A sometimes-jarring but heartfelt narrative in a creatively rendered world.
In Nelson’s YA SF graphic novel set on an ocean planet, two human teenagers have an adventure, during which they will change each other—and the world on which they live.
This quirky adventure explores such themes as choosing positive relationships over toxic ones and living in a world where power struggles exist far outside the average person’s control. Fifteen-year-old Puffer acts as muscle for her “mad scientist” mother, Sharon, who was once a minion of the evil Lord Jel but is now attempting to take over Planet Aqua herself. Sharon constantly belittles her daughter, setting Puffer up for a rude awakening when they raid a small town aboard a ship and she sees the very different dynamic between the town’s leader, Wallace, and his adopted daughter, Clarissa. After Puffer and Clarissa are accidentally thrown overboard, they must rely on each other to survive, resulting in a classic odd-couple journey of burgeoning friendship. Nelson’s graphic novel is, tonally, a bit hard to pin down. The melodramatic villains and cutesy character designs make it come across as a fairly family-friendly story that addresses the broad notions of unhealthy familial relationships and dictatorships in a way fit for younger readers. It’s jarring, therefore, when one of the villains beheads someone or when a pile of dead bodies is found. That said, the story effectively revolves around the decisive act of freeing oneself from a bad situation—saying “your love doesn’t feel good” and choosing to be a positive force in the world. Bonus chapters also reveal more of the villains’ backstories, and this context adds a touch more nuance to the main plotline, especially in how it shows Sharon to be capable of regret.
A sometimes-jarring but heartfelt narrative in a creatively rendered world.Pub Date: March 17, 2025
ISBN: 9798987986028
Page Count: 305
Publisher: James Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Flipping awesome.
After a wish goes wrong, a girl and her crush must figure out how to break a body-switching curse.
Chi-Chi Ekeh feels invisible. Like her previous crushes, hot varsity swimmer Flip Henderson—yet another rich white boy at her Texas boarding school—seems unaware of her existence. With only weeks until graduation, Nigerian American Chi-Chi’s friends Esther and Yesenia dare her to ask Flip to Senior Festival. But Flip accidentally shows her promposal video to the whole class—and immediately turns her down. Embarrassed, Chi-Chi flees, but her innocent remark—“I just wish Flip Henderson liked me”—has unexpected consequences. After falling and hitting her head, Chi-Chi wakes up in Flip’s body, and he in hers. Freaked out beyond belief and regularly switching bodies, Chi-Chi and Flip work with Esther and Yesenia to break the curse. Meanwhile, forced to see herself through someone else’s eyes, Chi-Chi must confront uncomfortable feelings. There’s much to love about this book. The fully realized and sympathetic characters, sincere and humorous development of friendships, and protagonist’s relatable and bittersweet emotional journey will keep readers engaged, eager to reach the resolution. Ukazu carefully balances tough topics like self-hatred, depression, and suicidal ideation with funny feel-good moments, deftly rendered in her characteristically expressive style. The dynamic and engaging illustrations bring to life a heartwarming story of self-love, acceptance, and true connection.
Flipping awesome. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250179517
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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
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