Review: No Normal

No Normal (Ms. Marvel, Volume One)
By G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona
Published 2014 by Marvel

Kamala Khan loves superheroes but she never imagines she could be one herself. Inexplicably, though, that is exactly what happens. Now, Kamala must figure out what being a superhero means - particularly for a Pakistani American Muslim teenager.

I picked this one up for YALSA's Hub Challenge and because I'd heard lots of rave reviews about it. I figured it was time to see what the fuss was about.

To be honest, I didn't love this one. I wanted to like it more than I actually did. However, I think this is completely my own personal bias - I've never really read superhero comics and I don't have a lot of interest in them (in fact, I kind of roll my eyes at the sheer amount of superhero comics that exist). When I pick graphic novels, I tend to choose the ones that more closely resemble my other reading interests - horror, historical, mystery, literary, etc. That's not to say that I would never enjoy a superhero comic, but, generally speaking, they're not really my bag.

So, perhaps I was predisposed to be a bit underwhelmed by this one. I appreciated the diversity of the main character and female superhero - YAY! But, I felt like most of the characters were not developed beyond a superficiality and that was disappointing. Also, while I liked Kamala's journey to figure out how best to use her powers, I thought the actual plot was pretty uninspired. Obviously it hints at bigger bads to come, but I just didn't find it all that interesting. That being said, I'll probably check out the next volume, but my expectations will be much lower this time around.

Review: Jackaby

Jackaby (Jackaby, book one)
By William Ritter
Published 2014 by Algonquin Young Readers

Abigail Rook finds herself in need of employment. With not much initial luck, she finds herself taking on a most unusual assignment - assistant to one Mr. R.F. Jackaby, a very peculiar individual. Jackaby confesses that he can see the supernatural and, as they begin investigating a truly bizarre series of murders, Abigail starts to think that it may actually be true.

I remember hearing about this book prior to its release last year. I thought it sounded interesting, so of course I added it to my giant TBR list, knowing that it would likely be some time before I actually got around to reading it. I once again decided to participate in YALSA's Hub Challenge, prompting me to pick up this title much more quickly than I might have otherwise.

This book is billed as a cross between Doctor Who and BBC's Sherlock - neither is a show I watch. However, it's pretty easy to see where this billing comes from. Jackaby is quite clearly inspired by (if not a direct derivative of) the very idiosyncratic and no-nonsense Sherlock Holmes. Throw in a bit of the unexplainable (though, in this first volume, no aliens or time travel) and that's basically what you've got. It's quite entertaining, actually, and I'm glad I read it, but I'm not sure it'll stay with me forever.

I liked the characters, though I don't think they were as deeply developed as they could be. They really mostly seemed to exist as an excuse for the story - i.e. we're reading about these characters solely because Ritter needed a reason to put forth this paranormal mystery. There are glimpses of deeper characterization for Abigail and Jackaby (as well as several of the secondary characters) but, in this first volume, they feel pretty basic.

The story itself is fairly interesting - it actually kind of reminded me of an old episode of Supernatural. I thought the mystery was complex enough to keep me guessing and I liked that Ritter incorporated both well-known and lesser-known mythological/paranormal creatures. I'll be interested to see what other kinds of legends show up in future books.

So, I suppose that makes it clear that I'm interested in checking out more books in the series as they come. I thought it was a fun, quick read that kept me guessing.

Review: Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces
By Isabel Quintero
Published 2014 by Cinco Puntos Press

Gabi's last year in high school is not going to be easy. Her dad's a drug addict, her best friend is pregnant, her other best friend is coming out, and she's trying to navigate it all. Plus, there are college applications, her antagonistic relationship with her mother, and boys. Will Gabi figure out a way to not only survive, but thrive?

If you were on the blog yesterday, you may have read my little tirade (I hope you did). Reading this book last week may have been another one of the things that pushed me to finally get my thoughts out. Because this book is SO IMPORTANT.

I wish this book had existed when I was a teen girl. Reading Gabi's thoughts on what it means to be a woman, or to be Mexican, or to love food, or to have an addicted family member - it would have meant a lot to me as a teen. Many of Gabi's thoughts are the same ones I had but was afraid to express. Why is it okay for boys to behave one way but not for girls? Why are boys allowed to be in control of their sexuality while girls are supposed to hide it? What does it really mean to be Mexican (or Asian or Black or White or Native or whatever)? Who decides? Why are overweight women judged so much more harshly than overweight men? Why isn't my love enough to fix my addicted family member? These are just a few of the kinds of thoughts that Gabi has in this novel and I recognized myself in a lot of them. My life is, on the surface, very different from Gabi's, but there are more similarities than I would have initially thought.

