ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End of Times by Andrew MacLean

ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End of Times by Andrew MacLean

At its core, ApocalyptiGirl is a simple post-apocalyptic story about a girl and her cat, Jelly Beans, trying to survive the world. Two tribes war over resources, the Blue Stripes and the Grey Beards. We also learn that she is on a mission, hunting and ancient power source for the past five years. Her search accelerates and puts her and Jelly Beans on a dangerous path after a confrontation with a young Blue Stripe savage.

Weighing in at 96 pages, this is a very quick little graphic novel that does not leave a lot of time for messing about. While it would be nice to see certain aspects, such as world building and background developed, this is essentially a novella and, as such, does not really have the time to spare. Within those relatively few pages, MacLean does an excellent job with pacing the story and delivers some excellent artwork that does an excellent job supporting the story.

In all, ApocalytiGirl is an interesting take on the whole post-apocalyptic genre, playing some with the well-worn trope. MacLean also brings some excellent visuals to his story making ApocalyptiGirl an interesting, if brief read.

Crazy for Graphic Novels?

Graphic Novels Are For Everyone!

During the month of March, we are encouraging everyone to checkout our graphic novel collection. We have titles for kids, teens, and adults—something for everyone. To do our part, Fine Print writers will be reviewing their favorites all through March. We hope you enjoy our selections and come see more of what your Library has to offer.

 

 

I do not typically read graphic novels, which means I have not read any graphic novels unless you count Captain Underpants.  I was coerced into reading Captain Underpants by my son.  Yes, it's true I read whatever he wanted to read. If he was interested in a book, even if I was inwardly cringing, I read it with him. I am a firm believer in reading anything that increases a child's willingness to read. For my son (in second and third grade) Captain Underpants was the way to go. Not only was my child interested in reading captain underpants, but it increased his willingness and fervor to read everything! So, even if it meant reading about Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, I was all in. 

Flash forward many years and I am reading another graphic novel. However this time I have selected a more adult graphic novel. I read the Sandman by Neil Gaiman, because I love his novels. He has not written anything I do not enjoy so I figured this was a great place to start. I began with The Sandman vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes.  The first thing that struck me was it took me much longer to read than I thought it would.  For me the artwork was distracting.  It took me awhile to get a feel for reading a graphic novel. It does not read the same as a regular book.  I expected a quick easy ready, but this was no easy read.  I found myself rereading passages to make sure I interpreted the passages correctly and then when a passage troubled me...this is a dark graphic novel, I would look at the pictures and reread the text. It was an intense read. 

I like the way Neil Gaiman weaves the past together with the present including the mythic with modern day.  The Sandman is not a comic book. In my opinion it is more than a graphic novel or perhaps all these years I have done a disservice to graphic novels.  Please note that although I am not crazy about graphic novels, that once I finished Preludes and Nocturnes, I needed to know what happens next for Morpheus,... so I checked out the next several volumes in the series. 

I urge you to give graphic novels a try... if you like lighter reading perhaps try Unshelved. It is a hilarious laugh out loud graphic novel, which takes place inside a library. Some of the stories are made up, some of them are based on real life, and some are true stories sent to the writers from readers. Believe it or not the stranger the story, the more likely it is to be true.  

Graphic Novels Are For Everyone! The Harlem Hellfighters

During the month of March, we are encouraging everyone to check out our graphic novel collection. We have titles for kids, teens, and adults—something for everyone. To do our part, Fine Print writers will be reviewing their favorites all through March. We hope you enjoy our selections and come see more of what your Library has to offer.

My selection this month is:  

The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks, illustrated by Caanan White.

"In 1919, the 369th infantry regiment marched home triumphantly from World War I. They had spent more time in combat than any other American unit, never losing a foot of ground to the enemy, or a man to capture, and winning countless decorations. Though they returned as heroes, this African American unit faced tremendous discrimination, even from their own government. The Harlem Hellfighters, as the Germans called them, fought courageously on—and off—the battlefield to make Europe, and America, safe for democracy."  from the back cover.  

This graphic novel is special in several different ways:  it is about World War I, which is often overlooked by both writers and readers alike.  And it is about a part of African-American history that very few people know about.  It is full of action and violence and it will make you angry. It is also about courage, perseverance, and hope for a better future--without war and without racism.

Let graphic novels open your eyes to more than just super heroes!

The following men fought with the 369th:

Benjamin O. Davis Sr., first African-American
general (1941) in the US Armed Forces.

