"You live your life a certain way for so long and well, you forget what's a lie and what's the truth. You forget that there's more to life than just surviving."

Odessa is a graphic novel unlike any I've read before. I've never read a dystopian graphic novel before and I have to say: it's quite something seeing the dystopian ruins play out right in front of you as you read the book for the first time. Sure, many dystopian stories have been turned into movies, but there's something different about seeing the environment at the same time as you're experiencing the story for the first time. I really enjoyed this aspect of Odessa and I also liked that pink was the sole color that author Jonathan Hill picked for this story. Pink is not the color I would typically think of for a dystopian story, but it really worked.

Odessa tells the story of 18-year-old Virginia (Ginny) and her search for her mother. After an earthquake changed life as they knew it, Ginny's mother disappeared. For her birthday, Ginny gets a note and necklace from her mother and decides to leave her father and two younger brothers behind to search for her mom. Little does she know that her two little brothers followed her and she's about to have one heck of an adventure. Despite numerous warnings of the dangers of life outside her community, Ginny and her brothers are determined to find their Uncle Hank and their mother, Odessa. This journey is full of adventure, surprise, and danger.

I really enjoyed how this graphic novel asked the question: are humans good or evil? We don't really know based on our civilization but place those same humans in a dystopian society and you get a completely different story. I really enjoyed this story and was equally disappointed and thrilled to learn this story will be continued in another volume to come.

TW: violence, death, dead bodies

I enjoyed the family aspect of this; I love a sibling story, but overall I thought it was slow and a bit boring at times. Also, I didn't realize that this was the first in the series (?!) and was expecting the plot to be resolved by the end, especially based on the amount of pages. I'm feeling a bit mixed because I am interested in seeing if the story picks up in the second part, but I'm not terribly invested in the characters to want to continue on this journey with them.

This is probably one of the best comics/graphic novels I've read recently. The style was cartoonist but also had really great perspective, atmosphere, and details that rode the line between cartooning and illustration. The characters have very distinct voices that sound like themselves not one person making them say things. And the pacing of the story including action, clues, questions, and surprises really kept me excited to read each chapter. Well done Jonathan! Can't wait to read the next book.

Engaging characters and excellent world-building, highly effective art. There was room for more character development and growth. Still, an exciting adventure.

3.5

I didn’t know much about this graphic novel read going in and so it was definitely a surprising adventure as it unraveled. With the young characters, I was surprised by the darkness of it, and the pink color palette also was an interesting choice. I do think that fans of post-apocalyptic tales will find this a good read, like those who like the Walking Dead for instance. Now, of course, I am wondering what happens next since I didn’t expect it to leave off with a cliffhanger!

http://www.barharukiya.co.uk/odessa-jonathan-hill/07/

Odessa, like last week’s Eden, leaves me in a difficult spot, it’s enjoyable but largely forgettable. It tells the story of an America that’s literally been torn in two by an earthquake, and within that is the story of a family in search of their Mother, though things end in this volume before they find her.

When Virginia Crane turns 18 she receives a parcel from

Eight years ago a massive earthquake that changed the landscape and destroyed cities stuck on the west coast of America. Not long after Ginny’s mother left the family home and never returned. After Ginny receives a gift from her mother for her birthday, she decides to search for her mother and find out what happened to her.

I liked this graphic novel. Ginny was likeable and I was willing her along. The supporting characters are just the right balance of annoying and likeable. The artwork is interesting and I loved the pink accents. I think it was longer than it needed to be but I enjoyed it enough that I’ll look out for the next one in the series.

Thank you to Oni Press for this advanced copy.

This was a lovely easy to read graphic novel, one of which I needed at that point in my reading schedule of the month. I love the idea behind it and really enjoyed following Viginia and her brothers journey to find their mother.

I enjoyed meeting the people that they discovered upon their journey and the friendships that they built. I also loved the life lessons that were revealed to them along the way!

I really liked the aesthetic in relation to the illustrations and the colour scheme. I found it to be very unique and one which I enjoyed discovering each time I turned the page.

I am very intrigued by the ending and I am really looking forward to finding out what happens next!