THE SPY WHO RAISED ME

Josie Black has been working as a secret agent: If only she could remember any of it.

J.B. is a shy, underperforming teen who one day discovers that her entire life is a lie. After she notices gaps in her memory and her mother’s continuous gaslighting attempts, J.B. learns that not only is she a programmed special operative for a mysterious organization called the Company, but she also possesses skills including speaking multiple languages and expert fighting moves. But she can access those only when her mother—another operative—speaks a series of imprinted commands that subsequently pause her memory. It is imperative for J.B. to gain control of her life, but thankfully she has her best friend, Zoe, on her side as well as a little help from the CIA. This graphic novel is filled with potential but is unevenly told with its whiplash-inducing shifts, from fun agent antics and the silliness of the truth behind the Company to the utter horror of J.B.’s mom’s abusive behavior. The novel’s lack of an emotional core leads to an unearned climax, but J.B. and Zoe’s friendship and their adventures are fun. Illustrator Meola’s original style effectively supports the story with cartoonlike, minimalist panels and a terra-cotta palette that both captures J.B.’s horrifying powerlessness and her eventual freedom. Redheaded J.B. appears White; Zoe has darker skin.

An intriguing premise let down by flawed execution.