A tremendous finale to a singular trilogy
Claudia Jones’ spell at Blithedale High comes to a close—and, just as abruptly, the otherworldly teen’s purpose is apparent.
But what of the others? Unearthing her confidence as a gay teen, Paula prepares to proclaim her newfound identity publicly. Johanna, meanwhile, is not quite ready for their blossoming relationship to be exposed. Left to address her faults, Emily retreats inward and reflects on her former friendship with Paula. Nigel’s parents now seem happier with each other, and Nigel wonders if it’s all thanks to his mysterious crush, Claudia. After his mother passes away, Brett isolates himself further, struggling to reconnect with his best friend, Johanna, as well as his estranged father. All fired up, Celine decides to confront her rapist the only way she knows how. On the margins, but just as integral in this tale, is Paula’s spurned ex-boyfriend Darren, a survivor (and perpetrator) of abuse whose inner demons may decide the fates of everyone involved. Truthfully, Volume 3 contains an overabundance of momentous moments to untangle, but MariNaomi’s (Gravity’s Pull, 2019, etc.) skills as an artist shine on through humor and sensitivity to the subject matter at hand. Each teen in this diverse cast ends up on the cusp of something greater, somewhere better, even as the specter of U.S. school shootings threatens to overwhelm the overall intent. The series’ eclectic artwork—always evolving, never dull—remains a delightful highlight.
A tremendous finale to a singular trilogy . (Graphic novel. 14-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5124-4912-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
PROFILES
A sparse, beautifully drawn story about a teen discovering her heritage.
In this YA graphic novel, an alienated Métis girl learns about her people’s Canadian history.
Métis teenager Echo Desjardins finds herself living in a home away from her mother, attending a new school, and feeling completely lonely as a result. She daydreams in class and wanders the halls listening to a playlist of her mother’s old CDs. At home, she shuts herself up in her room. But when her history teacher begins to lecture about the Pemmican Wars of early 1800s Saskatchewan, Echo finds herself swept back to that time. She sees the Métis people following the bison with their mobile hunting camp, turning the animals’ meat into pemmican, which they sell to the Northwest Company in order to buy supplies for the winter. Echo meets a young girl named Marie, who introduces Echo to the rhythms of Métis life. She finally understands what her Métis heritage actually means. But the joys are short-lived, as conflicts between the Métis and their rivals in the Hudson Bay Company come to a bloody head. The tragic history of her people will help explain the difficulties of the Métis in Echo’s own time, including those of her mother and the teen herself. Accompanied by dazzling art by Henderson (A Blanket of Butterflies, 2017, etc.) and colorist Yaciuk (Fire Starters, 2016, etc.), this tale is a brilliant bit of time travel. Readers are swept back to 19th-century Saskatchewan as fully as Echo herself. Vermette’s (The Break, 2017, etc.) dialogue is sparse, offering a mostly visual, deeply contemplative juxtaposition of the present and the past. Echo’s eventual encounter with her mother (whose fate has been kept from readers up to that point) offers a powerful moment of connection that is both unexpected and affecting. “Are you…proud to be Métis?” Echo asks her, forcing her mother to admit, sheepishly: “I don’t really know much about it.” With this series opener, the author provides a bit more insight into what that means.
A sparse, beautifully drawn story about a teen discovering her heritage.Pub Date: March 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-55379-678-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: HighWater Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
