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A review by inkdrinkers
Sorceline by Sylvia Douyé
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Sorceline is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel tackling identity and friendship against a magical backdrop and featuring a hair-raising mystery.
I was drawn to Sorceline because of the beautiful cover art, topic of cryptozoology, and vibrant characters. This graphic novel is the first in a trilogy, translated from French, about a girl named Sorceline who travels to a mysterious island to become a cryptozoologist, but stumbles on a mystery plaguing her classmates that might be related to her own past.
I absolutely adored the characters as they were introduced, they were well-rounded preteens each with their own flaws and desires. Willa, particularly, was one of my favorite characters, she had a very well-rounded personality and felt human. One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the wonderfully colorful setting and rich description and illustrations of the cryptids!
There were, unfortunately, some weak aspects of Sorceline. Scenes tend to jump cut back and forth with no transition panels, sometimes leaving the reader confused. A few times I did have to flip back and make sure I didn't miss a page. I think this, in turn, makes this book a slower read, as it takes longer to keep pace with the quickly moving plot. Unfortunately, the translation of the dialogue also slows this read down. The dialogue occasionally feels childish, even for a middle grade book. I feel like this would be fine, but the subject matter is already catering to preteens who have an interest in mythology and folklore, the characters don't need to be simplified for the audience.
Overall, I would give this graphic novel four stars! I enjoyed it, it was a pleasant read, but it did have it's issues. Still, I loved the creatures, the mystery, and the island of Vorn. I can see myself picking up the second volume to see where the plot takes Sorceline and what new creatures the other characters encounter!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a copy to review!
I was drawn to Sorceline because of the beautiful cover art, topic of cryptozoology, and vibrant characters. This graphic novel is the first in a trilogy, translated from French, about a girl named Sorceline who travels to a mysterious island to become a cryptozoologist, but stumbles on a mystery plaguing her classmates that might be related to her own past.
I absolutely adored the characters as they were introduced, they were well-rounded preteens each with their own flaws and desires. Willa, particularly, was one of my favorite characters, she had a very well-rounded personality and felt human. One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the wonderfully colorful setting and rich description and illustrations of the cryptids!
There were, unfortunately, some weak aspects of Sorceline. Scenes tend to jump cut back and forth with no transition panels, sometimes leaving the reader confused. A few times I did have to flip back and make sure I didn't miss a page. I think this, in turn, makes this book a slower read, as it takes longer to keep pace with the quickly moving plot. Unfortunately, the translation of the dialogue also slows this read down. The dialogue occasionally feels childish, even for a middle grade book. I feel like this would be fine, but the subject matter is already catering to preteens who have an interest in mythology and folklore, the characters don't need to be simplified for the audience.
Overall, I would give this graphic novel four stars! I enjoyed it, it was a pleasant read, but it did have it's issues. Still, I loved the creatures, the mystery, and the island of Vorn. I can see myself picking up the second volume to see where the plot takes Sorceline and what new creatures the other characters encounter!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a copy to review!