Oh, friends. The story in this book is just too good for words. Ashley’s origin story is one that I feel a lot of people out there can resonate with in some aspect. She’s been from foster family to another, carrying the baggage of her childhood and unwilling to let down the walls that she has built to protect her. I instantly recognized her use of humor to protect her feelings, and you can’t even imagine the size of my smile when she met the Nolans. The love toward amazing foster parents is real here, and it is guaranteed to make you giggle, sigh, and maybe even tear up a little.

Ashley herself is a very relatable character. She’s funny, impulsive, and full of kindness. Despite everything that she has been through, she isn’t callous or trying to hurt others. I loved the panels that showed her first day of school, because it took that one small page to showcase what a wonderful person she was. Standing up for ourselves is one thing, but standing up for others is always even better. When she finds a way to become a superhero? Well, that only seals the deal.

I could gush on and on about the diversity in the characters, the beautiful flow between the panels and the dialogue, and even the interesting questions that are posed by this gorgeous story. Still, I don’t want to ruin anything for potential readers so I’ll stop here. Suffice it to say that if you’re looking for a fun, middle grade and YA appropriate graphic novel this is it! Primer is ready to steal your heart.