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A review by saidtheraina
Dragon Girl, Volume 1: The Secret Valley by Jeff Weigel
4.0
The pro review:
Everyone knows dragons are dangerous. That’s why knights set out to slay them, right? But what would happen if a human met a dragon and neither was threatened by the other? Alanna finds out. This is an old-fashioned adventure which features some elements of steampunk, medieval fantasy, some fun dragon action, and a girl wearing a dragon costume. Weigel is probably best known for his picture books featuring the superhero Atomic Ace and here, he tackles a full-fledged graphic novel. The illustrations are the strongest part of the story – although readers will miss the presence of color, the story is told clearly and many different panel layouts appear. Some of the dialogue feels a bit too colloquial for the genre, and some of the plot twists could be more original, but overall, this is a strong entry into the all ages graphic novel genre. Libraries with graphic novel collections for children will do well to stock this adventure.
And more:
Expectations expectations expectations! I got a proof of this, and had VERY low expectations, based on the cover (on the proof, remember), and the aesthetic of Weigel's drawing style. And I remember being very pleasantly surprised!
Of course my happy thoughts around this story might have a little bit to do with the fact that I'm in the middle of (re)watching Game of Thrones right now. And dragons are adorable.
Everyone knows dragons are dangerous. That’s why knights set out to slay them, right? But what would happen if a human met a dragon and neither was threatened by the other? Alanna finds out. This is an old-fashioned adventure which features some elements of steampunk, medieval fantasy, some fun dragon action, and a girl wearing a dragon costume. Weigel is probably best known for his picture books featuring the superhero Atomic Ace and here, he tackles a full-fledged graphic novel. The illustrations are the strongest part of the story – although readers will miss the presence of color, the story is told clearly and many different panel layouts appear. Some of the dialogue feels a bit too colloquial for the genre, and some of the plot twists could be more original, but overall, this is a strong entry into the all ages graphic novel genre. Libraries with graphic novel collections for children will do well to stock this adventure.
And more:
Expectations expectations expectations! I got a proof of this, and had VERY low expectations, based on the cover (on the proof, remember), and the aesthetic of Weigel's drawing style. And I remember being very pleasantly surprised!
Of course my happy thoughts around this story might have a little bit to do with the fact that I'm in the middle of (re)watching Game of Thrones right now. And dragons are adorable.