Reviews

This is a very strange and whimsical book and I kinda loved it. I especially loved the diverse cast of characters. The central hero is the young, blind, and bookish Safia, sent to live with her distant aunt (who has a secret!) after a fire leaves her orphaned. This mostly all-female cast with non-binary rep has a strong adventure-mystery, unique art, and original storytelling. I hope students will pick it up!

beeboy03's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This was such a fun adventure. Great character relationships and a great found family. I love that Safia is continuously encouraged to peruse her dreams and no one uses her disability as a means of discouraging her. I enjoy finding books where disabled characters get to just happily exist. I also really like that

Whimsy remained as her “monster” self, rather than reverting to her human form

. Overall a great story!

saidtheraina's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

Really delightful.

I love the world-building here. It's not too high-fantasy for earbuds and cars. Fully-saturated adventure, with lots of incidental gayness and representation. Safia's blindness is important to the plot, but it's not the center of this story.

Yee's style is distinctive but fully accessible. The story is dense but also feels lighthearted and fun.

Planning to take this to local elementary schools in June 2024.

mckellstar's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

littlelifeofbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

This book now holds a soft spot in my heart as my new favorite graphic novel. Such a sweet story, and intentionally written to include members of the blind community. I adore the story itself and I just want to hug Aunt Whimsy.

flamingosoup's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I love the art style, I love the story, I love how easy it is to navigate throughout the panels. It's a charming and adventurous book, adorable at that.

icanreadish's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Very cute, very straightforward, very pretty.

My only gripe is the book was a little too thick, heavy and awkward to hold.

More...