nimona. noelle steveson. (319)

i checked out noelle stevenson's nimona after seeing it listed as a national book finalist in the young adult category.  since i liked lumberjanes, i decided to check it out.  

nimona is the story of nimona, a spunky, girl with the ability to shift shapes that becomes the sidekick of the evil villian, ballister blackheart.  ballister was not really looking for a sidekick, and though she proves to be more than he bargained, he grows to love her.  this book is delightful because nimona is witty, always ready with a great one-liner and always up for adventure, though she usually its up destroying more than helping.  though she would argue that her role as a villain calls for her to destroy.

this comic is great because though it started off as a tale of evil vs good, it proves that is not how the world always works.  as it turns out, ballister, the evil side has a higher morale than the good side, the institution.  the institution that is suppose to protect the people is actually working to destroy them and nimona and blackheart inadvertently help save everyone when they seek to destroy the institution.  

in addition to this there is another storyline woven into the mix, blackheart and his archenemy, goldenloin.  at the beginning, they hate each other, but in the end they became friends, possibly lovers, if you read it that way.

i am glad i picked up this book.  first, it has a great female character, which young girls need!  second, it teaches kids the importance of questioning the current systems, we have in place.  third, it demonstrates that not all good is good and not all evil is evil.  fourth, it proves that the most important thing in life is to have good friends and to care for one another.  fifth, if you read it that way, heroes are not just homosexuals.  

a great comic and i look forward to reading more about nimona (i hope stevenson has more in store for her.)  

lumberjanes: vol. 1. noelle stevenson, grace ellis, brooke a. allen. (295)

i read about lumberjanes on book riot.  a comic book for girls, how could the feminist in me resist?!?!

i wasn't sure what to expect, and i have to add that i was thrown off my the sci-fi element of it.  the girls fight off three-eyed foxes that warn them of a kitten holy.  i had anticipated a more realistic comic, but regardless this comic was great.

the comic was about five girls: jo, april, mal, molly, and ripley, they always find themselves in crazy situations at lumberjane camp.  the girls are a motley crew.  different but they get along and have their own special talent.  also two of them are lesbian (well it was hinted at) so nice to see some diversity.  oh i should add their camp director was named rosie and was very rosie the riveter-esque.

each chapter started off with a description of a lumberjane badge that relates to the adventure they find themselves in.  my favorite badge was the puncheon master badge which is given for great puns:  

cute, huh?

as i mentioned before, at camp the girls find themselves in crazy situations.  they have to fight off a river monster, crazy foxes, statues and brain-washed boy scouts (but not the official boy scouts.) they fought off everyone, because these girls got muscle! for example, april won a arm-wrestling match with a statute and then quoted kelis, when she was asked to show the girls how she did it:  

but these girls have brains too!! jo used the fibonacci sequence to help them get across a pit!  and april solved anagrams to get them out of the cave!  it was great to see them being super smart too!

since this was volume 1, i don't know how the story ends.  all i know so far is:

-they need to be aware of the kitten holy.

-they keep on being attacked by three-eyed creatures.

-they found a sacred bow and arrow.

-and the boy scouts are weird crazy cult.

i look forward to reading the next one to find out how all of this ends.