Ash´s Cabin

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Eden B.

Ash´s Cabin, is a young adult graphic novel by Jen Wang, that follows the life of a teenager who flees to find isolation and independence away from home, after feeling that they feel misinterpreted and ignored by at home and at school. They learn to survive in the wilderness, and understand what it means to be alone.

When I started reading this book I could not remove my grasp from it at all, I finished this book in about just 30 minutes because I was so into it. I would say the illustrations of the book caught my eye the most, they are beautifully drawn with accuracy and detail that really elevate the written portion of the story into a better understanding overall. Reading this book, allows readers to understand the difficulty of growing up especially as a teenager, the transition from childhood to adulthood can be extremely challenging at times. A theme commonly shown and depicted throughout this novel is self-discovery, when Ash is alone at a cabin in the middle of the woods, they grow to become much more mature and independent as a teenager, understanding that it is difficult to live without people around you.

Overall, I would really recommend this book to anyone, especially teenagers as it teaches a lesson of the difficulty of this age in your life. I am looking forward to reading more of Jen Wang´s books, as the illustrations are really magnificent with much detail incorporated into it. Ash´s Cabin is currently available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library today!

The Fox Maidens

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Eden B.

The graphic novel, The Fox Maidens, by Robin Ha, is a graphic novel based on the legend of the nine-tailed fox Gumiho told in Korean folktales. This book tells of a young girl named Kai who dreams of becoming a warrior even as a female, she soon later finds out she turns into a fox every full moon and must eat the liver of a human in order to become human again. As we explore deeper into the plot of the story, Kai goes through a journey of self-discovery, independence, and experiences the truth of coming of age as a young teenager. We see more themes explored throughout the plot of feminism, and love.

This was a really intriguing book to read, I especially love reading books with the themes of fantasy and folklore. This is a great book to read when feeling up to reading adventure, fantasy, and sometimes feelings of sadness, and also even feeling more informed. Robin Ha´s way of describing the legend in this story, with both her skills of writing, drawing, and graphic really adds a whole level while reading this book, overall really gaining a whole deeper understanding of this story. Throughout the story, Kai gains a perspective on finding her own place in the world through love, compassion, and trust.

Robin Ha became popular especially after writing her book, Almost American Girl, which won the 2021 Walter awards, and is definitely next on my list to read for graphic novels. I would overall really recommend this book to lovers of the fantasy world and of magical creatures. This is such a great read! The Fox Maidens, is currently available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library!

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Sophia B.

In my English class, we read the graphic novel Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. The French-Iranian author of children’s books, graphic novels, cartoons, illustrations, and films created Persepolis as a memoir of her childhood when she lived in Iran during the Iranian Revolution.

To put the Iranian Revolution in perspective, the Islamic Republic of Iran, a theocracy ruled by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was founded in 1979 after a series of riots and demonstrations that overthrew the Shah of Iran. The Shah was overthrown for a number of reasons, including political repression, economic difficulties, and public dissatisfaction with his rule (such as unrest brought on by the Shah’s westernization of the nation).

At the age of 10, Marjane Satrapi was forced to transfer from a coeducational French school to a girls-only school during the revolution. She was also required to cover her hair because the new Islamic regime enacted a law that, for religious reasons of modesty and dignity, required women to wear veils in public. The veil is a powerful symbol in the story because it stands for feminism, identity, and the oppression of women in Iran. Other struggles her family endured, like the Iraq War and her uncle’s execution for opposing the Shah and holding communist beliefs, are also covered in the book.

In AP World History, I formally learned about the Iranian Revolution and the overthrowing of the Shah. Once I read the book, I realized that people actually lived through the revolution and had to undergo the harsh conditions and the changes the new Islamic Republic established. Some of my friends’ parents experienced the revolution and describe it as fearful and deadly, and its long lasting outcome as a royal disaster for the Iranian people.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Happy reading!

– Sophia B

White Bird

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Eden B.

White Bird, is a book by R.J Palacio that I read about three years ago that tells the story of a young Jewish girl called Sara Blum who lives in a small village in France. Soon the Nazi Party, which was a movement under the direction of Adolf Hitler that believed that Jewish people had no right to live in Germany, defeated France and caused France to surrender which split the country in two regions, The Occupied Zone, and the Free Zone, Sara was placed in the Free Zone. However, even living in the Free Zone, the Nazis arrive and rounded-up many Jews to bring them to camp, Sara is brought to the woods for safety and meets a boy who invites her to live with his family and him in the meantime.

