As I learned in school, I figure the best way to approach this review is with the traditional "compliment sandwich."

So, first, I will say that this is a very quick read. It's 318 pages and I finished it in about two and a half hours. If you're looking for a fast graphic novel, this is definitely that!

But if you're looking for a good graphic novel, I may look elsewhere. I think my major problem with this book/story is that there is no suspense or emotional connections to the characters. I am not entirely interested in what comes next, I just keep reading because the next page is there and it's been going pretty quick. I blame this on a few things:

Pacing
The pacing of the book is way too fast. Way too fast. I cannot stress this enough. We learn the backstory of the world in about two pages which immediately eliminates the suspenseful plot line of "what happened to the world?" out.

The peripeteia (inciting incident) happens near immediately and does not make any sense. The characters set out to find their mom, but no explanation is given as to why they want to find her or why they waited until now. We don't know anything about her, her relationship to her family, or why she left. Just that she's gone and they all accepted it until she happened to send a birthday gift.

There's odd filler and things that just seem to randomly happen for the convenience of the story.

Spoiler

The magic key they just so happened to find. The truck ride? (If you were going to skip forward, just skip forward with her walking; her brothers could have followed on foot.) A bad guy introducing themselves whenever the family starts to fight so they have to band together

Some of the reveals/twists had no hints and were too sudden. It would have been better played out over time.

* There's also a weird amount of violence which is not graphic but is played up like it is. The moral stand the character makes about it also makes zero sense

Spoiler

as she also tried to bomb other characters.

Characterization
No time is spent building family or friend dynamics between the characters.
* They randomly throw in a lesbian romance which is not developed and seems a lot like the author just wanted to say he had queer characters in his book. It's a 2 panel long romance.
* There is no time to build a family dynamic between the characters. They don't talk to each other the way a family does.

The characters are all flat, cartoonish, and have inconsistent personalities. They don't act like real people.
* When the 8 year old brother wants to be heard and is ignored, he just gives up. He doesn't keep on about the weird carving. I don't know many kids who would give up without being told to shush or that he was seeing things.
* Ginny is all about protecting her brothers and shouldering the responsibility and being by her own, and she gets over them following her after about 5 panels. In fact, she has near constant mood swings which make little sense except for vague attempts at tension.
* The bad guys are cartoonishly bad. Seriously. There's a line that says "You can't run from the Fat Tires. We're going to murder all three of you!" About a 17 year old, 14 year old, and 8 year old.
* Most of the characters are just the mot stereotypical archetypes. TK the archetypal sacrificial mentor. The rough scoundrels at the docks. The annoying little brothers. The moody teen girl. The murderous biker gang who's angry children crossed their turf.
* She cuts off all of her hair, but we don't have any emotional connection to this action as a reader. It happens too soon and doesn't make sense.

Dialogue
But what was perhaps the most disappointing part of this was the dialogue. All of it seemed to be telling rather than showing and spoon feeding the reader. For example:

Spoiler

"This is a very small boat! You kids won't be able to hide for very long!"

Dialogue is used almost 95% for exposition, with very little in it for characterization.

Also, given that this is a graphic novel, I was disappointed that the art didn't do more of the storytelling work. I feel like there could be more done with facial expressions, body language, character's line of vision, but instead it's not. For example, when Ginny gives the list to Maya and Maya says "these are serious traveling supplies" we could have just seen the list.

Other minor issues that added up:
* In a two page spread, the character ends 5/8 sentences with "Okay?"
* The way her dad talks to her changes from verbal conversation to letter in terms of tone, register.
* The dialogue is very stinted and feels forced. They do not talk like real people.

All in all, I'm not sure what this story is even about or how to categorize it. There's paranormal stuff that never goes anywhere. Gang wars that play very little role unless convenient. The quest for the mother which is almost like a backdrop to the entire story rather than a plot. The random romance. The book does not pose any broader questions (as most dystopians do) as to how human nature reacts to tragedy, necessary evils for survival, the importance of family, etc. Instead it felt like a stereotyped fill cliched quest story.

And now for my final part of the sandwich: I really liked the coloring of the art. It was interesting having a two tone story because I think that helped set the tone of the world.

(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, but this review is my honest, unswayed opinion.)

I gave up on graphic novels a couple of years ago – mainly due to their shortness and underwhelming narrative. I gave Odessa a chance after reading the description and deciding that it was time to try another one. Graphic novels tend to be aimed at the young adult audience, which is not my demographic, but Jonathan Hill has created something special here – I really feel this will appeal to any age group who appreciates a great story.

Odessa is a post-apocalyptic tale that centres on three siblings on a journey across California in search of their mother. The characters are realistic, dynamic and most importantly, likeable! Their journey is so well scripted, that you almost feel a part of the story too – I’ve never experienced this in a graphic novel before, but I think this is why I rate this one so highly. As I was reading, I couldn’t help but imagine this story played out on screen – stunning visuals with just the right blend of action, suspense, family drama and mystery…

Artistically, the drawings are fantastic and fit perfectly with the narrative – I love the rose tint of the book – it softens the brutalness of some scenes and gives the impression of an overcast skyline you’d expect in a post-apocalyptic world.

Easily the best graphic novel I’ve read in a long time – most definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

i was surprised by how intriguing this story is! love the two-tone ✨️

Engaging enough, but not quite what I was hoping for in graphic fiction. (I'm still not sure what that is)

Odessa, written and illustrated by Jonathan Hill, tells the story of three siblings who set off on a quest to find their mother, who after being absent for years, has suddenly set a letter. The story is set in a post-apocalyptical setting, in a world where a giant earthquake has ravaged the United States, leaving people desperate and scavenging.

What drew me to Odessa initially was the use of color on the cover. The whole book is drawn exclusively in black, white, and pink, and it makes for an interesting overall look. The drawings themselves are a little cartoony for such a dark story, but they work fine overall.

The story itself follows in much the same vein -- fine, sort of. It isn't a particularly innovative idea, nor is it done with any new twists. It's a pretty solid, if somewhat tired, dystopian survival story. Having younger kids in the story, rather than just teenagers and adults, adds a little interest, but it is overall surprisingly bland considering it is full of chase scenes and dramatic reveals.

The book leaves off right in the middle, so do not expect a finished story -- this is only part one. If I was handed the next in the series, I might read it, but I can't imagine going out of my way to find out what happens next, even with most of the mystery still unsolved.

Trigger/content warnings: parented/mother abandonment, death by hanging.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC!