hollyrebeccasmith's review against another edition
5.0
A delightful graphic novel that focuses on belief, friendship, and a sense of home. While intended for a younger audience, it is still quite enjoyable for adults.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this little story and think that Heagerty and Mided make for a great pairing. It's a small, American town story with a great piece of urban mythos attached to it: the sighting of the Sasquatch. For 17-year old Louie, who has lived here all her life, this is the best thing that happened to her home. It turned it into a charming tourist site, where all the residents know one another. Louie has no intention of ever leaving. So when a young property developer turns up and begins to buy out the whole town (with its ever-receding Sacquatch-tourist base), she decides that she will do whatever it takes to drive him out of town.
The concept behind the whole story was really sweet and I certainly know exactly what it's like to come from a very small town and be precious about it. In terms of a diverse cast too, Heagerty and Mided make great work here with Louie's same-sex parents as an anchor. The community of Southborough is a rich mix of gender and race.
The first thing I found difficult about the book though was the lettering which felt a font size too small in places. This ended up slowing the reading down a little for me in places. In addition, I think there was many attempts at stage-humour with people Air B&Bing in Louie's cupboard but it led to many moments in the books feeling silly rather than tugging on the heart-strings which is what I was looking for and, at times, what it felt Heagerty was pitching for too.
Finally, Louie is not the most likeable character. 17 years old without a weekend job (until she is drawn to get one) and throws the greatest fits of anger if things don't go her way; she doesn't ever truly change or grow but there was so much potential for it. Instead, everyone around her has to do the growing and changing and this just doesn't seem right to me.
Otherwise, a sweet story with great illustrations. I will definitely look for more of Heagerty's work in the future. Probably aimed at KS3+ but with nothing at all offensive so could work in UKS2.
The concept behind the whole story was really sweet and I certainly know exactly what it's like to come from a very small town and be precious about it. In terms of a diverse cast too, Heagerty and Mided make great work here with Louie's same-sex parents as an anchor. The community of Southborough is a rich mix of gender and race.
The first thing I found difficult about the book though was the lettering which felt a font size too small in places. This ended up slowing the reading down a little for me in places. In addition, I think there was many attempts at stage-humour with people Air B&Bing in Louie's cupboard but it led to many moments in the books feeling silly rather than tugging on the heart-strings which is what I was looking for and, at times, what it felt Heagerty was pitching for too.
Finally, Louie is not the most likeable character. 17 years old without a weekend job (until she is drawn to get one) and throws the greatest fits of anger if things don't go her way; she doesn't ever truly change or grow but there was so much potential for it. Instead, everyone around her has to do the growing and changing and this just doesn't seem right to me.
Otherwise, a sweet story with great illustrations. I will definitely look for more of Heagerty's work in the future. Probably aimed at KS3+ but with nothing at all offensive so could work in UKS2.
3eggy5me's review against another edition
3.0
Positive message about passion versus work. Fun art and you can tell the creators loves their work. But a big forgettable with a dramatic character and side characters that fell pretty neatly into tropes and such.
lelex's review against another edition
4.0
This was very sweet, funny, and oddly topical in its references (where it still held up)! It's a standard "time to save the town with the power of friendship and love" but with a cool, cryptid twist. I really enjoyed the broad cast of characters and the smaller subplots, as well as the kind of corny names for everything. An easy, sweet read that was fun and meaningful!
jkenna90's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really cute graphic novel! I loved the paranormal aspect of it and all the cryptids.
onamoonbeam's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.5
sweet, some fun character moments, good message about your job not having to be monetized and doing what you want in your free time can be rewarding… but on the whole unmemorable. i couldn’t remember the name of the book 8 hours after i read it, forget about the characters
fandomsandfiction's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
the message behind this book really touched my heart :')
i'm so passionate about passion!!! 100% yes to living a good life over living a rich life!!!
also, louie's dads might just be the best parents in the world HOW ARE THEY SO PERFECT???
i'm so passionate about passion!!! 100% yes to living a good life over living a rich life!!!
also, louie's dads might just be the best parents in the world HOW ARE THEY SO PERFECT???
kingcoreybear's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dame_samara's review against another edition
4.0
I was looking for a light-hearted pallet cleanser and this did and didn't meet my expectations of that.
While this book is not a happy go lucky story and does dig into what it's like to watch a place you love fade away despite your best efforts. It knows how to balance the deep lows with humor perfectly.
Paired with characters that very much make you want to root for their cause and you will for sure fall in love with. This book was honestly a blast from beginning to end.
While this book is not a happy go lucky story and does dig into what it's like to watch a place you love fade away despite your best efforts. It knows how to balance the deep lows with humor perfectly.
Paired with characters that very much make you want to root for their cause and you will for sure fall in love with. This book was honestly a blast from beginning to end.
bearbahoochie's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0