Leslie Hawkins, owner of Spellbound Children's Bookshop in Asheville, N.C., talks about a spring graphic novel.
Set in a fictional small town in Nova Scotia, Hope Larson’s new graphic novel Mercury features lots of local color and an engaging story that weaves together history, romance, and teen angst. Tara is starting high school, made even more challenging by the recent loss of her home and belongings in a fire... and by the odd experience of being the new kid in her old school (thanks to a few years of being homeschooled). Given a mysterious pendant by her aunt, Tara begins to uncover hidden truths about her family's past as she settles into her new life.
Simultaneously unfolding is the story of Josey, the first member of Tara's family to own the pendant... a gift from a handsome, possibly dangerous young man. A hundred and fifty years earlier, Josey lived on the same land eventually marked by the fire-ravaged remains of Tara's present-day house. Josey struggles with first love and an overbearing and superstitious mother as her story lays the groundwork for Tara's exciting discovery generations later.
As in her earlier work (Chiggers, Salamander Dream, etc.), Larson's greatest strength is in artfully depicting the small but telling moments of adolescence. Beautiful black-and-white interior illustrations, touches of magical realism and a spot-on ear for teen dialogue make this a great pick for tweens and young teens.
Mercury by Hope Larson. Atheneum, $19.99 Apr. ISBN 978-1-416-93585-8
