pants0701's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
xpressionless's review against another edition
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
4.0
nyrabloodreaver's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
mdmartin's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
niche's review
4.0
Solid MG book with an anxious ninja
This was a nice Middle Grade read. Approachable for children without talking down to them and has a grounded enough plot and writing to be readable by an adult.
This was a nice Middle Grade read. Approachable for children without talking down to them and has a grounded enough plot and writing to be readable by an adult.
carlyisclary's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, fun middle grade read. Gave me Danny phantom/ American dragon kinda vibes, not bad, not bad.
alittleperusal's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
albyscout's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cute story but predictable. I would however like to see how they continue the story.
briarrose1021's review against another edition
5.0
Rena is a young adolescent girl who has severe social anxiety. She sits in the back of her classroom at school, hoping the teacher won't call on her, and the only friend she has is someone who cannot leave his own home due to an unspecified illness so they only talk via the computer. To try and help, Rena is seeing a psychologist who is working with her to overcome her anxiety. When Rena is given the assignment to join a club, she discovers a local ninja club.
Hesitant at first, Rena soon becomes excited about learning to be a ninja - especially when the head of the school tells her about an old prophecy that talks about a ninja legend known only as "The Ghost" and that Rena is the latest incarnation. At first, Rena excels at her instruction. But when she finds out some new information, she begins to wonder if the leader of the school, Dysart, is good, or whether he is manipulating her for his own means.
One of the great things about this graphic novel is that the main character was created by the author's daughter, and the two of them worked together with the help of an illustrator to bring it to life. The other, and I think the best, thing is that it illustrates someone who is struggling with mental illness, but getting treatment for it. While I have read several books with characters who have various mental illnesses, this is the first one that included the character seeing a psychologist for treatment, and I think that is huge. Mental illness still has so much social stigma around it that many don't seek the treatment they so badly need. Having characters seeking treatment in books will help normalize it. It will certainly take more than one novel, but it's a great start.
I really hope that Ricardo, Adara, and Arianna continue this series with more stories about Rena. The ending of this novel certainly left the door open for sequels, even while completing the major storyline presented. There are several different ways a sequel could take the story, several different directions it could go, and I look forward to seeing whether the authors take it.
Hesitant at first, Rena soon becomes excited about learning to be a ninja - especially when the head of the school tells her about an old prophecy that talks about a ninja legend known only as "The Ghost" and that Rena is the latest incarnation. At first, Rena excels at her instruction. But when she finds out some new information, she begins to wonder if the leader of the school, Dysart, is good, or whether he is manipulating her for his own means.
One of the great things about this graphic novel is that the main character was created by the author's daughter, and the two of them worked together with the help of an illustrator to bring it to life. The other, and I think the best, thing is that it illustrates someone who is struggling with mental illness, but getting treatment for it. While I have read several books with characters who have various mental illnesses, this is the first one that included the character seeing a psychologist for treatment, and I think that is huge. Mental illness still has so much social stigma around it that many don't seek the treatment they so badly need. Having characters seeking treatment in books will help normalize it. It will certainly take more than one novel, but it's a great start.
I really hope that Ricardo, Adara, and Arianna continue this series with more stories about Rena. The ending of this novel certainly left the door open for sequels, even while completing the major storyline presented. There are several different ways a sequel could take the story, several different directions it could go, and I look forward to seeing whether the authors take it.