 | Spring (Haru) Author: Latham, Joe | |
| Price: $12.29 | ||
Summary:
In The Valley, best friends Haru and Yama both dream of leaving as they're bullied at school, frustrated at home, and struggling to figure out who they are. One day, a powerful artifact connects itself to Yama, and they discover that they'll have to journey to the mysterious Beacon in search of answers. In graphic novel format.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (01/01/24)
School Library Journal (00/03/24)
Booklist (02/01/24)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/03/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/01/2024 A murky, atmospheric prologue reveals a primordial conflict between good and evil that leaves an artifact behind for the present day, the present day where readers find Haru, a flightless and bullied blue bird that a dark force believes to be the chosen one. Haru and their piglet friend Yama stumble upon the Heart of Briar, a hideously powerful and dangerous object that must be destroyed. While their Tolkienian quest merely begins in this volume, they encounter friends and enemies and must traverse a moody, rundown shopping mall, an unusual locale for epic fantasy which, along with the school-based social issues and the colloquial language, makes for a distinctive, grounded mixture that could prove enticing to genre neophytes. As well, this early segment of the journey hinges less on action and more on characters overcoming dark inner voices, voices of uncertainty, anger, and inadequacy. The art comes in muted, earthy tones, and the characters occupy soft, rounded bodies, as though they and their world are shaped of clay, still searching for their final form. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
