An impactful and hope-filled segue to more adventures.
Two superteens who are just getting acquainted with their powers meet and bond.
Still reeling from the knowledge that her father is a demon imprisoned in a necklace she wears, Rachel “Raven” Roth travels to Tennessee to find Slade Wilson, the mysterious man who promised her answers. Running away from the disturbing revelation that his parents lied to him about his mutant powers, Garfield “Beast Boy” Logan is also looking for answers from the same mystery man in Nashville. He and Raven meet while they wait for Slade and spend time eating and sightseeing in the city. Sparks fly—but before they can explore this attraction fully, they are captured and left with seemingly no hope for escape. Despite initially feeling alone, they soon realize that not only do they have each other, they have a larger circle of support than they ever imagined. This third installation in the series heightens and clarifies the threats to the protagonists and shows them needing to develop more empathy for themselves and others. Trust is a major theme that continues to be explored with nuance and intention. New characters are introduced organically and add to the building intrigue. A bright color palette complements the newness of their budding romance. The drawings also show the broad diversity of the people around Raven and Garfield; for example, a cafe employee has vitiligo.
An impactful and hope-filled segue to more adventures. (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-949-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2021
Hinds adds another magnificent adaptation to his oeuvre (King Lear, 2009, etc.) with this stunning graphic retelling of Homer’s epic. Following Odysseus’s journey to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope, readers are transported into a world that easily combines the realistic and the fantastic. Gods mingle with the mortals, and not heeding their warnings could lead to quick danger; being mere men, Odysseus and his crew often make hasty errors in judgment and must face challenging consequences. Lush watercolors move with fluid lines throughout this reimagining. The artist’s use of color is especially striking: His battle scenes are ample, bloodily scarlet affairs, and Polyphemus’s cave is a stifling orange; he depicts the underworld as a colorless, mirthless void, domestic spaces in warm tans, the all-encircling sea in a light Mediterranean blue and some of the far-away islands in almost tangibly growing greens. Don’t confuse this hefty, respectful adaptation with some of the other recent ones; this one holds nothing back and is proudly, grittily realistic rather than cheerfully cartoonish. Big, bold, beautiful. (notes) (Graphic classic. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4266-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
Light and refreshing fare.
The summer after graduation, high school besties in New York City play an epic game.
Cassie Donato and her three best friends have big plans to live it up before setting off on their post–high school lives. But while the London-bound Latine musician Nico, body-positive Asian artist Marcy, and Aaron, who’s Black and headed to Harvard, all seem certain of who they are and where they’re going, Cassie, who reads white, is taking a gap year to work at her family’s diner, and she isn’t so sure what she wants. All she knows is that this is the last chance for their friend group to be together before everything changes. But as the weeks pass, she’s disappointed that the others seem too busy to make the most of this summer. Her solution? A revival of Risky Slips, their favorite childhood game during which players take turns on increasingly risky dares. They have 24 hours to complete them or forfeit. But as the friends compete, the stakes get higher and unspoken tensions rise to the surface, testing their friendships and future. Porretta’s debut is narrated through speech bubbles and color-coded texts, and it captures Generation Z in all their exuberance and acceptance as well as anxiety. Despite a last-minute romantic twist that feels out of step with the work as a whole, the themes of embracing and growing with change prevail. The attractive, jewel-toned art dynamically conveys the urban setting.
Light and refreshing fare. (Graphic fiction. 15-18)Pub Date: July 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781665907033
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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