Saturday, September 29, 2018

The Secret of the Wind (Cottons) by Pascoe and Arnhold - OPTIONAL

The Secret of the Wind (Cottons) by Jim Pascoe and Heidi Arnhold, 242 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. First Second, 2018. $20.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In a world of rabbits and foxes, there are a lot of forces at play beyond the natural rivalry between the two. In The World of Lavender, the rabbits are trying to balance industry and art and each rabbit must play their role to produce enough carrots. Bridgebelle is walking this line, working by day in the factory, and spending her free time practicing art mixed with magic. 

I think this graphic novel will appeal to those readers interested in dystopian societies, but I don’t predict the appeal will go much wider than that. The book is reminiscent of Watership Down. I found the story hard to follow and the characters hard to keep straight, but the theme of art versus industry is compelling. There is an attempted suicide in this book that is a bit graphic and drawn out and could be a trigger for some readers.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

No comments: