Lo and Behold: (A Graphic Novel)

by Wendy Mass, Gabi Mendez (Illustrator)

Overview

Can a virtual reality headset help change the way twelve-year-old Addie looks at things?

Introducing an unforgettable graphic novel about connection, friendship, and the wonder all around us from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Mass and debut illustrator Gabi Mendez.

When you’re named after a 250-year-old tortoise, you grow up believing life is full of possibilities and wonder. But ever since Addie’s family got turned upside down, those things have been harder for her to see.

The last thing Addie wants to do is make a new friend, but when her dad’s summer job takes them across the country, she meets Mateo and finds herself caught up in an exciting project. With the help of a virtual reality headset, she’s suddenly scaling castle walls, dodging angry kittens, and seeing the world in whole new ways. Plus, she has an idea that could be bigger than anything she’s imagined before. But can she right some wrongs first . . . or is it too late?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593179635
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,119,469
Product dimensions:	5.81(w) x 8.31(h) x 0.81(d)
Lexile:	HL420L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Wendy Mass is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty books for young readers (which have been translated into twenty-six languages and nominated for ninety-one state awards), including the Schneider Family Book Award-winner A Mango-Shaped Space, the bestselling Willow Falls and Candymakers series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (which was made into a feature film), and Bob (coauthored with Rebecca Stead). Wendy’s hobbies include geocaching, virtual reality, and learning magic tricks. Lo and Behold is her graphic novel debut. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Gabi Mendez is a queer Latinx comics artist and illustrator and is making her graphic novel debut with Lo and Behold. Originally from San Pedro, California, Gabi is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the sequential art master’s program at SCAD. She writes a lot of silly comics, says “dude” too much, and just wants everyone to feel included. Gabi lives in Chicago, where she’s working on her next middle-grade graphic novel.

Editorial Reviews

04/03/2023

Mass (the Twice upon a Time series) and debut illustrator Mendez navigate familial trauma and the impact of technology in this intricately rendered graphic novel that successfully captures the sometimes overwhelming nature of adolescence. When Addie’s mother abruptly leaves, Addie’s father attempts to distract her from the situation by taking her on a cross-country trip to Spring Haven University, where he will be working for the summer. But Addie is skeptical that she’ll feel anything other than lonely, until she meets Mateo, the son of one of her dad’s coworkers. Together, the tweens explore Addie’s father’s virtual reality lab, and Mateo helps Addie see her father’s work—and her own circumstances—in a different light. As Addie delves deeper into the comforts of the digital world, however, she discovers that she’s been avoiding her true feelings and the needs of those around her. Mendez’s streamlined and consistent artwork tonally complements Mass’s attentive consideration of the issues addressed. Edge-of-the-seat virtual reality adventure scenes are delicately balanced with accessible and thought-provoking plotting, juxtaposing video game–like escapism with emotionally complex conflict to deliver a solid read that encourages empathy and introspection. Ages 10–14. (May)

Publishers Weekly

05/01/2023

Gr 4–7—"He can make me go with him, but he can't make me interested." Addie packs up and spends a summer on a college campus where her futurist father is leading a team of students developing virtual and augmented reality projects. Despite Addie's initial reluctance, she becomes interested in VR as a way to escape and explore, and she even makes a friend in real life, Mateo. They share interests—geocaching, moon trees—before they finally share more personal stories, like what happened to Mateo's brother and Addie's mom. Ultimately, with the help of some students, Doug, Lily, and Surekha, they work together to develop VR experiences for people in the hospital where Mateo volunteers. At its heart, this is a story about empathy, whether it's a stranger with chemo or your own parent. Addie reflects, "I think it's harder to have empathy for the people we love the most. When they do something wrong it feels so personal." The layout is creative and dynamic, and the illustrations are full of relevant details. Mendez and Tse do excellent work with shadow and light, and the faint shimmer of VR. Panels set in the past have a gray outline with rounded corners, while VR panels have a half-round cutout along the middle of the bottom. Addie and her family present as white; there is diversity among the secondary characters. VERDICT No goggles or controllers are needed to fully immerse yourself in this summer STEM story about family, friendship, and empathy. Highly recommended.—Jenny Arch

School Library Journal

2023-02-08
A young girl avoids a troubling family matter by escaping into virtual reality.

Addie Brecker had the perfect life: a devoted mom who shared her love of tortoises and a caring dad who worked as a futurist. But after her mom had a terrible cycling accident, she changed. Addie takes her time with sharing exactly what happened as her mother fell into painkiller addiction, but Mass’ story gathers steam when Addie and her dad take a road trip to Spring Haven University, where they will be staying for six weeks while he works on a virtual reality project. At Spring Haven, Addie meets quirky and fun-loving neighbor boy Mateo Vargas, who has his own secrets. Not yet ready to open up about her mom, Addie spends much of her time helmeted in VR, beta-testing her dad’s students’ work. But she comes to realize that she can let people in and enjoy the real and virtual worlds equally. This artfully rendered graphic charmer is carefully nuanced and adroitly paced, exploring such issues as addiction, grief, and technology’s role in our lives. As the stories of Addie’s mom’s struggles and a tragic event in Mateo’s family unfold, readers are granted admittance into their lives alongside the characters. The Breckers read White; the Vargas family is cued Latine, and there is racial diversity in the supporting cast.

An affecting examination hitting many contemporary notes. (author’s note, bonus comic, illustrator’s note) (Graphic fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews

"This artfully rendered graphic charmer is carefully nuanced and adroitly paced, exploring such issues as addiction, grief, and technology’s role in our lives.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Edge-of-the-seat virtual reality adventure scenes are delicately balanced with accessible and thought-provoking plotting....encourages empathy and introspection.” —Publishers Weekly

"A thought-provoking exploration of grief and healing." —Booklist

“No goggles or controllers are needed to fully immerse yourself in this summer STEM story about family, friendship, and empathy.” —School Library Journal

"Incredibly cool." —BookPage

"A moving and memorable graphic novel." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher