Characters: Fiends of the Library
Graphic Novel Review: How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger
Posted on October 17, 2024 at 6:00 am by Gene Ambaum
How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger. Greenwillow Books, 2024. 9780063158146. 298pp. plus the best “Thank You” page ever at the end of the book.
Tara is thirteen, and she’s about to start high school with her older sister (Isla) because she skipped the eighth grade. To say Tara is nervous would be an understatement. (She has an active imagination we get to see on the page — the color of what goes on in her head is red, as opposed to the way the rest of the book is colored.)
High school feels like complete chaos. One of the two other kids who skipped a grade with her, Jessup, already has a beard, so he kind of fits in. Tara does not and is freaked out. Then she goes into Mr. Tims’s class for the first time and witnesses his “white-hot love of literature.” He’s amazing (to me at least), most of his students are dreadful, and his announcement of a group project brings forth apocalyptic imagery in Tara’s mind…but it does lead to her making a friend, and one of the funniest presentations ever. That’s about half the book — the rest is great, too, but no spoilers.
This is one of my favorite depictions of family and sisterhood — Isla and Tara are best friends in addition to being sisters — plus figuring out what’s going on in your own head and heart and then dealing with it. The depictions of high school misbehavior are hilarious and felt super real. Plus the art and especially the coloring is so good I had to stop several times to admire it. Great book.
Graphic Novel Review: The EXPETS Book 1 by Mark Tatulli
Posted on October 15, 2024 at 4:56 am by Gene Ambaum
The EXPETS Book 1 by Mark Tatulli. Caitlyn Dlouhy, 2024. 9781665914871. 304pp.
When two thieves break into the house where Bosco lives, they are less than intimidated by the dog’s looks. But they soon find out he has superpowers, which leads to him being recruited (somewhat against his will) by the EXpets and taken to their secret fortress. (Luckily he’s allowed to bring his cat toy.) There he’s put to the test after meeting the other team members: Laser-Eye Kitty, Wonder Guppy, and Ginormous Gerbil (that’s them on the cover). (Bosco doesn’t seem to think much of his code name, Stanky Dog, but it clearly fits.)
In the rest of the graphic noel, the team saves a lot of kittens as they face their evil nemesis. The end of the book sets up the first of what I assume will be many sequels. Mark Tatulli makes the whole thing enormously fun.
Picture Books!
Posted on October 10, 2024 at 5:13 am by Gene Ambaum
Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Little Simon, 2024. 9781665959551. (board book)
Pumpkins in a store in a big city wait to be chosen and made into jack-o’lanterns for Halloween. One of them realizes there’s a problem., and it’s not the gourd — it’s the pumpkin without a stem on top. I loved the gourd, the black cat, and the happy ending.
Pizza Shark: A Fin-Tastic Feast by Mike Lowery. Orchard Books, 2024. 9781339045832.
Edgar (a shark) invites his friends over for a pizza party. Lotta (a crab) arrives first, asks where the pizza is, and then tries to teach Edgar how to make pizza. (The problem is they don’t have any toppings. But not to worry, there’s a solution for that, too.) Lowery’s art can make any idea fun, including shark-friendly pizza. Bonus: this one has a few fishy puns for adults.
The Quacken written by Justin Colón, illustrated by Pablo Pino. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. 9781665922487.
There’s a fearsome creature at Cucumonga Campground. The most important rule is “Do Not Feed The Ducks.” But they look hungry, and after Hector breaks that rule nowhere is safe. This book seems destined to create a fear of ducks, though Pino’s drawings make it all crazy fun, especially the vomiting scene.
Book Review: Catchpenny by Charlie Huston
Posted on October 8, 2024 at 6:27 am by Gene Ambaum
Catchpenny by Charlie Huston. Vintage, 2024. 978059385082. 401pp.
“…If Elmore Leonard had ever written a fantasy novel, this would be it.” – Stephen King (in the cover blurb)
That blurb convinced me to buy this book, and the Gaimanesque “hidden” magical world in and around Los Angeles kept me reading it.
Sid Catchpenny is a thief who can use mojo to travel through the nothing of mirrors. He’s not doing well, though; he’s obsessed with getting revenge on his wife’s murderer, and he’s given up everything in pursuit of that goal. An acquaintance comes to him for help anyway, to ask him to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Mojo is involved, as is a bunch of creepy, cruel folks with different magical talents. There’s a lot of violence, the threat of more (not least of all from a suicide cult and its followers), and a cast of characters that I felt like I met on my last trip to L.A.
If you ever enjoyed Sinead O’Conner’s music, loved Gaiman’s Neverwhere, or even once felt like the reflection looking back at you in a mirror had its own thoughts, this book is for you.
Tags 1 Comment - Read MoreFiends of the Library!
Posted on October 2, 2024 at 6:45 am by Gene Ambaum
It’s that time of year again. Happy October! Library Comic will return in next month.
If you’ve missed the past Fiends comic strips or want to reread them, you can find them here.
Tags No Comments - Read More
Book Reviews and approval of Comments will resume in October.
