NOVEMBER 2016 - AudioFile
Bringing a graphic novel to audio is a challenge, for obvious reasons. The full cast here gives it their all. Rebecca Soler projects just the right attitude—perky when she’s excited or glum when she’s bored—for Nimona, the shape-shifting girl with an enthusiastic appetite and aptitude for mayhem. Jonathan Davis and Marc Thompson are well matched as archenemies Blackheart and Goldenloin, and the music and sound effects help draw listeners into the mysteries at the center of the story—what secrets are the Institution, and Nimona, hiding? The result is engaging, even if it doesn’t completely capture the winning mix of humor, charm, and darkness in Noelle Stevenson’s art. Seek out the book AND the audio to best appreciate this dark fairy tale. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
[ND] Stevenson has a knack for capturing the humor and heart in a situation in just a few panels.” — Adelaide Advertiser
“If you’re going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this one.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Sharp visuals, a nifty amalgam of fantasy and science fiction elements, and relationships drawn with complexity, wit, and depth create a world worth returning to again and again.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“At its core, Nimona is a story of rescue. Each of the main characters rescue allies, friendships, the Kingdom, and ultimately, themselves… A vibrant solo work.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“[Stevenson’s] voice is clear and precise, [his] drawings confident, [his] use of color growing in depth and assurance as the story progresses.” — New York Times
“Nimona…is beautifully flawed and refreshingly unstereotypical in a book that is both darkly witty and surprisingly touching. And Nimona is a protagonist to both love and fear.” — The Horn Book
“Over the course of the collected Nimona, it’s possible to watch artist [ND] Stevenson blossom from a student to a superstar.” — NPR.org
“Nimona, with all her flaws, breaks away completely from what women are allowed to be in popular fiction.” — Vanity Fair
“Graphic novel fans will finish the book in a gallop and then want to start right back at the first page.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“Awesome and adorable.” — Ryan North, author of Dinosaur Comics
“Funny and vibrant, with wonderful energy in Stevenson’s illustrations and a wicked wit in [his] storytelling.” — Slate
“Those of you who haven’t read Nimona yet are lucky, because you can buy the fantasy comic in book form instead of waiting for [ND] to post an update twice a week. Seriously, that wait was always excruciating.” — Kirkus Reviews
