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pantsreads's review
4.0
I really enjoyed getting to know Willow and hope we get to see more of her in the future!
Check out my full review on Forever Young Adult.
Check out my full review on Forever Young Adult.
aqilahreads's review
4.0
i have read quite a number of YA dc comics & i would have to say that this is personally one of the best ones for me. i thoroughly enjoyed reading it in one sitting!!! rounding this up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
it centres on a jewish heroine who has so much going on in her life. she is forced to grow up and help with bills & one of her dreams is to get her mom the help she needs as someone who is battling cancer. she also works on petitions to get $$ for education and trying to make her community better.
packed with beautiful illustrations, i really like the colour tones which somehow fit the overall vibes - it captures her emotions v well and really got me hooked in the story. i love how the illustrator incorporates them which help to elevate the reding experience. the art is truly something to appreciate.
it centres on a jewish heroine who has so much going on in her life. she is forced to grow up and help with bills & one of her dreams is to get her mom the help she needs as someone who is battling cancer. she also works on petitions to get $$ for education and trying to make her community better.
packed with beautiful illustrations, i really like the colour tones which somehow fit the overall vibes - it captures her emotions v well and really got me hooked in the story. i love how the illustrator incorporates them which help to elevate the reding experience. the art is truly something to appreciate.
corky12's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Violence
Minor: Death
chelseayedinak's review
4.0
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
DC Graphic Novels are really having a moment and I am here for it. I've read nearly all of the ones they've released for middle grade and young adult in the past couple of years and I'm glad they're also writing about less mainstream characters. In Whistle, a teenager gets dragged into Gotham's criminal circles because she needs money for her mom's cancer treatment. Once she has a run-in with Killer Croc and realizes exactly what her boss has planned for her beloved neighborhood, she uses her new canine superpowers to fight back and try to save Down River. I love seeing how classic characters such as Poison Ivy and the Riddler get a new spin, but I wish the book were longer so we could've seen more of their adventures in their villainous roles. I was intrigued by the Killer Croc subplot, especially because he doesn't get much play in Gotham, but he was gone nearly as soon as he appeared. I enjoyed the book overall, but I wish it maybe had one or two more parts to it so it could slow down and take its time with the plot.
DC Graphic Novels are really having a moment and I am here for it. I've read nearly all of the ones they've released for middle grade and young adult in the past couple of years and I'm glad they're also writing about less mainstream characters. In Whistle, a teenager gets dragged into Gotham's criminal circles because she needs money for her mom's cancer treatment. Once she has a run-in with Killer Croc and realizes exactly what her boss has planned for her beloved neighborhood, she uses her new canine superpowers to fight back and try to save Down River. I love seeing how classic characters such as Poison Ivy and the Riddler get a new spin, but I wish the book were longer so we could've seen more of their adventures in their villainous roles. I was intrigued by the Killer Croc subplot, especially because he doesn't get much play in Gotham, but he was gone nearly as soon as he appeared. I enjoyed the book overall, but I wish it maybe had one or two more parts to it so it could slow down and take its time with the plot.
rbreade's review
Sixteen-year old Willow Zimmerman lives with her ailing mother in the Down River area of Gotham. They struggle to pay for chemotherapy treatments. Willow works at a rescue shelter--she has an affinity for dogs, including a footloose Great Dane, Lebowitz--to help pay bills, attends school, and protests the neglect and incipient gentrification of her beloved, though run-down, part of town. Enter an estranged friend of her mom, one Eddie Nachtberger, who renamed himself E. Nigma, a.k.a., the Riddler, as well as Pammie Isley, a.k.a, Poison Ivy, and the story hits the afterburners. Writer E. Lockhart--We Were Liars and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks--mixes smart dialogue, Willow's interior monologue, and complex character arcs--no evil maniacs, here--in a winning combination. These standalone graphic novels that play with established parts of comics mythology (DC's in this case) while introducing new elements--introducing a new superhero, Whistle!--are a stroke of genius. Freed of month-to-month continuity and canon, artists such a Lockhart and illustrator, Manuel Preitano, whose pencils are gritty, as befits Gotham, detailed, and yet perfectly suited to the teenage protagonist who happens to like a new boy at school, they can focus more on character and story and less on panel-to-panel punchfests.
rdyourbookcase's review
4.0
I enjoyed Whistle. I think teens who have more responsibilities than they should will enjoy it, too. I wish that Lockhart would have expressed the toll the main character's stress took on her a little more, but that's my only complaint. I enjoyed the art and Whistle's drive to make her community a better place.
stressedspidergirl's review
4.0
This was fun. Obviously it's a teen comic, but I'd say lower end of the teen spectrum in terms of writing. It wasn't a complex story or plot, but it was heartfelt.
I would also say it's a uniquely Jewish story in that as far as comics go, it's openly Jewish. It's not allegorical, and it was a mitzvah to come across it and have the ability to read it.
I felt like in spite of the lack of reality comics have, her grounding her culture and her neighborhood gave it a more realistic edge than it might have otherwise had. I enjoyed it.
I would also say it's a uniquely Jewish story in that as far as comics go, it's openly Jewish. It's not allegorical, and it was a mitzvah to come across it and have the ability to read it.
I felt like in spite of the lack of reality comics have, her grounding her culture and her neighborhood gave it a more realistic edge than it might have otherwise had. I enjoyed it.
guylou's review
3.0
WHISTLE by E. Lockhart is an interesting graphic novel that follows the journey of Willow Zimmerman, a 16-year-old girl who is struggling to make ends meet while taking care of her mother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Willow's life changes drastically when she reconnects with her estranged "uncle" Edward, who provides her with the means to afford medical treatment for her mother. However, as she becomes more involved in Edward's illegal activities, Willow's relationships with those she cares about are strained. The story takes a supernatural turn when Willow and a Great Dane named Lebowitz, gain powers after a violent encounter with Killer Croc. The newfound abilities give Willow the chance to make a difference in her community, but she must decide whether to stay loyal to Edward or stand up against his corrupt actions.
This graphic novel will appeal to a young audience. It was great to see some of the Gotham City Villains make cameo appearances throughout the novel. The artwork by Manuel Preitano is great and captures the essence of the story. Overall, it was a good story that covers themes such as family, activism, and corruption.
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ashley_po's review
4.0
I am not huge into superhero comics, and had to google if Batman was DC or Marvel, but I like E. Lockhart, so I was really excited to get this ARC from NetGalley. First off, I loved the art. I thought the illustrated did a great job differentiating the characters. I also liked the story a lot. There is something immediately charming about a do gooder turned super hero with a dog side kick. I assume this is going to be a series and will be on the lookout for more.
zellainy's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.25