Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Upon awakening, a bewildered girl named Orio becomes the newest resident of Cobble, a mechanical city inhabited by all manner of robotic people and their familiars, known as "odds." Orio's odd is a troublemaking, skull-faced feline named Bauble, but there's more to the little scamp than meets the eye, as revealed in a flashback/nightmare in which Bauble gives a dormant Orio a pocket watch. As Orio acclimates to her surroundings and tries her hand at a series of pre-approved jobs, Bauble's past catches up with them in the form of a terrifying predator-it resembles a panther created from bolted-together sheet metal-that appears to be after Orio's watch. While there is a resolution, myriad questions remain, likely to be answered in future installments. In this first book in the Hinges series (which originated online), McClaren strongly establishes the look and feel of Orio's analog world and its inhabitants with her polished, almost carved-out forms. Orio's continued silence (her first and only words arrive in the book's closing pages) emphasizes her disorientation and otherness while revealing McClaren's talent for wordless breakdowns and timing. Ages 9-up. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 Up-McClaren's fantasy graphic novel, originally posted online, is an aesthetically pleasing but uneven introduction to this clockwork world. Orio is a doll-like girl, newly awakened in the city of Cobble. She and her strange, skull-faced pet, Bauble, travel the city attempting to find a job that will suit Orio. Each prospect turns disastrous quickly, and Orio suffers from strange nightmares and broken memories. Meanwhile, an ominous presence skulks in Cobble's shadows. McClaren's art is beautiful but accessible, with hints of a Japanese style. The environment is interesting and engaging, reminiscent of the settings in Jim McCann's Return of the Dapper Man (Archaia, 2010), though much starker. However, with a lead character who never speaks and a sequence of events that is sometimes hard to follow, the novel only succeeds as basic introduction to the story to come in later volumes. Older readers will feel shorted of any real narrative upon finishing this volume. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections where fantasy graphic novels are in high demand.-Amy Diegelman, Vineyard Haven Public Library, MA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