Posted on August 30, 2024 at 6:45 am by Gene Ambaum
I’m taking a bit of time away from my computer, but comics will continue to post until I’m back online.
Take care!
-Gene
Tags No Comments - Read MoreGraphic Novel Review: Alterations
Posted on August 29, 2024 at 6:37 am by Gene Ambaum
Alterations by Ray Xu. Union Square Kids, 2024. 9781454945840. 238pp.
Kevin loves to draw and read comics. He’s constantly irritating to his older sister, Betty, and they share a room. Both kids pitch in to help their mom, who’s always working at her business, Lee’s Alterations and Cleaners. (Kevin’s parents are divorced, and his dad is just gone.) Luckily Kevin’s mom has some help in the form of her mother, Kevin’s Popo, who lives with them, cooks for them, tries to get both kids to eat a lot, and loves to watch Jeopardy.
Kevin has problems at school, mostly involving a former friend and a nickname Kevin earns after bringing something super stinky (but super delicious) for lunch from home. The science fiction comics Kevin draws provide some distraction for him, and he has a few great friends who are there for him, too.
Kevin is such a nice kid it’s easy to root for him, and this is a beautiful story about a family who has everything because they have each other. My favorite people in the graphic novel are Kevin’s grandma, who reminds me of someone I used to work with who was way too honest, and the demanding folks Kevin’s mother has to deal with at work. (I think all library people will identify with his mom in the difficult customer service moments these folks create.)
Three Novellas!
Posted on August 27, 2024 at 6:34 am by Gene Ambaum
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond. Tordotcom, 2024. 9781250290311. 167pp.
I love the cover of this book, and there seem to be shelf talkers praising it at every bookstore I visit (and it holds up to the hype). It’s the story of a female knight, Maddileh, out to regain her honor by claiming a legendary sword, the Fireborne Blade, from the lair of a dragon. Accompanying her is a page who seems a little…off. This is a quick, original take on the dungeon crawl (though it’s a cave here); alternating chapters recount historic encounters between knights and dragons.
We Speak Through The Mountain by Premee Mohamed. ECW, 2024. 9781770417335. 145pp.
This sequel to Mohamed’s post-apocalyptic novella The Annual Migration of Clouds follows Reid as she enrolls in a university filled with technology and resources (and hidden from the rest of the world). Her relationship with the parasite that infects her changes because of the university’s medical tech. I loved seeing her and other students from the outside deal with the realities of life with technology and enough to eat, though it lacks many things, too.
I really hope there’s another book or three coming in this series. This is my favorite novella of the year, but if it sounds good to you, start with the first book in the series.
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht. Tor.com, 2019. 9781250225689. 160pp.
This book has so much I enjoyed: a murderous immortal, an outlaw wizard, a polluted coastline straight out of Miéville’s New Crobuzon, dark legends, mutant sea creatures, bloody violence, and a fallen city that’s either about to rise again or is where the end of the world will begin. There’s an unlikely “romance” of sorts, too, if that’s your thing, as well as a horrific plague. I enjoyed every page of this novella, and I can’t believe I missed it when it was published.
Tags No Comments - Read MoreGraphic Novel Review: So Long Sad Love by Mirion Malle
Posted on August 22, 2024 at 6:31 am by Gene Ambaum
So Long Sad Love by Mirion Malle. Translated by Aleshia Jensen. Drawn & Quarterly, 2024. 9781770466975. 204pp.
This graphic novel opens with a scene where Cléo is considering having disappeared, how everything seems easier and how right the decision was. The rest of the book is about why she decided to disappear. it starts with her tabling at a small press comic show and hanging out with friends. She meets Farah Mahdi, who talks about joining a women-only collective that’s been helpful for her comics. During their conversation, it comes out that Cléo is dating Charles Mercier. Farah is shaken, and later, when Cléo talks with Charles, he’s worried about what Farah might have said about him. His behavior gets worse when he finds out Farah offered Cléo the opportunity to publish some of her work in a magazine.
What happens next feels honest and real. It’s worth noting the book ends on a positive note as Cléo’s life continues past that opening scene and she finds a community that suits her.
Malle’s art is wonderful, and I particularly like the way her color choices and the way she draws characters work together to give a sense of who people are. (The book is mostly scenes of folks talking, so this is critical to its success.)
Graphic Novel Review: Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer
Posted on August 20, 2024 at 6:30 am by Gene Ambaum
Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. 9781665930383. 250pp.
Tate goes to a concert to see nonbinary violist Eli Violet play, but Eli’s anxiety gets the better of them and they don’t perform. Tate, inspired to learn the viola, starts practicing; they’re also clearly trying to work up the courage to come out as nonbinary, too. Tate’s parents send them to Camp Prodigy, “A place for musicians, from beginner to advanced.” There they have to deal with other violists with a range of personalities. Best of all, Eli is there, and no one seems to know who they are except Tate. They become fast friends and Eli helps Tate improve. Much of the book is about Eli trying to find their comfort zone, and Tate trying to balance ambition and practice with other concerns, including when to come out to their fellow campers and family.
This is a straightforward, intense story of friendship, anxiety, being oneself, and musicianship that will speak to many older elementary and middle school students in particular.
