds a way to use her voice and her new powers to help her community. The expressive, energetic art is appealing and easy to follow. The ghosts are portrayed in monochromatic pastels of different hues, making them stand out in contrast to the rest of the black-lined, vibrantly colored elements. Although the story feels a tad overstuffed and the ending wraps up too quickly, this story has plenty of charm and a captivating cast of characters.
An appealing and creative coming-of-age tale. (information about the setting, character art) (Graphic paranormal. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593565988
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
Superbly written and illustrated; keeps readers breathless and guessing until the end.
A 22nd-century picaresque with nefarious characters, chosen family, unavoidable camping, and lifesaving butterflies.
It’s 2101, and most mammals have died from sun exposure—a fate the few remaining humans suffer if they don’t live underground as Deepers. Some Deepers are friendly; others will take what they can get by any means necessary. Since Elvie’s parents departed for Michoacán, Mexico, 8 years earlier in search of more monarch butterflies, ran into danger, and have not returned, 10-year-old Black science whiz Elvie has been cared for by her guardian, Flora, a White scientist. Flora and Elvie hope to make a vaccine that enables humans to tolerate sunlight. They struggle to find food, and Flora’s awful cooking sometimes makes their foraged food inedible. Elvie’s journals, which contain her homework, science notes, and sketches, trace their journey—including tracking their latitude and longitude daily—as they follow the amazing migration path of the monarchs, whose young have the ingredient necessary for making both the sun sickness antidote and the vaccine. The eclecticism of Case’s lively visuals in this riveting graphic novel will keep readers both enthralled and learning. The book teaches some astronomy, botany, biology, entomology, animal science, knot tying, and more. Elvie’s special relationship with Flora, along with her quick wit, scientific knowledge, and careful observation skills, makes her a character worth following. Yet she’s all kid—and one who badly wants to be reunited with her parents.
Superbly written and illustrated; keeps readers breathless and guessing until the end. (author's note) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4260-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
Offers a hauntingly truthful view of secrets and strength.
A tale of survival, friendship, and the strength that comes from overcoming fears.
Middle schooler Jac is dealing with the fallout of a real-life nightmare: childhood cancer. But it’s not just the fear of recurrence that she has to handle, but the reality of surviving and carrying the burden of her mom’s constant worry. When Jac discovers a large house that wasn’t there before looming at the end of a street in her suburban New Jersey neighborhood, she worries it’s a hallucination, which could mean a recurrence of her illness. But after her best friend, a boy named Hazel, sees the house too, her sense of adventure takes over. Provoked by a couple of bullies who dare them to enter and then follow them inside, Jac and Hazel explore the house and are met with surprises—like a key with Jac’s likeness on it—that suggest her connection to this strange and terrifying place is personal. Before long, the kids realize they are trapped inside. Shocks follow with every new door they open as they search for an exit and discover ever increasing frights. Delightfully nightmarish visions chase Jac, offering the feel of a thrilling game with twisted and terrifying imagery, as she navigates the house, seeking to understand her connection to this unusual place in this emotionally resonant story. Characters seem to default to White.
Offers a hauntingly truthful view of secrets and strength. (Paranormal. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-313657-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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