Reviews

The Aquanaut: A Graphic Novel by Dan Santat

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taewri's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

deservingporcupine's review

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5.0

Heartwarming, whimsical and really fun. Beautiful art and a very imaginative story. The messages about found family, loss, and our relationship with wildlife were sweet, too. Really loved this one.

librarianryan's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A little girl named Sophia loses her father to science exploration. There is a shipwreck, and her father is lost at sea, but his scientific breakthrough is saved and brought home by the uncle. The uncle and family are part of Aqualand, that is supposed to be about science but is more about money and entertainment. Years later, Aqualand is in a bit of trouble, and the powers that be will not let the scientist work on/with their amazing discovery. But an Aquanaut walks into the park and things start to change. This is no man in a water suit. It is the animals of the sea driving this human suit on a hunt to find a safe space. This book is amazing. Everything done by Santat is amazing, so this meets expectations. It does feel a little sad, but the story is one kids will understand, and one they will want to read more than once.

literatehedgehog's review

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3.0

I wanted this to be about 20% weirder. As it is, it's a little weird with a lot of feelings, some of which felt forced. Gorgeous art, of course! Santat is an incredibly talented artist, I'm happy to feast my eyeballs on more.