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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Adding this one to my classroom library! A cute, heartfelt story told with beautiful art. I loved it!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is an adventurous, fast-paced graphic novel that bridges the genres of fantasy/sci-fi and realistic fiction. The story starts out with a nautical disaster that kills our main character's father and leaves her uncle grieving. Fast forward several years, when we are introduced to the Aquanaut--a collection of sentient sea creatures who pilot an old-timey diving suit following instructions from the deceased dad's journal to Aqualand, hoping for a safe place to live--instead finding an amusement park where sea animals are not always treated as they should be. I loved Dan Santat's illustrations in this graphic novel, but I didn't feel like the plot or emotional portions of the story really grabbed me--they seemed a little underdeveloped. It was a fun graphic novel, but I don't think it is going to remain very memorable.
If you ever have the chance to hear Dan Santat talk about the creating of this graphic novel, don't miss that opportunity!
This story will live in my heart for awhile.
This story will live in my heart for awhile.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Vomit
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love the general premise of this book, and I love the sea creatures. Overall, this book felt rushed. All of the sea creature characters had similar voices/personalities. I think it should have been longer so that the story and can have more depth.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sophia lost her father to the ocean when she was younger. Still grieving the loss of her father she visits Aqualand a theme park her uncle works at. There she meets this funky looking man in a scuba suit, but the problem is not that he is funky, or weird, or even that he's wearing a scuba suit on land, but that he's not a man at all, rather a band of sea creatures who is determined to save the sea creatures trapped in Aqualand. This was such a fun read, it was silly and took the topic of grief into something digestible.
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was very heartfelt. Dealing with both grief and the morals of marine research. Weaving these two stories into a fun adventure about an aquanaut and the importance of (found) family.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced