An entertaining adventure.
In this second entry in a series inspired by the online game Neopets, everyone in Neopia is being turned into toys.
The Discarded Magical Blue Grundo Plushie of Prosperity (TDMBGPOP for short) is a toy that’s been drawing in visiting Neopets. When a member of the Council of Faeries brings him up during a meeting, she’s met with a firm response: Toys are mere playthings, and any perception that Neopians who visit him feel better afterward is “at best, a coincidence.” The Council is willing to let TDMBGPOP remain, however, because he attracts Neopians. And yet, TDMBGPOP does have feelings—and one day, he discovers that he can move. Suddenly and inexplicably sentient and mobile, he leaves the tree where he’s been stuck. As he travels around Faerieland, trying to understand his situation, he discovers something surprising: Everyone has been transformed into toys, even light-skinned, purple-haired Queen Fyora. TDMBGPOP meets two other living toys, Buttons and Stitches, and together they come up with a plan to save everyone. But the cause of all this chaos might be closer to home than TDMBGPOP originally thought. Fans of the game will delight in da Silva’s colorful panels and richly detailed backgrounds that are reminiscent of the classic style of the Neopets game. This heartfelt, often funny graphic novel carries a hopeful message.
An entertaining adventure. (note from ambulatory wheelchair disability activist Sabrina Alexander) (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781524880613
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
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
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention.
A duology opener that revisits the world of Divergent (2011).
Beatrice “Tris” Prior is Divergent. But before she can select Dauntless, her Choosing Ceremony is interrupted by a group of factionless rebels, and her good friend is killed. Amid the chaos, Tris sees Evelyn, the wife of Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton—but Evelyn supposedly died years ago. And, shockingly, she’s an Amity woman who’s holding a gun. Tris doesn’t tell anyone, even her father, when he later questions her. Her brother, Caleb, chooses Erudite—the faction that’s most critical toward the Abnegation and their practices—and Tris feels pressured to stay in Abnegation. But when her father tries to erase her memories, she knows she’s unsafe. Tris’ mother helps her escape to the factionless, where Tris meets Four, a Dauntless boy. Their relationship shows her that she was right to leave Abnegation—and that maybe the rebels are correct to want the death of the faction system. As Tris becomes friends with the other “faction failures,” she realizes that no faction is as it seems, and that power is a corrupting influence they can’t escape. This exciting work revisits beloved characters, offering a new understanding of them and of what happens when we stand up and ask questions. Returning fans and those new to this world will appreciate the witty banter, slow-burn romance, and heartache stemming from betrayal and complicated familial love. The leads are cued white.
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9780063462595
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
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