Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.įrom award winner Telgemeier ( Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish). This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school.

Gradually-too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic-it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all.

When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. 10-14)Ĭhainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.Įvery four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Unusual and thoughtful, but ultimately unsuccessful.

Secondary characters are even more broadly drawn and less engaging. Unfortunately, too much description and too little action means these characters fail to come to life, making their interactions unconvincing and uninteresting. Main characters Dewey (the bright, plucky, soon-to-be orphan) and Suze (the bully desperate to have friends) are initially antagonistic, but eventually become friends. Crammed with period detail like cigarette brands and radio models, as well as the names of the famous scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, the narrative offers plenty of information but little insight.

Obviously (perhaps too obviously) well researched and undeniably earnest, this child’s-eye view of the development of the atom bomb seems unlikely to find a wide or enthusiastic audience. This insight into the writing process makes sense of (but fails to redeem) the over 200 pages that precede that final chapter. The author’s acknowledgement at the end of this work reveals that the last chapter was originally a short story that subsequently inspired the rest.

The green glass sea by ellen klages