Lo and Behold

Calling all graphic novel fans! Paging people waiting for the new Raina! I’ve got a great middle great graphic novel you have to read. A big shoutout to Melissa at What to Read to Your Kids for putting this on my radar.

Part VR adventure, part coming of age middle grade in a new, temporary location, this illustration style will speak to fans of Raina, the BSC, Pawcasso, and more, and tug on your heart-strings too! Plus–women in STEM galore and some exciting backmatter inclusion of the author and artist’s own journeys.

Addie’s family has been turned upside down since her mom’s accident, and now she’s going with her Futurist Dad to spend the summer at a college campus working on VR. Addie’s skeptical about VR, but with not much else to do, and the one other kid also having a slight interest, Addie gives it a chance–and finds herself addicted to this new world and how it makes her feel. This isn’t a cautionary tale about technology though, it’s about how technology can enhance human life today, the impact of connection and relationships real and imaginary, and how one summer holding it together can help you start to heal.

I really enjoyed this. The VR element wasn’t even that interesting to me as a kind of VR-idiot, but the color schemes of it were great! Kids who like science and technology will enjoy those, though! As a huge fan of boarding school books and summer camps, I liked this unique setting, and the challenges it created in storytelling as well that Mass had to work with. Mendez’ illustration style is my favorite in a graphic novel–not too bright and shiny, not too busy, just soothing but not sleep-inducing.

Give this to middle grade kids interested in STEM, anyone looking for books that talk subtly about addiction, and for fans of Raina and the like that can’t read enough realistic graphic novels.

I don’t believe I’ve read anything else by Wendy Mass, but I can’t wait to see what Gabi Mendez is working on next!