As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman - OPTIONAL

Gillman, Melanie As the Crow Flies, 272 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Iron Circus Comics, 2017. $30. Language: PG (6 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G.  

Charlie (Charlotte) is at a Christian girls’ hiking camp. She seems to be questioning God’s purpose for her being there, and a feather that greets her arrival is a message. She is concerned that she is the only girl of color and that the Women’s ceremony at the end is going to be biased, or strange or embarrassing.  She makes a friend along the way and together they express their concerns about the program.

I wasn’t completely sure what was going on in this novel - was there racism? Did Charlie feel like there might be and she was ready for when it happened? The problems she encountered (starting her period, mean girls - sort of) were similar to anyone’s issues at camp. Worst of all, it’s not even the whole story! It suddenly ends before they reach their destination, before the women’s ceremony, before lots of these problems are resolved, with no indication that it is book one or that a sequel follows. All by itself, this wouldn’t work in my school library - I’ll reserve selection choice until I read the next one - there’s gotta be a next one.  

MS - OPTIONAL Lisa Librarian