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Staff Pick
Award-winning cartoonist Jonathan Hill contrasts surprising humor with the desolation of a ruined landscape and the longing of three Vietnamese American siblings searching across the country for their missing mother, eight years after the big Cascadia earthquake. With themes of violence, environmentalism, and family, Odessa is much more than a page-turner — but what a page-turner! Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com
Eighteen-year-old Ginny has been helping her father raise her brothers Wes and Harry since her mother went missing eight years ago, after a catastrophic earthquake along the Cascadia Faultline. When a mysterious package arrives at their doorstep, Ginny knows she must leave the homestead in search of her mother to discover possible answers in an uncertain future. Award-winning author Jonathan Hill's trichromatic illustrations and story, set in the rich, forested Western landscape, is as compelling as it is beautiful. Recommended By Kim T., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Three siblings search for
their missing mother across a ruined America in this original graphic
novel perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld and Neal Shusterman.
Eight years ago an earthquake — the Big One — hit along the
Cascadia fault line, toppling cities and changing landscapes all up and
down the west coast of the United States. Life as we know it changed
forever. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, life changed
shortly after the earthquake, when her mother left and never came back.
Ginny has gotten used to a life without her mother, helping her
father take care of her two younger brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a
mysterious package arrives for her eighteenth birthday, her life is
shaken up yet again. For the first time, Ginny wants something more than
to survive. And it might be a selfish desire, but she's determined to
find out what happened to her mother — even if it means leaving her
family behind.
Review
"With Odessa, Jonathan Hill has captured everything I love in a single story: old family secrets, smart kids running the show, and a beautifully realized post-apocalyptic landscape. Innovative artwork and gorgeous writing come together to create one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. I dare you to read this and not finish it in one sitting." David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of The Electric Kingdom and Mosquitoland
Review
“Hill’s storytelling and artwork bring to mind the brilliance of writer/cartoonists like Jeff Smith and Kazu Kibuishi.” Dav Pilkey, best-selling author of the Dog Man series
Review
"Rendered in a deceptively innocent combination of black and bubble-gum pink, panels are expertly placed to use linework and sequencing to strengthen the emotion and humor of the story....A gritty, raw page-turner." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
About the Author
Jonathan Hill is an award-winning cartoonist who lives in Portland, OR. His comics and illustrations have been featured in publications by Fantagraphics, Lion Forge, tor.com, Powell's City of Books, The Believer Magazine, and the Society of Illustrators. His first two books, Americus and Wild Weather, were created with writer MK Reed and published by First Second Books. Jonathan also teaches comics at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and serves on the board of directors at Literary Arts. Odessa is the first book he has written and drawn himself.
Jonathan Hill on PowellsBooks.Blog
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