Scan barcode
gnomescottage's review
4.0
This is such a cute All-Ages comic. Oddly's story is one that any outcast can relate to (even if they never made their parents disappear with magic), and I can't wait to read on and find out more about the world of Fignation and it's unusual characters.
emkoshka's review
3.0
Oddly Normal is an ironic name for a half-witch who wishes away her parents one birthday then finds herself in the fantasy land of Fignation, surrounded by monsters, zombies, ghosts and other fictional creatures. A cute start to a new comics series.
heypretty52's review
4.0
Oddly reads as a very relatable character- dealing with school alienation, bullies, and problematic parents- despite being half witch. I would recommend Oddly Normal to young readers everywhere!
libscote's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book about Oddly Normal, a girl who is half witch, half human. Middle school is middle school, no matter where you are. It does end on a cliffhanger, so I want to know what's next. I'm curious if it's a webcomic or where it was published previously. I just haven't done the research on that yet.
reader44ever's review
4.0
I first read this book on October 8, 2015.
I reread it around/about November 18, 2016.
The below review was written after my first reading, when only this book one was released.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was great fun! Oddly Normal (great name!) is a young girl with a witch from Fignation for a mother, so she's a half-witch. On her birthday, she makes a wish that, unfortunately for her and her parents, comes true. So her Auntie transfers her to Fignation, where Oddly joins a new middle school.
Hoping to no longer be a freak, Oddly soon has her hopes dashed as, to the resident kids of Fignation, being from the real world makes her a freak. The poor kid just can't win.
She makes friends with some of her fellow students at lunch: Misty McCloud (ghost), Reggie (think Frankenstein's monster), and a stereotypical-Igor-looking type named Ragnar Theopolis (Reggie's half-brother). But the school's bullies already have it out for her and get her in trouble.
Rescued from detention with Dungeon Master Dave by Mister Crabula, who has a rather cryptic - for Oddly - warning for her, she walks home...in the dark because the sun has a schedule to keep. In the woods, she's met by the Vamp boy and his werewolf sidekicks.
They say they're earning extra credit (I don't think I like Mr. Harrison Gooseberry) and the werewolves change and chase her. Reggie distracts them and tells Oddly to run and...the book ends.
That's it.
Oddly is running for her life and...
The End.
ARGH!!!
It's a good thing I like this story and wanted to read more even before being thrown off a cliff in the end. But I really hate the cliffhanger ending. Where's the next volume and how soon can I get it???
What?!?! Book 2 isn't going to be released until November 5, 2015?! ARGH!!!
I reread it around/about November 18, 2016.
The below review was written after my first reading, when only this book one was released.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was great fun! Oddly Normal (great name!) is a young girl with a witch from Fignation for a mother, so she's a half-witch. On her birthday, she makes a wish that, unfortunately for her and her parents, comes true. So her Auntie transfers her to Fignation, where Oddly joins a new middle school.
Hoping to no longer be a freak, Oddly soon has her hopes dashed as, to the resident kids of Fignation, being from the real world makes her a freak. The poor kid just can't win.
She makes friends with some of her fellow students at lunch: Misty McCloud (ghost), Reggie (think Frankenstein's monster), and a stereotypical-Igor-looking type named Ragnar Theopolis (Reggie's half-brother). But the school's bullies already have it out for her and get her in trouble.
Rescued from detention with Dungeon Master Dave by Mister Crabula, who has a rather cryptic - for Oddly - warning for her, she walks home...in the dark because the sun has a schedule to keep. In the woods, she's met by the Vamp boy and his werewolf sidekicks.
They say they're earning extra credit (I don't think I like Mr. Harrison Gooseberry) and the werewolves change and chase her. Reggie distracts them and tells Oddly to run and...the book ends.
That's it.
Oddly is running for her life and...
The End.
ARGH!!!
It's a good thing I like this story and wanted to read more even before being thrown off a cliff in the end. But I really hate the cliffhanger ending. Where's the next volume and how soon can I get it???
What?!?! Book 2 isn't going to be released until November 5, 2015?! ARGH!!!
kesterbird's review
3.0
utterly predictable, and in no way transcendes the tropes of its base cliche, but it's also no WORSE than the ten thousand other books about this exact thing, so.... three stars
bookishrealm's review
3.0
This was cute!! I loved the artwork and the concept of her not being human or a witch but somewhere in between. We don't get a lot in this first volume so I'm hoping that there will be more plot and character development in the next volume.
destdest's review
2.0
“It’s the eyes. It’s the staring. Stick and stones and all that… I’m numb to it all. But I’ll never get used to the staring.”
STORY:
Oddly Normal by Otis Frampton (128 pages), the main character’s name, by the way, is about a girl who isn’t normal. Shocker. She’s half-witch from her mom’s side, which somehow appears in the form of green hair and elf ears. Oddly doesn’t fit in at school because kids can be cruel. When her magical auntie offers to take her Fignation, the magical world her mom is from, she jumps at the chance to be with other like-minded weird kids. Well, if you didn’t know she doesn’t fit in at Fignation’s supernatural school either. In a very cliché way, she does find solace with the school’s band of misfits, a hunchback, Frankenstein, and ghost.
ART:
I think the cartoon style works well, though Oddly’s head is huge compared to her body. I wish Oddly’s face was a bit more expressive. I love the color direction, as each page has a different color scheme. The backgrounds are nice and imaginative with fluffy cotton trees and other fantasy elements.
CHARACTERS:
I’ve seen characters like Oddly before, who are misunderstood and come from a magical lineage. Nothing about Oddly stands out to me, but I’m sympathetic to her plight. She’s basically been bullied her entire life, and it realistically wears on her. Her parents are too dense for their own good and don’t understand their baby’s problems. Pretty relatable! Her catchphrase “figures” is funny too.
For the first volume, there isn’t much character exploration besides Oddly, which makes sense. Readers should connect with the first character before others are introduced. Still, the green guy of the bully crew with the black cat (I think his supernatural lore is plant-based) is interesting. He’s a jerk of course because all the kids at Oddly’s schools lack common decency, but something about him captured my eye. Maybe it’s his design? Every other character looks basic, but the green guy looks stylish! And, he has a magical animal buddy, which I always love.
Also, Misty McCloud is just adorable. Sweetest ghost ever!
OVERALL:
Would I have read this as an actual novel? Nah. For me, without the graphics, I would have passed on this title. I want the characters to be fleshed out more as well. The bullies of the school seem to be mean just for the sake of meanness. I know kids don’t need a reason to pick on someone, but Oddly’s supernatural bullies are just vicious. Sadly the nice misfits are nice for the sake of niceness too. Still, I think this is a good read for reluctant readers because it’s not too plot-heavy and most children can relate to Oddly feeling like an outsider.