Category: Graphic Novels

Flash Review: a first time for everything by Dan Santat

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By Maureen Tai, 9 January 2024

In this humorous and heart-warming middle-grade graphic memoir, a first time for everything, Dan Santat recounts the life-changing and awkward “firsts” of his middle school life: first time being ridiculed, first party, first school trip to Europe, first Fanta, and of course, first love. It is impossible not to get swept into Dan’s story, and to root for the hapless and quiet “good boy” as he navigates complicated relationships in a European setting in the late 1980s: the illustrations are rich with action, expression and detail and the storytelling is masterfully paced and never predictable. Both kids and adults alike will find much to relate to and enjoy in this endearing, feel-good read about embracing life’s challenges, no matter how dire they may appear to be. A well-deserved 2023 National Book Award winner.

For ages 11+.

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

Flash Review: Suee and the Shadow by Ginger Ly & illustated by Molly Park

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By Maureen Tai, 5 October 2023

You’d be forgiven for spotting the resemblance of the heroine in Suee and the Shadow (ages 10+) to the titular character in the hit Netflix series, Wednesday, except that the deliciously creepy graphic novel was published 5 years earlier. Suee says she’s a normal 12 year-old with (mostly) exemplary grades and sophisticated vocabulary but it quickly becomes clear that she’s different. Taciturn, opinionated, world-weary, a self-made loner who can’t wait for the end of her first semester in her new elementary school. But a strange voice lures Suee into a lonely exhibit room and before she knows it, she’s passed out after an encounter with a mysterious being, lurking in the dark. Is it a dream after all? To say anything more would be to spoil the story, but this well-paced, page-turner of a mystery/thriller/fantasy will captivate readers rooting for the complicated protagonist as she uncovers the truth about herself, her shadow and an ancient curse while making a few good friends along the way (and the good news is that there’s book 2!). One small gripe. You’d lose sight of the fact that the story is set in South Korea. Apart from the names of the characters, there are no other overtly Korean features in the illustrations: no Korean text on signs or food wrappers, no designs on the flags. Perhaps a deliberate artistic choice, or a publisher requirement, but it feels like a lost opportunity to visually showcase aspects of Korean culture, in particular the beloved Hangul. I’d love to see this revisited in future reprints (and there will be reprints, of that, I am fairly certain).

Ages 10 and up.

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

Flash Review: The Only Child by Guojing

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By Maureen Tai, 28 September 2023

The Only Child (ages 4+), the debut wordless graphic novel by Chinese illustrator Guojing, was inspired by her own experience growing up in the days of China’s one child policy. The masterful, atmospheric and haunting pencil drawings tell the story of a little girl who spends many of her days alone. After looking at photographs of happier times on a cold, wintry day, she decides to embark on a solo journey to her grandmother’s house, a place of warmth and birthday cake. The giddy look of wonder on the girl’s face turns to anguished tears as she realises she’s lost her way, and that she’s alone in a dark forest. Suddenly, a shadowy, familiar form magically emerges from the gloom to take the girl on an adventure she will never forget, and ultimately to help her find her way home. A gorgeous visual masterpiece that will leave your heart slightly broken, but mended by the end.

Ages 4 and up.

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

Flash Review: Mexikid by Pedro Martin

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By Maureen Tai, 17 September 2023

There’s a lot to like about Mexikid, a graphic memoir (ages 10+) about Pedro, a American boy of Mexican heritage, and his big family (11 members in all, enough for a full mariachi band as wryly observed by a waiter in the novel). The illustrations: energetic and boldly coloured, largely in comic-style but also in realistic, swirling watercolours. The characters: engaging, relatable and so well-developed that even though there are so many of them, you don’t ever feel lost or confused. The setting: the pre-Internet days of late 1970s America/Mexico, peppered with nostalgic references (at least to much older readers like myself) to popular tv shows (Happy Days), iconic technology (cassette tapes), and questionable comestibles (Pop Rocks). The culture: Mexican food, drink, music and warm, Spanish-speaking families (all big of course!). And lastly, the story: a humorous account of an epic family road trip by secondhand winnebago to transport Pedro’s elderly (yet extremely robust) abuelito from Mexico to the USA. As a kid, I used to watch a tv show called The Waltons and it made me wish I came from a big, rambunctious, bickering, jostling family. Mexikid made me feel the same way, all over again. A lively and engrossing read that will appeal to middle graders, in particular boys obsessed with superheroes, imaginary or real. (Many thanks to the independent publisher, Guppy Books, for making a copy available to me on NetGalley).

Ages 10 and up.

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!