Diana’s lasso of truth shows this one is a winner.
A graphic adaptation of Bardugo’s (Ninth House, 2019, etc.) 2017 novel of the same name.
Diana was molded from clay by her mother, Hippolyta, and given life by the goddesses. Because she was made and did not earn her place in Themyscira, Diana is determined to prove herself to her mother and her fellow Amazons by winning the race to Bana-Mighdall. Midway through the race, Diana witnesses a ship exploding and sets aside her desire for victory to save a girl, Alia. When Alia’s presence on the island wreaks havoc, Diana learns she is a Warbringer, cursed to bring death and destruction everywhere she goes. Diana and Alia flee Themyscira, return Alia to New York City and, with the help of Alia’s brother and two of their friends, work to break the curse. The introduction of necessary background information doesn’t always flow well with the conversation bubbles, and red-outlined text boxes showing Alia’s thoughts feel insufficient for the introduction of a second narrator. Well-paced and funny, where this adaptation stands out is in the illustrations that show people of color in a nuanced way. The cast is diverse—Diana appears white, Alia and her brother are biracial (black and Greek), their two friends are cued as South Asian, fat, and queer and Afro-Latinx respectively. Readers need not have read any other Wonder Woman stories to enjoy this one.
Diana’s lasso of truth shows this one is a winner. (Graphic novel. 13-17)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4012-8255-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: DC Ink
Review Posted Online: Oct. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
A buzzworthy eco-thriller.
Will a teen be able to find her missing sister and save a local forest from development?
Eighteen-year-old Dee Ramirez’s twin sister, Beth, is missing. For the last six years, the girls have lived separately and grown distant—Dee moved out with her police officer father, while Beth remained with their mother. With Beth’s disappearance, Dee and her father are back in the family home, and Dee is attending Beth’s school and learning as much as she can about her life. As Dee tries to piece together clues about Beth’s disappearance, she also becomes invested in a cause Beth cared deeply about: fighting against the Redline Central Gas Company, a shady corporation determined to run a pipeline through the pristine pinelands Beth loved. With her best friend, Tobi, and Beth’s boyfriend, Lucas, Dee explores the pinelands, positive that clues to her sister’s fate must be out there. In a sharp supernatural twist, Dee encounters something otherworldly in the woods that she cannot explain but feels can help. Drawing upon a mix of contemporary environmentalism and paranormal mystery and populated with a believable cast of characters, this genre-defying thrill ride will appeal to a wide audience. The resolution may leave a bit to be desired, but the journey is filled with edge-of-your-seat creepiness. O’Connor positively portrays characters of diverse body shapes and sizes; Dee and her family’s surname cues them as Latinx. Lucas appears White, and the supporting cast is multiracial.
A buzzworthy eco-thriller. (Graphic thriller. 13-17)Pub Date: Nov. 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12530-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Remarkable storytelling presents a multilayered struggle around identity and power in an anti-Muslim climate.
After a traumatic experience, Nisrin decides to wear a hijab; however, the road to asserting her identity is not that simple.
It’s 2002 in Oregon, and anti-Muslim sentiments are on the rise. Muslim Bangladeshi American Nisrin and her best friend, Firuzeh, who is cued as Iranian and Black, become victims of a gruesome hate crime at the end of eighth grade. Afterward, Nisrin, who lives with her single mother and maternal grandparents, slowly recuperates physically and mentally. When she enters high school, Nisrin decides to wear the hijab, partly as an act of resistance. This is met with a mix of concern and strong disapproval, especially from her domineering grandfather. Neither Nisrin’s mother nor grandmother are hijabi, and Nisrin herself only starts actively learning about Islam after this point. She struggles at school with discrimination from teachers and fellow students alike, made worse because Firuzeh seems to be avoiding her as well. As family tensions rise, Nisrin learns more about her family’s past and Bangladeshi history, context that helps her understand her family’s complicated feelings about her decision. This gripping graphic novel is fast-paced and dramatic, with full-color illustrations that intensify the heightened emotions. The darkness is tempered by a happy ending, with friendships—both old and new—blossoming, a family growing closer, and a teenager finding more peace in her own skin.
Remarkable storytelling presents a multilayered struggle around identity and power in an anti-Muslim climate. (information about Bangladesh) (Graphic fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4016-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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