EOWULF

The lines between friends and enemies blur for a young descendant of Beowulf when monsters threaten her New Jersey town.

In this graphic novel spinoff from Cavallaro’s Nico Bravo series, red-haired monster hunter Eowulf Wegmund loves battling mystical foes in real life as well as participating in role-playing games with her friends. After seeing aloof Amadeus Hornburg being bullied at school, she befriends him. Her parents warn her against hanging out with a Hornburg, and her gaming squad, who dislike him, are equally displeased. Eowulf feels like everyone is keeping secrets from her, but her anxiety must go on a back burner when rampaging monsters descend upon her quiet, suburban town. With her trusty sentient sword, Roger, she plunges into battle—only to find the battle lines blurry: Whom can she really trust? This new series hits a masterful note in its complex symphony of tween angst; Eowulf knows that something is amiss, and watching her forge ahead with candor and impulsivity makes her a compulsively relatable and endearing hero. Vivid, kinetic illustrations propel the adept plotting, and the coloring by Yeom makes the exciting battles positively blaze on the page. Nico Bravo aficionados will be pleased with winking nods to the trilogy throughout, and the clever, cliffhanging epilogue will certainly hook all readers. Eowulf reads white; there is racial diversity throughout the supporting cast.

A pitch-perfect tale of friendship and fantastical foes.