Newsprints

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2017

Review

Set in the fictional world of Nautilene, which is at war with Grimmaea, this graphic novel follows newsboy Blue, and orphan with a secret. Blue is really a girl, but since girls are not allowed to sell newspapers, she has to hide her true identity. Upon being chased by some thugs working for a competing newspaper, Blue stumbles upon the hideout of an engineer named Jack who seems to be building things. Jack agrees to take Blue on as an apprentice. This leads to the heart of the story. Who is Jack and what is going on in the war? And who is Blue's new friend Crow and what does he have to do with the navy? The book delves into the issues surrounding wartime: a waning workforce, the need for people to step in to help with the war effort (in this case the women in Nautilene), what weapons does each side have, and how far is the military willing to go to use those weapons. Trying to keep her secret, help Jack, figure out Crow, and get the news out on time, Blue barely has time to sleep. Xu's illustrations are fantastic, full of energy and motion, and reminiscent of Japanese anime. The palette is muted with lots of sepia and, of course, blue. The action starts at the title page and doesn't stop until the last page. And even then, there is the promise of a sequel, which is welcome. An excellent debut and one that will thrill graphic novel readers from 3rd grade up.

Overall Book Score: excellent