by Alan Gratz, illustrated by Brent Schoonover Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Publication date: January 3, 2023 Review copy provided by the publisher Content: There is violence depicted, but not terribly graphically It’s in the middle grade graphic novel section of the bookstore.
Captain America and Bucky are in the field in the middle of World War II when they encounter something they’ve never seen before: Ghost Nazis. They defend themselves against some Nazis, later coming back as indestructible ghosts. The source of this turns out to be a magician that’s trying to prove something to his grandfather and (dead) father. It happens to be just outside of Romania (yes there was a Dracula joke), and Bucky and Cap find a good Romany family to help them infiltrate the magician’s castle and defeat them.
Give this to either a kid who is a history buff but also wants a bit of action/adventure/magic with it or a kid who is a Captain America fan and won’t mind the history bit. Alan Gratz is known for his middle-grade historical fiction books, and you can tell here that he knows his stuff. It’s jam-packed with tidbits about WWII – mentions of the Japanese internment and the United States “Ghost” Army. It’s got adventure and a small bit of romance. Perfect for lots of kids.
Honestly, though? It’s not for me. I found it kind of pedantic and predictable. And the relationship between Cap and Bucky was kind of weird (i was expecting more Batman/Robin, and it didn’t quite hit). But I can see how certain kids will eat it up.
Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: There are some scary moments with a ghost. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
Izzy Crane has recently moved to Sleepy Hollow from San Francisco and she’s getting used to the whole small-town feel of things. She’s kind of made friends with Croc, the class prankster, and she has a crush on Vickie Van Tassell, whose family has a Legacy in this town (and who is not supposed to be doing anything with someone whose last name is Crane!). Then a mysterious substitute shows up at school, and Vicky and Izzy realize that Vicky’s life is in danger due to a centuries-old curse on the family). It’s up to the three high schoolers (with the help of the Headless Horseman) to thwart the curse and save Vicky’s life.
I’m a complete sucker for riffs on classic literature, and this is a smart retelling. I liked Izy’s relationship with both Croc and Vicky and the way they worked together. I liked the Headless Horesmeent, and the knowledge the book had that it was playing on the classic story. It was smart, it was fun, and I loved reading it.
Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: There is teen drinking, and some nudity as Hancox tries to describe his gender dysphoria. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
In this graphic memoir, Hancox chronicles his teen years and growing up in a small English community, which they affectionately (or not) dub “St. Hell”. It’s not pleasant growing up: Hancox suffers from intense gender dysphoria and is struggling with his body. He tries everything – from being anorexic to power-lifting – to get rid of what he finds disgusting: his body. As he navigates this, he has friends and family who, while more supportive than not, often make missteps. But then, it was the early 2000s, and no one really knew what they were doing.
The thing I liked best about this memoir was that Hancox inserted himself into the story as well. His present self would go back and interact with characters in the story, from his past self to his parents and friends. He assures his past self that things do eventually turn out, and he asks his parents what they were thinking and why they acted the way they did. it’s not only a good story, it’s a healing one, and not just for the author, I htink. I think – no matter if we are trans or not – we should look at our past selves with compassion; we didn’t alwyas know what was going on and what we were doing, and hindsight is always 20/20. But it’s also a good look into what is ogin on the brain fo someone who is trans, and how (at least for Hancox) that played out.
Crumbs by Danie Stirling Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: The characters are older – say in their late teens or early 20s, so it might not be too interesting to younger readers. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
Ray is a witch, who has her sights on being a Council member. She’s gone to school, and she’s passed her examination to be n intern. Laurie is kind of aimless: he works at his aunt’s bakery, and is trying to be a musician, but keeps flopping at auditions. When they meet, there is an intstant attraction. As they start their relationship, they discover that having magic doesn’t really make relationships easier. They go through the ups and downs of establishing a relationship and communication and balancing that with their own interests and careers.
This was a very sweet graphic novel. I liked the magic system (the cell phones were really cool) ad I liked what Stirling created. I liked the way Ray and Laurie developed their relationship, and how it resolved in the end. It was charming and sweet and cute and fun, all those cozy words. There’s nothing deep here (though it is a good representation of a healthy relationship), but it was delightful to read.
