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janagaton's review
4.0
The colors used in these illustrations were so vibrant and beautiful! This story emphasizes the fact that you really just need one person to genuinely believe in you and your potential to get things going for yourself. It also taught me a couple things about environmental racism, so I highly recommend if you're looking for a graphic novel that has substance. I just wish it were longer because I wanted to see how Charisma's big project turned out!
thecriticalreader's review
fast-paced
2.0
First off, the artwork in this graphic novel is stunning. I love how the illustrator conveys the character emotions through vibrant color and facial expressions. This is truly one of the most beautiful graphic novels I’ve ever read.
You know those educational administrators who are fundamentally good people but are also kind of out of touch and constantly try to “relate” to you and make a difference in your life using cringey practices rooted in educational theory instead of real-world experience? Yeah, this book feels like that. The story reads like education administrative propaganda rather than a heartfelt story about Charisma and her life. Charisma seems like a stock character designed to make a point rather than a person. Even though this story technically follows her point of view, I would have loved if this book were from her perspective rather than an educator-mimicking-a-teenager’s perspective, if that makes sense.
csistek's review
4.0
Thank you to New Press for the complimentary copy!
This had such a great message and excellent art (though sometimes the white font was hard to read on the background), but it was just too rushed and short. I felt we didn't get the whole story; chapters end quickly and start up after some time has passed, with a couple of them feeling as though we've missed something important in between, and the whole book ends abruptly to favor having the last page be Charisma's final lines of speech at the benefit event she and her partner DeVante have put together. This is fine, but there could have been just a single extra page or panel of nothing but art that shows us that everyone in the audience was listening and has a reaction or something to show that change was being made as a result of her leadership.
Environmental racism is a major focus in this, as well as mental health and behavioral therapy. Charisma has issues with people not treating her as though her thoughts matter and she lashes out often. One of her teachers, Ms. Anderson, does an amazing job of helping her work through why she does this and how she can redirect her energy toward something more productive and healthier that also highlights her passions and abilities. These techniques and the basis of the after-school social justice group Charisma ends up joining can absolutely be recreated in a real world setting by students who read this book. This is why I definitely recommend this book! I just wish we had more of it.
The foreword is also something you don't want to pass up reading. It's just as important as the story itself.
This had such a great message and excellent art (though sometimes the white font was hard to read on the background), but it was just too rushed and short. I felt we didn't get the whole story; chapters end quickly and start up after some time has passed, with a couple of them feeling as though we've missed something important in between, and the whole book ends abruptly to favor having the last page be Charisma's final lines of speech at the benefit event she and her partner DeVante have put together. This is fine, but there could have been just a single extra page or panel of nothing but art that shows us that everyone in the audience was listening and has a reaction or something to show that change was being made as a result of her leadership.
Environmental racism is a major focus in this, as well as mental health and behavioral therapy. Charisma has issues with people not treating her as though her thoughts matter and she lashes out often. One of her teachers, Ms. Anderson, does an amazing job of helping her work through why she does this and how she can redirect her energy toward something more productive and healthier that also highlights her passions and abilities. These techniques and the basis of the after-school social justice group Charisma ends up joining can absolutely be recreated in a real world setting by students who read this book. This is why I definitely recommend this book! I just wish we had more of it.
The foreword is also something you don't want to pass up reading. It's just as important as the story itself.
jwinchell's review
3.0
3.5? The art in this short graphic novel is stunning and really shows what the main character Charisma is going through. Her story will be very relatable for many Black girls I know who teachers or other adults get easily frustrated with or worn down by. This book is about the power of representation and of adults believing in young people.
casey_h's review
5.0
Thanks so much NetGalley and The New Press for access to this powerful arc!
4.5/5 stars rounded up!
This was such a fantastic graphic novel. It really shows just how influential the right people - and the right books! - can be in a young person's life, especially those that are marginalized and feel that everything is stacked against them from the off. Watching Charisma grow into a strong young adult was very powerful and inspiring!
My only gripe is that some of the voice bubbles were not really in an intuitive reading positioning, so sometimes I read the page is a very round about way - but that could be just me!
4.5/5 stars rounded up!
This was such a fantastic graphic novel. It really shows just how influential the right people - and the right books! - can be in a young person's life, especially those that are marginalized and feel that everything is stacked against them from the off. Watching Charisma grow into a strong young adult was very powerful and inspiring!
My only gripe is that some of the voice bubbles were not really in an intuitive reading positioning, so sometimes I read the page is a very round about way - but that could be just me!
conceptuallysound's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced