Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via Edelweiss. This has not influenced my review.*
I really liked this, and here’s why:
– Nice art! How it looks on the cover is basically how it looks inside (but, you know, with panels and whatnot).
– Cool premise! A bit superhero-esque, a bit spy-esque, except the main character is a thief-for-hire with high-tech gadgets, taking up the mantle of their parents who recently disappeared.
– A genderqueer main character! They even state it on the page, and they use they/them pronouns. They also have a high-tech suit that’s mostly used for missions and safety, I think, but it allows them to have different gender expressions, sometimes masculine, sometimes feminine.
– Diversity/inclusivity! There weren’t too many characters in this volume, but Niki was genderqueer, Niki’s mother and the character helping Niki had dark skin, and every character didn’t have the same typical “perfect” body types sometimes found in comics.
– Futuristic cyberpunk world! Lots of technology but also with a creepy, overbearing government vibe.
– Likeable characters! Niki seemed very down-to-earth, determined, and maybe a little sassy. But they also seemed kinda lonely and a bit lost, what with their parents having disappeared. I felt for them in their plight and wanted to just give them a hug, chill with them, and be friends. I’ll be curious to get to know them better and see if/how their character changes throughout the series. There were only two other non-villain characters, but I liked them too.
– Possible future romance? This is pure speculation, and I’ll be happy to keep reading whether there’s romance or not, but I sense there might’ve been a bit of chemistry between Niki and Walter.
The blurb calls this a “YA cyberpunk thriller.” I don’t know exactly how old the characters are (maybe I missed that) and I didn’t get any particular YA vibe from the story, but I see no reason why this couldn’t be read by teens.
All in all, I’m looking forward to more!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes graphic novels, genderqueer characters, heists, and cyberpunk worlds.
I’ve actually never heard of a “YA cyberpunk thriller”, but after reading your review, I really want to check it out now. Great review!
I hope you like it if you give it a try!
The world and characters sound interesting. I don’t think I’ve read a cyberpunk thriller before, but I’d be interested in checking it out.
I haven’t read many cyberpunk books, but I keep saying I want to read more!
This sounds interesting, and I really love the art style! And stories about creepy governments are my favorites😁
I really liked both the art and the story!
Cyberpunk? Ears perk up! I’m always on the lookout for cool comics w/a cyberpunk/ futuristic vibe. And characters you want to chill with are icing on the cake. I’ll have to look into this. Maybe ComiXology has its…
Me too! I hope to see more of the world and the cyberpunk-ness as the series continues. Characters you want to chill with are great.
Sounds like a great read! I love the idea of a graphic novel with a gender queer main character!
I do too, and I really liked it!
This sounds really cool. The fact that it’s focused on a thief for hire piqued my interest right away.
Thieves can make for fun characters 😛
I saw this and wondered about it but have too many manga on my plate right now. It sounds perfect for diversity lovers!
Well if you ever find yourself having run out of comics lol, I recommend this one!
This sounds awesome! I’m glad to hear you really enjoyed it. The artwork seems really cool, and I love that the MC is genderqueer and they use them/them pronouns. Nice!
-Lauren
It is! It was the genderqueer character that convinced me to give the GN a try since I wasn’t sure if it’d be my kinda thing, and then I really liked it!
I just got Hoopla from my library and the have a great graphic novel selection – I’m just trying to figure out how to open it on my tablet lol
But I may be checking in with you for rec’s soon.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Yay! Hoopla is great, and they do have so much selection. Don’t know how many recs I have though, I feel like I’ve felt kinda meh about a lot of the comics I’ve borrowed lol. Idk what kinda tablet you have, but I have the Hoopla app for my phone and kindle, although I find it easier to read comics on my computer.
Artwork in a graphic novel is essential and looking at the cover this one is definitely ticking the box for me. And cyberpunk with a superhero-esque/spy-esque premise sounds good to me. I’ve never even heard of this and I kind of want to check it out. Glad you discovered this so I could too!
It’s important for me to like the art too. It was a fun premise! I hope you do check it out, let me know if you like it 🙂