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A review by laura_sackton
Nimona by ND Stevenson
1st read:
This novel is full of adventure and science and witty commentary and fascinating magic. But what sets it apart for me is the emotional depth and the complexity of the characters, especially Nimona. It's not a simple book. It asks a lot of big, hard, complicated questions, and offers no easy answers. There's humor, yes, but the themes are actually somewhat dark, and adult, and heartbreaking, and get at the essential question of all truly great fiction: what is it that makes us human?
It's a book that works on two levels. My nephews love it. There's a fantastic, funny, subversive, smart, and fast-paced children's story here. But that's not all it is, and, in my opinion, it shortchanges the brilliance of this novel to pass it off as such. (Not that there is anything wrong with children's lit that isn't also complicated and multi-layered and full of adult themes. There isn't! It's just that this particular book is complicated and multi-layered and full of adult themes.)
2nd read:
Just read this for the second time, and it was just as outrageously good as I remembered. I've always been baffled by all the reviews of this book that focus mostly on its humor. Yes, this book is hysterical. There are a lot of funny parts and the humor is irreverent and sharp and biting and smart and excellent. But the heart of the book is so much more than its humor--it's a story about identity, about what makes us who we are, and who gets to decide.
3rd read (audio):
This is one of my favorite graphic novels ever--it's possibly one of my favorite novel ever, period. I decided I'd try listening to the audio version. I was afraid that the emotional depth wouldn't translate, but it absolutely did. I was blown away. There were actually parts that were hard to listen to, they were so emotional and painful and perfectly done. The depth of character that makes this novel so exceptional--the layers of complexity, all the hard messy things Stevenson has to say about identity--shine through. It's really a testament to the quality of the storytelling (and the actors) that the book translated so well onto audio. I was also worried that the super obvious (but very quiet) queer relationship wouldn't translate, as the art certainly plays a part in telling that story. But it did, too. I highly highly recommend reading the book in this form. The sound effects and creature voices are really well done and the whole thing was just as brilliant and heartbreaking as the print version. I definitely cried.
This novel is full of adventure and science and witty commentary and fascinating magic. But what sets it apart for me is the emotional depth and the complexity of the characters, especially Nimona. It's not a simple book. It asks a lot of big, hard, complicated questions, and offers no easy answers. There's humor, yes, but the themes are actually somewhat dark, and adult, and heartbreaking, and get at the essential question of all truly great fiction: what is it that makes us human?
It's a book that works on two levels. My nephews love it. There's a fantastic, funny, subversive, smart, and fast-paced children's story here. But that's not all it is, and, in my opinion, it shortchanges the brilliance of this novel to pass it off as such. (Not that there is anything wrong with children's lit that isn't also complicated and multi-layered and full of adult themes. There isn't! It's just that this particular book is complicated and multi-layered and full of adult themes.)
2nd read:
Just read this for the second time, and it was just as outrageously good as I remembered. I've always been baffled by all the reviews of this book that focus mostly on its humor. Yes, this book is hysterical. There are a lot of funny parts and the humor is irreverent and sharp and biting and smart and excellent. But the heart of the book is so much more than its humor--it's a story about identity, about what makes us who we are, and who gets to decide.
3rd read (audio):
This is one of my favorite graphic novels ever--it's possibly one of my favorite novel ever, period. I decided I'd try listening to the audio version. I was afraid that the emotional depth wouldn't translate, but it absolutely did. I was blown away. There were actually parts that were hard to listen to, they were so emotional and painful and perfectly done. The depth of character that makes this novel so exceptional--the layers of complexity, all the hard messy things Stevenson has to say about identity--shine through. It's really a testament to the quality of the storytelling (and the actors) that the book translated so well onto audio. I was also worried that the super obvious (but very quiet) queer relationship wouldn't translate, as the art certainly plays a part in telling that story. But it did, too. I highly highly recommend reading the book in this form. The sound effects and creature voices are really well done and the whole thing was just as brilliant and heartbreaking as the print version. I definitely cried.