The perfect beach read for shōjo manga fans who like a little fantasy magic with their love triangles.
Aquatic adolescence meets magical girl intrigue in this surfside romantic comedy.
Sea sprite Coral works as a surf instructor for a hotel. She has a little stepsister, Maki, who is a kappa. Maki’s father, Taki, runs a boba shop and is married to Coral’s mom, Leora, who is a fashion designer. Coral’s friends include siren Anemone, whose legs turn into twin fish tails when wet, and dryad Lillyana, who has plant powers and a penchant for nudity. Maki teases Coral about her huge crush on Nick Inferno, a fire ifrit. In fact, there are plenty of crushes to go around in this story. Coral also finds Lance Riptide, the hotel owner’s privileged son, irresistibly cute, and Lillyana subjugates a boys’ volleyball team with giant plants in order to flirt with them. On top of that, the student body at Littoral High School is gaga for Nick and Ember, his “smoking hot” billboard model twin sister. The romantic comedy and drama that ensue take center stage along with a touch of mystery around Coral’s secret powers and missing father. The full-color artwork gives each anthropomorphic species its own palette (for example, kappas are green, while ifrits are yellow and orange) and frequently shows off the cast’s buff and curvaceous swimsuit bodies.
The perfect beach read for shōjo manga fans who like a little fantasy magic with their love triangles. (bonus comics) (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781645059790
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Seven Seas
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 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.