This book has really captivated me, and has overall become one of my favorite graphic novel books. The drawings, illustrations, and movements created in this book really add a whole level of contrast and emotions that really capture the reader’s attention. There is one part in this book, that really grabbed my attention due to the combination of the writing and the illustrations. It is when Sara Blum has a dream of herself flying up above the woods with a flock of birds, allowing herself to express and feel the sense of freedom while flying, this parts really brings a sense of emotions to the reader.

I would really recommend reading this book, as it is a great read and is really informative. The live-action movie is currently streaming and is available to watch on Youtube, Apple TV, and Amazon. I have not yet watched it yet, but is definitely on my watch list currently. White Bird is currently available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library today!

Tiny Dancer

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Eden B.

The Tiny Dancer is a book written by Siena Cherson Siegel and illustrated by Mark Siegel, that follows the journey of a young girl named, Sienita, on her pathway and dream of becoming a professional ballerina at the New York City Ballet Company located in New York City.

The book starts with Sienita as a young dancer, as a dancer at a small local studio near her in San Juan, after traveling to New York with her mother and doing an audition for the School of American Ballet School, she gets accepted and moves there. We then follow the pathway of Sienita at SAB and other ballet schools, through her many challenges and obstacles, from losing her boyfriend, her parents divorcing, and forced to reduce her ballet training when she experiences an injury, completely ruins her and dis motivates her as a person. Therefore, she must find a way to motivate herself back up again and continue working her dream and passion as a ballerina.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the illustrations and drawings were appealingly drawn showing life and motion. This book really shows and explains the difficulties associated with a passion that you are in. However, one negative aspect to this book that I did not enjoy much was how Sienita gave up on her dream of becoming a professional, she should have motivated herself even more and risen up to the challenge to work even harder to come back to her level, instead of letting herself get lowered down by how talented others are and by her injury.

If you are looking for another book similar to this one, To Dance, is also available in full color format with a similar story in a shorter, manageable text. This was the first book that I read from this author, after reading this book you cannot imagine the excitement I had to see a 2nd book written by the same author in a longer version!

If you are interested in reading this book, Tiny Dancer, by Siena Cherson Siegal is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library today! I would totally recommend this book for people who are interested or currently are in the dance industry, or for anyone just looking for a motivating, beautifully illustrated and drawn book.

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Sophia B.

In my English class, we read the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. George Takei is an actor, known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek franchise, author, and activist. They Called Us Enemy is a powerful graphic memoir of Takei’s life in the Japanese-American concentration camps during World War II.

For context, during World War II there were two alliances. They were the Allies (including France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China) and the Axis powers (including Germany, Italy, and Japan). On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Two months later, Executive Order 9066 was passed by President Roosevelt, forcing those with Japanese Ancestry to leave their homes for internment camps because they were not considered citizens, but aliens, or foreign citizens, to the US.

George Takei was around 4 when his family had to leave for the camps. He went to two camps, Rohwer and Tule Lake, surrounded by metal fences that would influence his sense of self-belonging for the rest of his life. The book explores the aspects of dehumanization and injustice committed by the US government through his family’s imprisonment in the camps.

In AP World History, we learned about World War II and all its outcomes. Through my class, I discovered that concentration camps for Japanese-Americans were extremely detrimental. Once I read the book, I realized that the Japanese Americans were living, breathing human beings and they weren’t just a number. They were somebody’s mother, father, uncle, aunt, brother, and/or sister, and not just some identification code. They Called Us Enemy made me realize that what happened to hundreds of thousands of people was as real as ever and detrimental to all.

They Called Us Enemy is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Yummy: A History of Dessert by Victoria Grace Elliott

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Isa M

This graphic novel is one smart cookie. This graphic novel was informative, but not boring and droning and was tasty to look at. I liked many things about this book, mainly its images and lessons.

The book is divided into different sections, or chapters, for different desserts. The desserts shown are

Ice cream
Cake
Brownies
Donuts
Pies
Gummies
Cookies

And

Macaroons

Something I liked about this book is how they presented the information. This book has three main characters who are called sprites. They are named Peri, Fee and Fada. I love their designs because the colors are really bubbly and the images are all really curved. Like bubble letters. Back to the information point, these characters talk all about the desserts. They do science labs, interviews with “famous bakers” (one of the sprites dress up in costumes), recipes and story times where they read legends of desserts. You would be surprised at how many dessert legends there are.

Anyways, there are not many recipes for a dessert book, but I love how many things are included. The author added maps so you can find locations and a lot of different cultures! And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. Cultures from all over the world are represented which was quite refreshing compared to other books.

To return back to my design compliments, this book has a really perky design. The colors are bright and dessert-like. The sprites are tiny and cute and all of the desserts look positively amazing. The design is impressive because the ilustrador had to draw dozens of desserts in the same format, which can be difficult to do.

