By Raina Telgemeier
Genre MG Graphic Novel
Format Print
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis
Catrina and her family have to move because her little sister Maya is sick. The town they move to is even worse than Catrina was imagining. It's damp and foggy all of the time and all anyone talks about is ghosts. Maya loves the idea of the Day of the Dead celebration but Catrina doesn't want anything to do with it or the boy next door that's trying so hard to befriend her.
First Sentence
To get out of my reading slump I decided to pick up a graphic novel. And guess what? It totally worked. I flew through it and have been reading ever since! Wahoo!
I don't know why I'm so drawn to Telgemeier's books but I am. I like her artwork and I love that her stories deal with issues that kids can relate to. This one, for instance, has a lot going on. The MCs little sister has cystic fibrosis and probably won't live very long and when they move to a town that's seemingly obsessed with death Catrina is not happy. Moving to a new town is hard enough but having a future reality shoved in her face isn't easy.
The book still manages to be mostly light-hearted and easy to read in spite of its heavier subject matter and the artwork was beautiful. I kind of wish the town they moved to really existed.
While this one is geared to a younger audience it appealed to me too. I think it was a great read and can't wait to try Telgemeier's other books.
I'm glad this helped get you out of your slump! I wonder if I'd like this one or if I should just resign myself to the fact that I'm not a graphic novel fan.
ReplyDeleteI’m trying to get into them more. I just have to alter my expectations for a more in depth story.
DeleteI'm glad you found something fun to pull you out of your slump! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you were able to get past your reading slump!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of graphic novels but for some reason it has never crossed my mind to read them...Though I do occasionally pick up an MG novel whenever I don't feel in the mood to deal with all the angst and drama of YA and adult novels!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading this one and loving it. Also loved "Sisters" (I thibk this is her other title). My daughter loves her works, too.
ReplyDeleteYay! You've gotten past your slump! I tend to read a couple of comics between my books for that reason. It mixes things up a bit! It's still a story, just told in a different way, and the artwork is amazing.
ReplyDeleteDo You Dog-ear?
This was a good one! I really liked it. I liked all the Day of the Dead stuff. I'm glad you liked it too. I also love Telgemeier's artwork.
ReplyDeleteI see this one around a lot and I really need to pick it up and give it a try. I am glad you like it, and short books like this are a great way to get out of a slump.
ReplyDeleteTelgemeier's books are ALL THE RAGE at my daughter's elementary school. The kids just eat them up. I haven't ever sat down and read one, but I've seen the illustrations and they're colorful and engaging. My daughter thinks Telgemeier is hilarious, so I guess that's part of the appeal, too. I really need to read one of hers just to see what the big deal is!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried a graphic novel as a slump buster. That makes perfect sense!
ReplyDeleteAdding this to my TBR! :)
ReplyDelete