Hamilton Fish III, New York Congressman

Henry Johnson, first recipient of the
Croix de Guerre (French Cross of War).

Myles A. Paige, the first African American to
serve as a City Magistrate in New York City

Spotswood Poles, referred to as "the black Ty Cobb" for his prowess
in the professional Negro baseball leagues in the early 20th century.

The Great and Secret Show

 

Memory, prophecy and fantasy—

the past, the future and
the dreaming moment between—
are all one country,
living one immortal day

To know that is Wisdom

To use it is the Art.

Who would have thought that Armageddon would begin in the dead letter office of the Omaha Central Post Office? A downtrodden nobody named Randolph Jaffe is assigned to sort an entire room filled to bursting with undeliverable mail and set aside anything of importance, but he finds something far more valuable than an uncashed check. No, in the deep undercurrents of American life revealed in the letters he reads, he discovers a secret wholly unknown to the ignorant masses: a powerful legacy called the Art that seems to belong to a mysterious group known as the Shoal. To a man like Jaffe, who suffers from delusions of grandeur coupled with bad intentions, this is dangerous information. And when he finds in yet another envelope a strange medallion etched with primal symbols, his quest to find and possess the Art and all it encompasses begins. With a murder. And a fire.

Jaffe does not go unopposed, though. As he gains more knowledge and power, others are conscripted to fight him in an epic battle between good and evil that unfolds over decades. There is, however, a third party in this conflict, a cosmic evil that intends to exploit the destruction the opposing armies have created for its own malevolent ends—complete domination of the Earth.

This, in a teeny-tiny nutshell, is the gist of Clive Barker’s epic The Great and Secret Show. Trust me, folks, there’s so much more to this story than what you’ve just read above, and it will bend and stretch your imagination in ways you’ve never thought possible. But (hint, hint) if graphic novels are more your speed, you’re in luck, for The Great and Secret Show was given an excellent adaptation in comic-book form by Chris Ryall, released in twelve parts and eventually gathered into one awesome volume: The Complete Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show. The artwork, by Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key), is superb. So if you’re looking for a darkly fantastic graphic novel with a literary bent, give this one a try. And if you've actually read Barker's novel, I think you'll be very pleased with what Ryall and Rodriguez have created from it.   

March's In The Queue

March roars in with some great books for this month's In the Queue.

Fiction
Far From True by Linwood Barclay 
Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of Promise Falls; as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results.

At The Edge of The Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
Robert Goodenough is restless and haunted by the broken family he left behind. He finds solace in the redwood forest, but when Robert's past makes an unexpected appearance he must decide whether to strike out again or stake his claim to home at last.

The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich
This is a funny, sweet sizzling novel about love, redemption, and second chances.

Flawless by Heather Graham
New York's Diamond District has been hit by a rash of thefts. Kieran Finnegan and Craig Frasier are both assigned to solve the case. But to Kieran's horror, there's more and more evidence that, somehow, her family's pub is involved.

Gone Again by James Grippando
This is an electrifying and fast-paced tale of suspense. Miami criminal defense lawyer, Jack Swyteck, takes on a death-row client in a case as twisty as it is shocking. 

Predator: A Novel of Adventure by Wilbur A. Smith
This exciting tale, filled with knife-edge tension, cunning global intrigue, and breathtaking adventure demonstrates the extraordinary vision and talent of a writer with a gift for consistently delivering nonstop entertainment. 

The Nest by Cynthis D'Aprix Sweeney
A warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of their shared inheritance, which has shaped their choices and their lives.

New Books by Best Selling Authors
The Last Mile by David Baldacci
The 14th Colony by Steve Berry
Hide Away by Iris Johansen
Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury
No Safe Secret by Fern Michaels
Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen
The Obsession by Nora Roberts
War Hawk by James Rollins
Extreme Prey by John Sandford
Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
Deep Blue by Randy Wayne White
Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear
Family Jewels by Stuart Woods

Nonfiction
Lust and Wonder by Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Burroughs examines what it means to be in love, what it means to be in lust, and what it means to be figuring it all out.

Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind and Unleash Yourself by Joyce Meyers
Through the practical advice and scriptural wisdom in this book, learn how to unplug and free yourself from the burdens that weigh you down. 

We Are Afghan Women: Voices of Hope by George W. Bush Presidential Center
These are powerful stories of Afghan women  written in their own words, which create a  compelling portrait of the lives, struggles, and successes of an extraordinary nation and its extraordinarily resilient women.