top of page
Search

Graphic Novels I read this week

Writer's picture: Vanessa BettencourtVanessa Bettencourt

From the Publisher:

"ABOUT BLUE STARS: MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM: A GRAPHIC NOVEL


Two everyday superheroes set out to save the world—starting with their school—in an exciting new middle-grade graphic series from two award-winning authors and a debut illustrator.

When cousins Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn move to Urbanopolis to live with their activist grandma, they get off to a rocky start. Outgoing Riley misses her Muscogee cousins but is sure that she and Maya will be instant BFFs. Meanwhile, introvert Maya misses her parents, on active duty in Japan, and just wants some space to herself. At school, Maya joins Robotics Club and Riley bonds with fellow gymnasts. Just when they start to feel at home, their school culture is threatened by an influential foe in disguise. Joining student council feels like a way to help, so both cousins toss their hats in the ring for sixth-grade class president. But when they realize what they’re up against—money, power, and lies—they quickly shift from competition to cooperation, joining forces as superheroes. Riley is savvy with people; Maya is a whiz with gadgets. In no time, this dazzling duo is off to save the day! Relatable and rich in themes of family, community, and compromise, the Blue Stars series will entertain and empower, inspiring readers to be the stars they are."


Find it here.


Image from the publisher:




Pub Date 14 May 2024

HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperAlley
Children's Fiction

My Review

5 Stars


Such a wonderful and creative story. The artwork is beautiful and the colors are perfect for the mood of different scenes. I love the characters and their personality. Great LBGTQ+ representation.


The main character struggles to find his place, but it's more than moving to a new planet, or new school, it's finding out what to call home and defining who the person as a whole is. There is the journey of acceptance on a personal level, but also into a new family and community: an Indonesian-inspired culture as well.


Although some see others as strangers and offer criticism this story reminds us that some are there for us.


All the scenes that are space have very beautiful colors, but the ones with the festival are warm and full of emotion. I recommend this to all pride readers. It's fabulous.


Thank you, Publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc.


All links here.



My review

4.5

Katie Cook works for a lot of my favorite projects and now gives us this amazing fantasy journey with fantastic characters. I love the artwork, we can feel that she loves her story and characters. The story is filled with comedy, chibi, and an overload of cuteness. I hope to get a physical copy of this one because I want to open it on a random page and smile during overwhelming days. The characters all have things to reveal, to discover, with magic, fae, evil fae, hilarious scenes adventures, and romance. I love every time that Declan and Lasser interact. For anime, manga, and fantasy lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this e-arc.


Description

Two not-so-human teenagers and a friendly ghost radish face the fantasy adventure of a lifetime in this captivating graphic novel, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes material, from the inimitable Katie Cook.


“Smart, sweet, and totally original, Nothing Special is sure to captivate.”—Sarah Andersen, New York Times bestselling author of Fangs, Sarah Scribbles, and Cryptid Club


In the grand scheme of the worlds at large, Callie thinks she’s nothing special. Sure, she’s friends with the ghost of a radish and her dad owns a magical antique shop—but she’s spent her life in the human world. Her dad won’t let her join him on his collection trips in the magical realm “for her own protection,” so she’s only caught glimpses of that world through the gates of the town where her father’s store is.


On her seventeenth birthday, Callie goes home with her friend Declan to find her home in disarray and her dad missing. Signs of a struggle point to the portal to the magical realm and when there are signs, you follow them. Now it’s up to Callie, Declan, and Radish to band together and bring him home. As they face creatures good and bad, and all sorts of adventure, Callie and Declan may just find out that they are both special in their own ways after all.


The first season of mayhem, magic, vegetables, and adventure from Katie Cook’s beloved Webtoon, Nothing Special, is collected in this gorgeous graphic novel, which also features exclusive behind-the-scenes content.


Find book here.



My review

5 stars


What a fun read and here is why. This is from the same author and illustrator of other amazing graphic novels (such as Lost in Tawain) and How to Draw books. The format is amazing and gives us not only the daily adventures of a kid's Journal who wants to make an amazing comic book adventure but can't draw. Each page looks like the page of his diary with simple and fun drawings illustrating his attempts to find a decent illustrator for his comic. It's not as easy as it seems. In a way, Pam has no interest in this comic (at first) or in drawing it but people like their work together and she learns she has a lot of fun. The problem is that they will take their time to understand how to work together. This is very pertinent it's not easy to determine who the project belongs to and who makes it successful when there is no communication. Is the story more relevant than the hard work of the illustrator? Is it right to change another's work and edit without acknowledging that it's harder to do than just what they may think? I've been in both parts and I relate to both characters a lot. The same questions can be applied to other creative projects that include a band or team.

Awesome story, and fun. Their comic of the onion superhero is also fun and reading the fan mail is a great extra.

Thank you publisher for the copy and including me in the tour. My review is voluntary.


Find the book here


My review

5 stars

Nothing like a hero's journey to make my day. Loved this story, a mix of myths with other legends from other cultures. It is very fun to read, and I also love the humor in the artwork itself. Well-written and drawn, this adventurous quest takes our Monkey Beast (not a monster) on a journey. He wants to be accepted, and this is not the only lesson we learn. There are plenty of great quotes and topics that can start a conversation in the classroom related to kindness, second chances, and not judging a book by its cover. The author gives excellent alternative/ extra family-friendly endings to famous myths and stories and has us wanting for the next one. Very kawaii. Loved it.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this Dragon Ball meets Percy Jackson kind of adventure e-arc.






2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


© 2018 by Violet West Entertainment

  • White Amazon Icon
  • White Instagram Icon
  • White Amazon Icon
bottom of page