What resonated most with me was Gabi's exploration of her sexuality. I thought Quintero wrote this part of her character and story very realistically - it reminded me so much of my own experiences and it felt universal. So many girls are taught that they are not worth loving - that their bodies are not the right size or their skin is not the right color or their dreams are not the right ones. This leads these girls to think they don't deserve to find happiness, that they should settle for the first person to show some interest in them because who knows if there will be a second. I felt this way when I was a teen, so it didn't surprise me that Gabi did as well. I liked that Gabi's exploration of her sexuality led her to question her role in society and the role of women in general. I liked that she began to question how women are treated and how it can vary depending on many factors but some things stay pretty consistent.

Gabi's relationship with her dad also resonated deeply with me, as I also was a teen with an addicted family member. Her struggles were my struggles. I thought Quintero did a great job capturing what it feels like loving someone who is addicted and the many different things their addiction can do to your emotions.

Gabi's voice is so authentic and what she has to say is so important. I applaud Quintero for telling this story and I'm looking forward to what she might do next. In the meantime, I'll be recommending this book as much as I can.

Review: Escape from Riverdale

Escape from Riverdale (Afterlife with Archie, book one)
By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, illustrated by Francesco Francavilla
Published 2014 by Archie Comics

After his dog is killed, Jughead enlists the help of Sabrina (the Teenage Witch) to bring him back. But Hot Dog is not the same and soon, Jughead is leading an infestation of zombies through Riverdale. Will Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the rest escape unharmed?

I've never read an Archie comic before. When I read comics, they were decidedly in the horror vein. That's my main motivation for reading this one - classic comic featuring zombies. It sounded awesome and I wanted to read it even before I signed up for the Hub Challenge. But, of course, it took my deciding to participate to actually spur me to pick it up and read it.

But I devoured it (heh). And I loved it. It's a legit zombie story, one that I quickly became completely invested in. It's creepy and gory and tense and compelling. It's not terribly original but, then again, what zombie story is? The thing is that this one is just so well-executed that it was a delightful read (if you like this sort of story). Not being familiar with the Archie comics didn't matter, because Aguirre-Sacasa introduces all the characters you need to know and provides basic sketches of them in this first volume. I was so caught up in the story that it even made me cry (trust me, I was as surprised as you are). The art is fantastic as well. The whole thing is just plain fun and I can't wait to see where it goes next. Definitely recommended!

Review: In Real Life

In Real Life
By Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang
Published 2014 by First Second

Anda loves gaming, so when the opportunity to join a guild in an MMORPG comes up, she jumps at the chance. Things get complicated when she meets a gold farmer - who in real life is a poor Chinese teenager. His actions in the game are illegal, but it's this work that makes him money. So what's right and what's wrong?

I've never read Doctorow before. Quite honestly, technology and gaming, while I enjoy them, are not really my thing and most of what he writes deals with these things. This is a graphic novel, so something a little bit different. It also explores what is apparently a real-life issue (like I said, gaming is not really my scene). It was named a top ten title on the Great Graphic Novels list for teens, so I read it as part of the Hub Challenge.

I don't know if I have much to say about it. Frankly, the bulk of the story here rubbed me the wrong way. It feels...imperialist? Is that the word I'm looking for? It feels like Anda is this white savior who must find some way to save the poor desperate savages who don't know any better (these are my own words, not the author's; this is my impression). Anda fully admits that she doesn't know what life is like in China or what having a job like Raymond's (that's the gold farmer she befriends) would be like and yet she still, for some reason, believes that she should be the one to fix it. I get that this is Anda's story, but this just reeks uncomfortably of white American superiority and I honestly cannot understand how Doctorow thought this was a legitimate way to present this issue. Like I said, gaming is not really my thing, so I don't know all the intricacies of gold farming, but Doctorow does discuss the real life issue in the introduction a bit. It seems much more complex than could be worked out in a short graphic novel. Additionally, the ending just furthered my bad feelings about this part of the story - Raymond, who was fired, returns to the game in a new handsome avatar and with a much better job, while Anda encourages his former coworkers to stand up for their rights and she becomes a hero. It just felt icky. I get that you want a happy ending, but another part of this story is Anda learning that her actions have consequences and, sometimes, things DON'T work out for the best.

