Electrifying, swiftly moving, and full of life.
A Frankenstein-inspired graphic novel that explores how expectations get in the way of creation.
Grief-stricken and remorseful, scientist Frances “Frankie” Ai attempts to resurrect her younger sister, Maura, several months after she died in an experiment gone awry. After taking apart Maura’s body, stitching her up, and jolting her with a lightning-powered contraption in their home laboratory, Frances awakens a monster. She is surprised to discover that the monster, M, has no memory of her sister’s life before the accident. Though M and Gin Ivanov, Frances’ nonbinary spouse, have their reservations, Frances is determined to keep trying to bring back the sister she remembers. Settling into Maura’s old bedroom, the monster is startled by Maura’s ghost—whom only she is able to see—emerging from a mirror and announcing that M is wearing her body. The ghost agrees to help the monster behave more like Maura in order to stop Frances from taking her apart again. In exchange, Maura’s ghost can continue her research, talk to Frances, and live vicariously through M. Dutton pairs her rich storytelling and expressive characters with bold illustrations that evoke the mid-20th century and are executed in a palette of teal, black, and white. Sewn up with a powerful ending, this debut is a deftly paced, satisfying read. The Ai sisters read as Chinese; Gin appears White.
Electrifying, swiftly moving, and full of life. (Graphic science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 28, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4197-6220-8
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Surely Books/Abrams ComicArts
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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
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