Trespassers by Breena Bard
2020; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 73; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.2020.0310
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)Contemporary Literature and Criticism
ResumoReviewed by: Trespassers by Breena Bard Alaine Martaus Bard, Breena Trespassers; written and illus. by Breena Bard. Graphix/Scholastic, 2020 [256p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-338-26423-4 $24.99 Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-338-26421-0 $14.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-338-26437-1 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 3-6 Inspired by the classic mysteries she adores, Gabby Woods decides to spend her family’s vacation at a lakeside cabin writing her own novel, one based on a nearby mansion where a glamorous couple disappeared years before. When fellow eighth-grader Paige Martin moves in nearby, Gabby is uncertain about the rebellious girl but soon lets Paige pressure her into breaking into the mansion to look for evidence for her story. As the girls explore the house and potential motives for a murder, though, their imaginations run away with them, and soon they’re piecing together clues and deducing their neighbor is a murderer, until a near disaster forces them back into reality. With its bright summer-in-the-woods palette, this graphic novel offers a lively story of mischief gone awry with no serious consequences. Adventure seekers will enjoy the outdoorsy antics, while genre lovers will appreciate the mystery within a mystery plotline. However, they may feel let down by the crime-less final reveal, and characters are largely limited to recognizable types, including bothersome little brothers, forthright parents, and the seeming “bad influence” who is really just a hurt, angry adolescent looking for friendship. Indeed, with its entirely white cast and its slate of lessons learned, the novel as a whole exudes a kind of outdated Leave It to Beaver earnestness. Still, the nostalgia may contribute to reader appeal and a parental stamp of approval. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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