Constantine: Distorted Illusions by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Isaac Goodhart Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: There is underage drinking and demons. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
John Constantine has grown up in London, and his stepfather wants him to go to America and study under a magic master. John wants no such thing, but he does want to get out on his own. So he lies to his parents, heads to Washington, DC to live with a friend of his, and joins a band. He does meet with the magic master and it goes more than badly. But John steals a magic book and he and his friends start dabbling. They unwittingly summon a Greater Deamon which takes possession of Constantine’s friend and creates havoc.
I don’t have much of an attachment to the character of Constantine; I only vaguely know him through Sandman (only the TV show, really), and so I have no idea what Garcia is trying to do with this character. The story wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t really engaging either (there are only so many bad-boy stories you can read). I liked that Constantine’s stepfather was the real parent, being there for his stepson in ways that Constantine’s father wasn’t. I also appreciated that Constatine had a definite growth arc.
I think that those who are interested in the character would be more into this one than I was.
If Anything Happens I Love You by Will McCormack, Michael Govier, Youngran Nho Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: It deals with grief and the trauma of a school shooting. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
An unnamed girl is dead and worrying about her parents’ grief. Her parents have been stuck since the moment they found out she was killed in a school shooting. But, through the magic of – something? – she is able to reconnect with them and remind them of the good things in her/their life before she was so brutally taken away.
I have no idea who this book is for. On the one hand, it shows the absolute grief of parents having their kids untimely taken away from them. It’s a horrible thing, and one I wish we could figure out how to address in this country. But, is it for kids? The girl is 12, but she’s not really a protagonist. Is it for parents who are grieving? Is it for kids who are in school, having to deal with lockdowns and shooter drills? is it to just raise awareness? Also: it’s not really a graphic novel, but more like a picture book for older kids/adults. It wasn’t a bad book, I just have no idea who it’s for.
by Maggie Stiefvater First sentence: “At the beginning of this story, years and years ago, two dreamers arrived at paradise.” Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Others in the series: Call Down the Hawk, Mister Impossible Content: There is violence (the body count is high) and swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Teen section (grades 9+) of the bookstore.
Stiefvater starts “Call Down the Hawk’ thus: “This is going to be a story about the Lynch brothers.” Lest you forget and think this series is about Ronan (or Ronan and Adam) or Bryde, or Hennessey or Jordan, or any of the other characters that weave in throughout the series, at its heart, this is a story about the Lynch brothers. It is a story about family – the family of origin, yes, and how it became that way – but also found family. It’s about sticking together through any odds and letting go when you need to. It’s about art and the power that it has – in this world, literally – but also the way it touches all lives. it’s about relationships between people who are different and the same, sometimes literally the same. It’s about forgiveness and acceptance. It’s about so much, all packed into a story about preventing the end of the world and figuring out one’s role in it. It’s about choices and the consequences of those choices.
But most of all it has a heart that is so, so big. Yes, I cried when it was over because it moved me in ways that I didn’t think I could be moved. My life is so vastly different from the Lynch brothers (obviously), and yet the themes are universal. It’s a more mature book than I think Stiefvater’s younger readers will realize, and I appreciate the way these books – beginning with the Raven Boys – grew up over time.
I am sad to see them all go, but I am glad that they went out this way It was a perfect ending.
Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: There is violence, including suggestions of genocide. It’s in the graphic novel section of the bookstore.
Aiza dreams of becoming a squire for the knights of the kingdom, even though she is an Ornu, a people that has been conquered and oppressed by the kingdom. It’s her heart’s desire, though, and eventually, her parents let her go. What she finds when she gets there, however, is not what she was expecting. She hides her heritage – Ornu get tattoos on their arms and she hides that — and makes some friends. She fails her first exam, and starts trainging with the caretaker in the camp. But when she and her friends are out on a routine patrol, and they are attacked by Ornu villagers, Aiza needs to decie between her dreams and her people.
Oh, I loved this one so much. I loved that the authors are Jordanian- and Palestinian-American, and while this book isn’t explicitly Muslim, they are pulling on the cultures of the area. I loved that you have a girl who is learning and using her spunk to improve and gain respect from other people. I loved that they deal with prejudice and colonialism and war. It was an engaging story, with great art, and absolutely a joy to read. Don’t pass this one up.
Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, and Jamie Green Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: It’s super lovey-dovey, but not really anything else. it’s in the graphic novel section of the bookstore.
