The fate of Wakanda is in Princess Shuri’s hands in this original Black Panther tale.
In this apparently alternate universe to the Black Panther film’s, much is different (including many character’s personalities and the history of Shuri’s family), but one thing is the same: Shuri’s a technological genius. At 13, she loves her personal lab but is less than enthusiastic about royal duties. Third-person narration interspersed with Shuri’s first-person mission logs both use language that boomerangs from disorientingly formal to distinctly American, even though most characters are African. Furthermore, an excess of exposition bogs down the narrative. When Shuri alerts the Queen and King T’Challa (the current Black Panther) that the heart-shaped herb—which gives the Black Panther superhuman powers—is dying, bizarrely, neither one seems to take the news seriously. Thankfully, Shuri does, and her quest to find answers takes her beyond Wakanda’s borders. At one notable point, Shuri’s confusion with what Western readers may recognize as racial microaggressions teases a deeper theme. In the end, Shuri saves the day, but the supposed villain’s quarrel with Wakanda is understandable—similar to Killmonger’s in the film. But unlike the film, this narrative chooses not to engage with the issue in a rushed conclusion.
Offering an enjoyable romp but minimal depth, this demands readers willing to suspend devotion to canon. (Science fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-58547-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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Bubble-gum–tinged whimsy abounds in this stylish French graphic-novel import. Cotton-candy–tressed Nola spends her days dreaming in her peaceful town, Alta Donna. Her world is cozy and ordinary until she meets the aloof and mysterious Damiano and Inés. Nola quickly learns that there are strange forces after the siblings and is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. Nola and her friends radiate a funky fashion sense, constantly changing clothes and hairstyles; it’s hard to imagine a reader who wouldn’t want to raid her closet. This first installment propels forward with the force of a rocket—albeit a very pink, fanciful one. Luckily for the ravenous reader, the whole trilogy releases simultaneously (#2, Ferrets and Ferreting Out, PLB: 978-0-7613-6504-4; #3, Even for a Dreamer Like Me, PLB: 978-0-7613-6505-1). Though it's a fantastic visual experience, the actual plot is thin; even as Nola delves into the mystery in the subsequent volumes, the narrative never really gains any degree of complexity. However, with its upbeat palette (courtesy of Pop), manga-inspired art and hip characters, this charmer is sure to please preteen girls. (Graphic fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7613-6538-9
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2010
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Vande Velde again traps teenagers inside an authentically depicted arcade game—but here she works twists into the premise that are both amusing and crank up the danger.
As in User Unfriendly (1991) and Heir Apparent (2002), the game, called “The Land of Golden Butterflies,” is manufactured by the shadowy Rasmussem Corp. and is fully immersive, fed directly into the brain through electrodes. Into this game 14-year-old Grace Pizzelli’s big sister Emily has gone; moreover, she has refused to come out and altered the code so she can’t be forcibly ejected. As sessions that run longer than a few hours cause brain damage and death, the corporation desperately turns to Grace to follow Emily in and persuade her to leave. Reluctantly agreeing, Grace discovers to her disgust that, rather than offering the usual heroic-fantasy or science-fiction setting, this digital world has been colored in pinks and lavenders. It is stocked with (supposedly) benign magical creatures and hunky male servitors—in general, it seems designed to cater to 10-year-old would-be princesses. The idyll has gone sour, though, because thanks to Emily’s fiddling, not only have the wish-granting sprites turned nasty, but the game’s governing Artificial Intelligence has changed the Rules—disabling the “Quit” function and forcing both Grace and her already-failing sister to embark on a seemingly hopeless quest with their real lives at stake.
Emily’s motives turn out to be little more than a pretext, but the author delivers another clever, suspenseful drama in the digital domain. (Science fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: July 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-73850-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
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