The message of this well-intentioned book is clear, but a lack of substance diminishes its impact.
This short work of juvenile fiction introduces a group of extraordinary teenagers who, at the behest of a benevolent alien, join forces to combat bullying.
The story begins on the first day back from summer vacation, when the students of Gordon High School find a substitute teacher in their computer science class. The teacher is Juno, an alien in disguise, who happens to be looking to recruit six kids to help him put a stop to problems afflicting Earth’s schools and communities while also sending positive messages in the process. The ethnically diverse and undeniably cool teens (white BMXer and computer aficionado Jumpzz, black basketball player and science enthusiast Skillz, among others) are very different, but all exhibit the same laudable characteristics: They’re respectful, humble, studious, confident, involved in charity work, etc. The majority of the story, though, revolves around the teens meeting each other and Juno rather than helping Juno with his mission. Only at the very end does the bullying issue come up, when they confront Blake the Bully on the playground. Additionally, the narrative is inexplicably formatted like a screenplay, focusing almost exclusively on dialog. While the style may make it more palatable for young readers, it greatly diminishes the potential richness and depth of the reading experience. The story boasts a full cast of positive teen role models, along with eye-catching illustrations by the author, but the subject of bullying is only superficially explored.
The message of this well-intentioned book is clear, but a lack of substance diminishes its impact.Pub Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0984397136
Page Count: 32
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions.
A teenage girl refuses a medical procedure to remove her heart and her emotions.
June lives in a future in which a reclusive Scientist has pioneered a procedure to remove hearts, thus eliminating all “sadness, anxiety, and anger.” The downside is that it numbs pleasurable feelings, too. Most people around June have had the procedure done; for young people, in part because doing so helps them become more focused and successful. Before long, June is the only one among her peers who still has her heart. When her parents decide it’s time for her to have the procedure so she can become more focused in school, June hatches a plan to pretend to go through with it. She also investigates a way to restore her beloved sister’s heart, joining forces with Max, a classmate who’s also researching the Scientist because he has started to feel again despite having had his heart removed. The pair’s journey is somewhat rushed and improbable, as is the resolution they achieve. However, the story’s message feels relevant and relatable to teens, and the artwork effectively sets the scene, with bursts of color popping throughout an otherwise black-and-white landscape, reflecting the monochromatic, heartless reality of June’s world. There are no ethnic or cultural markers in the text; June has paper-white skin and dark hair, and Max has dark skin and curly black hair.
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions. (Graphic speculative fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063116214
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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