Vi same to Arden High for a fresh start – she wasn’t really jiving any more with the uniform of the private school anymore, and she needed a chance to be more expressive. Her twin brother, Sebastian, has decided to stay in the private school – which means he’s away at bearing school. Vi finds it all a bit disconcerting to be in school without her twin, but she eventally makes friends. There’s a dance coming up – and (especially if you’re familiar with Twelfth Night) shenanigans enuse.
I am a sucker for a good Shakespeare retelling, and this is a really good Shakespeare retelling. I liked that Vi is leaning toward non-bineary (though she still uses she/her pronouns) and defies the stereotypes of nonbinary characters. But there is a definite LGBTQIA+ element to this, which is a nice touch. I loved the way they set the play in a high school, and it follos the play pretty much beat for beat. I liked the addition of the faeries from A Midummer Night’s dream to the high school, and how it’s just a delight to read. I loved the art, and thought it was all a lot of fun.
Grishaverse: Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo and Dani Pendergast Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content There is violence, including suggestions of genocide, and some murder. It’s in the graphic novel section of the bookstore.
While this isn’t the story of how the Darkling became the Darkling, it is a story about the Darkling before he truly came to power, and gives some of the reasons behind what he did that led him down the path to becoming the Darkling. He and his mother are wondering Grisha, and they find a village to shelter them. Aleksander is supposed to keep his powers quiet, especially the fact that he is an amplifier. But things go awry, and he ends up murdering a couple of the villagers.
It’s not a deep story, though it’s an interesting exploration of the “bad guy” as the main character. It’s slight, but the art is beautiful, and it serves as both a good interoduction ot the Grishaverse and a nice addition for someone who has been immersed in the world. Not bad at all.
by Tracy Deonn First sentence: “My veins burn with the spirits of my ancestors.” Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Others in the series: Legendborn Content: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and a lot of violence. It’s in the Teen section (grades 9+) of the bookstore.
We pick up where Legendborn left off, so spoilers for that, obviously.
Bri has been chosen as the Scion of Arther, Pendragon, who has woken up after 250 years. The problem is, though, that she’s an outsider (read: black) and the (white, racist) Order doesn’t accept her as what she is: their King. Instead, they gaslight her, drug her, and kidnap her, institutionalizing he. But, her friends are awesome, and they break her free and they all set about doing what needs to be done: training Bri how to better use her powers. This involves meeting new people, facing new dangers, and unraveling a bit more of the corruption behind the Order. Also (and I think we knew this was coming) – there’s a nice love triangle between Nick, Bri, and Sel (the Kingsmage), which is very fitting for an Arthurian tale.
Oh, I love this series. I love the way it plays with race, expectations, and magic. I love the characters (I would do anything for Alice!), and I love the way Deonn has woven different elements – from Bloodwalking, to being marked by demons, to rootcraft, to the aether of the Order – together so effortlessly. The only thing I don’t like is that I have to wait at least a year for the final book in the series.
by Kamome Shirahama Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: there is violence, some mention of sexual abuse, and other traumatic events, as well as some mild swearing. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
Back in August, my kids sat me down and said, “You would really like Witch hat Atelier”. They then pulled it up on their manga site, and I started reading it. And I’ve been slowly reading it over the past couple of months, a chapter a day. The basic plot is that Coco, who was born a non-magical person, accidentally gets ahold of some magic and turns her mother into stone. A magician, Qifry, who happens to be there takes her under his wing – because magic in the wrong hands is dangerous – and teaches her how to be a witch. of course, this is a long process – there are nine volumes after all – and she has adventures along the way.
There are other young witches in the school – the atelier – whom Coco gets to know, and we all learn their stories. We learn more about the magic world, and Qifrey and his best friend Orugio who run the atelier. You learn about the magic world – which is problematic and complicated – and how magic work – which is fascinating, if a bit complicated.
My kids were right: I am enjoying it a LOT. The art is absolutely gorgeous; some of the spreads are just breathtaking. And while I have an issue sometimes with the rambling episodic nature of the manga, I’m really enjoing the charactesr and plots. So, the lesson learend here: when it comes to manga/anime, my kids know what I’ll like.
by T. Kingfisher First sentence: “There was a dead girl in my aunt’s bakery.” Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: there is some death by murdering and mild swearing. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.