To wrap it all up, I love this graphic novel. I thought it would be a bit boring because I normally don’t like non-fiction books, but this one was good. If you like baking, are interested in baking or just like looking at pretty drawings of food, I recommend this graphic novel for you!

Yummy: A History of Dessert by Victoria Grace Elliott are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Orod S.

At first glance, the bright appearance and comic book format of Watchmen may seem to just be any other superhero comic book, with an ensemble cast of heroes trying to save the world. However, from the opening pages, the uniquely real art and the darker tone establishes that this is anything but a simple superhero story. As the plot advances, Moore further cements this by showing the reader that the heroes in the world of Watchmen are just regular people who happen to be gifted with superpowers. This approach is what I believe inspired shows like the Boys, who take the same cynical approach to writing a superhero story.

The writing and story are very dense, but I think it never gets to be too much for the reader. One of the things I thought Moore does best is his use of flashbacks, both to give you a broader and more in-depth context of events happening in the book while also showing you that the heroes you see in the story have gone almost out of fashion. Another element that elevated Watchmen is the art done by Dave Gibbons and colored by John Higgins, which perfectly matches the tone of the story and sets a thick and developed atmosphere.

The story itself covers an alternate timeline where the US won the Vietnam War, and depicts the political and social atmosphere approaching WWII. The heroes of Watchmen are all very realistic and morally grey, and the plot covers them coming out of retirement to investigate the murder of an old hero and later uncover a plan with global consequences.

I personally really enjoyed Watchmen, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in comic books or superhero stories. However, I encourage people who usually don’t read comic books or are interested in things like superheroes to try Watchmen, as it’s unique approach and mature story appeal to many more people than just comic book fans.

-Orod S.

Watchman by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Vaidehi B.

Persepolis: satrapi-marjane: 9780224080392: Books

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a poignant graphic novel detailing Satrapi’s own coming-of-age story amidst the political, social, and cultural turmoil of 1980s Iran.

The novel, drawn in starkly noir, heavy-handed images, reads like an autobiography- it tells of Satrapi’s childhood with her parents and family (well-known Iranian Communists), her teenage years spent in an Austrian boarding school, and her eventual return to her homeland, through the lens of her slow maturing.

I really enjoyed this novel! I read it for the first time when I was eleven or twelve (although I would not recommend it to anyone under thirteen). I don’t particularly enjoy reading in graphic novel formats, but I really felt that the imagery created by Satrapi only added to the depth of the story. The themes examined in the story also hit close to home for me- as someone from an Eastern country myself, Satrapi’s struggle with reconciling modernism with traditionalism was something I knew well. I also found it interesting to read about Satrapi’s struggle with depression abroad and at home- that was also something I related to.

Without a doubt, the best part of the novel was the art. Satrapi’s drawings are simple, but the small details in each panel manage to convey deep emotions and symbolism, without being overtly complex and distracting from the story itself. To the right is one of the most piquant panels from the story- a young Satrapi’s rendering of the 1978 Cinema Rex fire that killed more than four hundred.

2) The Bicycle – Cinema Rex Fire – Persepolis

I’d highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning a little bit more about the Middle Eastern conflicts in the 1980s, or anyone that enjoys autobiographical novels.

-Vaidehi B.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Heartstopper

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Gia S.

Heartstopper

by Alice Oseman

This heartwarming collection of comics follows Nick and Charlie as they discover their growing attraction to one another that bloomed from friendship. Both attending the same private boy’s school, Nick and Charlie become fast friends after being placed next to each other in the class seating chart. While Charlie announced his sexuality last school year, Nick struggles to find himself as he discovers his feelings for Charlie are more than friendship. Heartstopper Volume 1 shows their friendship growing as they slowly gather the courage to approach the other about their feelings. Their relationship continues to grow throughout the other volumes as they near the end of their high school experience (there are a total of 4 so far).

Volume 1 of Heartstopper, while short, is the most genuine and wholesome romance comic I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This comic never fails to bring a smile to my face as I follow these two goofballs through their high school experience and watch as their romantic relationship grows. If you are looking for tension and drama, Heartstopper is not the comic for you. This book only contains healthy communication, friendship, bonding, and growing into oneself. It highlights the struggles each character faces and how they overcome them with the help of their friends and families. Each character offers a new perspective and challenges to overcome. The entire Heartstopper series toke me a day and a half to devour and as I eagerly await new volumes to be published, I remember the sweet and touching moments of this story.

This series has even become a Netflix series! Make sure to check that out. The entire Heartstopper series is also available for free on Webtoon and Tapas.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

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Category Archives: Graphic Novel Reviews