DANTE N. FERNO IS NOT A LOSER

His hellaciously embarrassing reputation drives a boy to try to transform himself in time for middle school.

Dante Nimrod Ferno, who hails from the fiery-hot town of Brimstone and has horns, like many other residents, is about to enter Purg Middle School. Accidentally dropping his pants in the school cafeteria when he was 6 made him a laughingstock, and thanks to his nemesis, Phillip, no one has forgotten the incident. Dante, who’s cued neurodiverse, has trouble focusing, but he means well and wants to get along, no matter how much teasing he gets from classmates like the cliquey unicorns. He does befriend a couple of nicer kids, including Virgil, a winged boy from the neighboring realm of Blisshaven, who acts as an accomplice to many of Dante’s plots. Every page features an illustration that breaks up the text, and varied fonts are frequently employed for emphasis, adding to the visual interest. Gordon’s scribbly black-and-white art is lively and expressive. Dante’s maturing personality and better nature come through as he interacts with friends and demonstrates his mastery of comic book superhero lore. He doesn’t solve all the problems in his life, but by the end of the book, his confidence and self-esteem have a fighting chance. Readers will have to wait for the sequel in order to see how he fares from here.

An entertaining, afterlife-themed addition to the pantheon of insecure, goofy tweens who could use a good friend.