Mona doesn’t consider herself a wizard. After all, all she does is small magic – like make bread rise or gingerbread men dance. But when a girl turns up dead in her the kitchen of her aunt’s bakery, she soon discovers that someone is out to get her (and all the other people who do magic in her town). And, since now of the adults in Mona’s life seem to be doing anything, she and her friend (the brother of the dead girl) soon decide to challenge the powers that be and make someone listen.
People have been recommending this to me for a while now, and I guess I just felt that Now was the time to read it. I mean, who doesn’t love a possibly sentient sourdough starter named Bob? But it was also more than that: it was about inclusiveness, about finding one’s power, even if you think it’s small, and about making and keeping friends. It’s very sweet I get why Kingfisher self-published it: it’s not really an adult book, but it’s not really a YA one either. it sits in that publishing no person’s land, where if you like the sort of thing – baking, slight mysteries, magic, etc – you’ll probably love this book.
I fell on the love it side, and I don’t regret that at all.
by Brigid Kemmerer First sentence: “This was supposed to be a peaceful protest.” Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Others in the series (sort-of; it’s a spinoff, but reading these helps): A Curse So Dark and Lonely, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, A Vow So Bold and Deadly Content: There is some violence and off-screen sex. It’s in the Teen section grades 9+) of the bookstore.
So you know: this book picks up four years after the events in “A Vow So Bold and Deadly”. There will probably be spoilers for the first series.
Friends Jax and Callyn live in a small village, a few hours outside of the main city in Syhl Shallow. They’re just a blacksmith and a baker and are a bit wary of the idea of magic being in their country in the form of the king. so, when an opportunity to earn some silver ones their way, they jump at the chance. Little did they know they were getting into an organized insurrection, one that was determined to overthrow the king. There’s more to the story, one that involves Tycho, who is a friend of the king and a courier between Syhl Shallow and the neighboring country of Emberfall. There’s also some romance, betrayal, and a lot of riding horseback through the country.
I didn’t dislike this book, but I didn’t absolutely love it either. Kemmerer has a good storyteller, but maybe I wasn’t in the mood for this. Even so, i might be interested enough to finish the story when th enext book comes out.
by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Content: There is some death and it’s mostly adult problems. It’s in the middle grade section of the bookstore because it’s not quite adult either.
It’s 1919, and Vonceil’s older brother Eber has just come home from the war. She thought it would be just like before he left: they would be best buds. But he comes back changed, more serious, and marries his sweetheart right away, which makes Vonceil mad. And then Greda shows up. She’s a woman Eber met in France who has come to pick up what she thought they had When she finds out that Eber is married, she reveals that she’s a witch, and curses their family’s farm. Vonceil realizes that it’s her responsibility to fix the problem, so sets off after Greda to write the wrong.
It’s part historical fiction, Oklahoma in the early 1900s, but it’s mostly a fairy tale as Vonceil learns Greda’s story and faces down witches n her quest to support her family.
It’s a fun graphic novel, and I enjoyed the story. But, I wonder if it’s one that kids will really like? It’s a fairy tale, yes, set in America, which is unique. But it’s also about adults with very adult problems. It also lacks in the diversity department; there’s exactly one non-white character. Maybe it’ll find its audience somewhere. I didn’t dislike it but it wasn’t the best one either.
by Maggie Stiefvater First sentence: “When they came to kill the Zed, it was a nice day.” Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! Others in the series: Call Down the Hawk Content: There is a lot of swearing, including multiple f-bombs.It’s in the Teen section (grades 9+) of the bookstore.
I saw a virtual event last fall for Swamp Thing in which Maggie said that writing a graphic novel helped her writing overall, made it tighter and more streamlined. And that it affected the way Mister Impossible was written. And you know what? She’s right. Mister Impossible is a tight, streamlined ride. There is action and tension and mystery and reveals, and maybe she’s not all up in the feels with Ronan and Adam, but it all works. In fact, I would say that this one, while it’s the middle in a series, is one of her best books, overall. (Not my favorite, but definitely one of the best.)
I’m not going to go into the plot because spoilers, but know this: it’s a great book. It’s full of Stiefvater-ness (chapter 13! So many little turns of phrases here and there!) and I love the magical world she’s built. And there’s really no “bad” guy — just competing good intentions. What does one do when your good intention is in conflict with someone else’s?
And the end? Let’s just say that waiting for the last book in this trilogy is going to be agonizing.
I love Maggie’s work, yes, but this one? This one is truly excellent.
