Reviews

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) -- Gr 9 Up-The book opens with a 12-year-old girl named Erin having an incredibly vivid and confusing dream. She wakes up and starts her paper route. Because it's November 1, there's a lot of residual Halloween weirdness out on the streets, and soon she finds herself the target of some teenage boys who are wearing costumes while vandalizing the neighborhood. Erin is rescued by several newspaper delivery girls who are traveling together for safety, and then the narrative takes a surreal turn. Some folks in the neighborhood start disappearing, and people who appear to be wearing Halloween costumes seem to be from different times or places. The papergirls try to figure out who is attacking them and why, who are their allies or enemies, and just what on earth is going on. The tale ends with a striking cliff-hanger that will let readers know that the girls' adventures are far from over. Vaughn's reputation has already skyrocketed with the success of graphic novels like Saga, and this title helps to showcase his abilities as the author of far-out fiction that will make readers think. Colorful and captivating, the artwork expertly captures the strange qualities of this memorable outing. Strong language makes this more appropriate for mature readers. VERDICT An awesome selection for older teens and adults looking for an exciting sci-fi tale with unexpected twists.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library


BOOK RIOT -- Princeless Vol 1: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley, Mia Goodwin, Jung-Ha Kim (Contributor), Dave Dwonch (Contributor): I’ve raved about this one a lot–I even dream cast it because this needs to happen!–since it is all the things I wish I’d had in a comic as a kid AND something I totally enjoy and love as an adult. Princess Adrienne and her sisters are in towers waiting for their princes to rescue them but Adrienne has no desire to be rescued by anyone but herself. And so she rescues herself. Then she teams up with the funny Bedelia– after Bedelia makes her some body armor–to go rescue her sister. And if the series weren’t delightful enough it spins off into Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess Book 1: Captain Raven and the All-Girl Pirate Crew which is just awesome lady pirates being awesome and hilarious.

BOOK RIOT -- Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson: Being that Saga is one of my all time favorite comics I was really excited to hear Vaughan was working on not only a new comic book but one that is set in the '80s! This time instead of a story centering around an epic love we have a group of paper girls who encounter some weird shit happening in their neighborhood. The graphics are fantastic, the what-is-happening element is intriguing, and the different personalities and relationships amongst the girls is great. And if you're a fan of Stranger Things you should definitely pick this one up.