I'm not sure what else to say. The first part of the story, where Anda talks about her love of gaming and is recruited because she is a female gamer, is good. If you're at all in the world of gaming, you've heard about what it's like to be a female gamer (REALLY NOT GOOD), so I appreciated the part of the story showing that it's totally legit for girls to game and no one should make you feel bad for liking the things you do. And the art is lovely to look at, particularly for the in-game scenes. But, on the whole, this book just did not work for me.

Review: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
By A.S. King, read by Christine Lakin
Published 2014 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Glory has no plans for her future. What if she doesn't have one? Her mother did stick her head in the oven, and that kind of thing runs in families. But when Glory and her best friend drink a petrified bat (or maybe it's mummified?), they begin having visions of the future. Now Glory will know for certain if she has one - but will it be one she wants?

I'm pretty sure I'll read anything A.S. King publishes. I listened to this one for YALSA's Hub Challenge and I'm very glad I did.

I loved this book. For quite a while, I wasn't sure if I would. I mean, it's pretty strange. A girl and her friend drink the remains of a bat and begin having visions of a dystopian future - it's definitely out there. And most of King's books have some sort of out there element. But this one just hit all the right notes for me. I loved Glory and her mixed feelings about her mother (about whom no one talks, including her dad). I like that Glory does not want to get close to anyone, which includes the readers. She is complicated and angry and unsure - she feels very much like a real teenager. I think King did a fantastic job of exploring Glory's grief - maybe because an immediate member of family passed away, I'm always conscious of the way grief is portrayed in books for young people. King captures the complicated experience of grief really well. I really liked reading about Glory's experiments with photography and the discovery of her mother through her photography notebook. I thought the other characters were developed nicely as well - from Glory's father to her best friend to her best friend's mother and more. Every one is unique and feels real, like I could meet them on the street someday.

I thought the plot here was exceptional. Magical realism can sometimes be hit or miss for me, but it was completely engaging this time around. Glory's visions of the future were kind of like a car accident - horrible but I couldn't look away. How does the world end up looking like she sees it? What is Glory's part in the history of the future? Can she find a way to change it or is everything already in motion? Really gripping stuff. And, of course, I can't help but love the feminism in this book. King knows how important it is that the young people of today care about the injustices around them and she clearly wants to foster a desire to correct these injustices. This book reminded me of how much I wanted to change the world when I was younger and made me feel guilty for not continuing that nowadays.

I thought the audio was really well done. I worried initially that this kind of story wouldn't work for me on audio - sometimes I lost focus while listening. But the narrator for this was perfect. She sounded exactly right for Glory's voice and the short chapters and awesome story definitely held my interest the whole way through. In fact, I sped through this, finding excuses to listen whenever I could. Highly recommended.

Review: This One Summer

This One Summer
By Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Published 2014 by First Second

Rose and her parents always spend the summer at a house in Awago Beach. But this summer is not like the others before it. Her parents seem to be fighting a lot, and when Rose seeks a distraction, she and her friend Windy only end up finding more drama. What will this one summer change for them?

Obviously, I've been meaning to read this book for a long time - probably a year ago is when I first started hearing about it. At the beginning of this year, it won both Printz and Caldecott Honors - something no book has done before. My interest in the book only grew at that point, and I put a hold on the library copy, waiting for it to arrive.

I've speculated before that, sometimes, reading a book after you've heard the hype machine run for a while doesn't do great things for one's opinion of the book. I fear that may be the case with my feelings for this book. But...

I didn't love it? Actually, that's not entirely true. I LOVED the art - it's absolutely wonderful and Tamaki completely deserves her Caldecott and I really applaud the committee for recognizing the beauty in this artwork.

However, if you take away the art, there's nothing left for me to love. I really had no interest in the story, and I don't think it was fleshed out in a way that really captured my attention. It felt underdeveloped - well, parts of it, anyway - and a bit disjointed. I think it's a really interesting look at how a parent's grief, particularly over something one may not fully understand, can impact a child and the cyclical nature of parent-child relationships. But I felt Rose's relationship with Windy was not as strong as I would have expected prior to reading, and their involvement in the other drama going on around Awago Beach never really fit for me. Additionally, I understand what the climax of the book is supposed to be, but it didn't feel all that climactic really. I just have a really hard time thinking the writing here is worthy of a Printz Honor. But, what do I know?

Overall, definitely not my favorite graphic novel. I'm excited to take a look at some of the titles from the Great Graphic Novels list next.