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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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