Mel the Chosen

Coaxing her cat down from her building’s roof, white, orange-haired Mel tumbles into a neighboring apartment, finding an old man named Otto and three woodland animals having tea, all in formal old-fashioned garb. Told she is the long-awaited Chosen One, Mel, who is generally frustrated with her lack of autonomy, agrees to help Otto break his childhood bargain with beaky trickster Malcape the Magnificent, the malicious king of Here&Now, a land of distorted wishes. Guided by a crow named Benjamino, Mel and Otto travel through Here&Now, finding allies in Malcape’s other duped marks and discovering what it means to be the Chosen One. At first seeking only to aid Otto, Mel soon is responsible for the fates of all in Here&Now, and possibly that of her own world and others besides. Aragno employs an ink-heavy style reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s art, with sepia-toned pages referencing the past and vibrant watercolors conjuring Here&Now and its creaturely population. A sometimes bewilderingly fast pace paired with loosely explained plot elements muddle the story at times, but also contribute to the adventure’s engrossing atmosphere and humor. Ages 8–12. [em](Aug.) [/em]