Review by Booklist Review
Bright, 11-year-old Helga Sharp has been sent away to a boarding school, where creativity and imagination are not necessarily celebrated. There she secretly builds a short wave radio and unexpectedly hears an unfamiliar but friendly voice on the other end. The voice belongs to Erasmus Lope, a scientist who was thought to have perished during a freak lab accident. It turns out Lope is still alive, but he's trapped on a remote prison island, Utley, where mad scientists are held. A friendship between the two characters grows, and Helga decides to plan a rescue attempt. On Utley, Helga meets a handful of quirky characters who in a short amount of time help her bloom and realize her true potential. Moore's debut is an exciting entry in the world of middle-grade graphic novels, thanks to her unusual art style--her gorgeous watercolors in saturated tones have an appealing vintage look to match the story about a vibrant girl who dreams big. She keeps the pacing tight, gradually revealing clues in a puzzle-like plot that compellingly emerges from the perfect blend of text and imagery. The focus on inventions will make this a nice STEAM crossover title, but the sci-fi story should have wide appeal among middle-grade comics fans.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--While working on one of her inventions at boarding school, Helga accidentally makes radio contact with Erasmus Lope, a scientist who is trapped inside a crystal on an obscure island off the Mainland. Pretending to have been separated from her parents by a shipwreck, Helga infiltrates Utley Island, which is home to all of the mad scientists and inventors that the Mainland did not approve of. Once a prison, the island functions more like a town now (the town itself is located inside a crater) and is home to a variety of fascinating people, robots, and leftover inventions, as well as the shard of Shiverstone, the world's first energy source. It becomes clear from flashbacks that Helga's intelligence and interest in inventing are not appreciated by her family, school, or anyone else on the Mainland. Teaming up with robot Hedley, Helga tries to free Lope from the Shiverstone shard, while learning more about the town and the people who live there. This is a delightful, fast-paced read starring a protagonist whose love of science and adventure is at odds with societal expectations. Moore's background as a painter and cartoonist shines through in the sharp, angular art; character designs, especially some of the expressions, are reminiscent of classic newspaper comics. Helga appears to be white, though the island's residents include many people of color. VERDICT Highly recommended for middle grade graphic novel collections.--Marissa Lieberman
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Review by Horn Book Review
This debut graphic novel introduces readers to Helga Sharp, a unique and entertaining iteration of the plucky heroine. Tired of boarding school, Helga sets off to rescue the owner of the mysterious voice emanating from her newly built transistor radio. It's not long before she finds herself on the shores of a mysterious island, where the mainland has secretly exiled its "mad scientists." Erasmus Lope is among them, an infamous investigator who was presumed dead after a huge explosion, but who lives confined inside a large red crystal as the titular Prisoner of Shiverstone. Helga succeeds in liberating Erasmus, but even more importantly, she finds a way to liberate herself from the expectations others have placed on her. In the process, she rewardingly also finds a home. The quirky characters and inventive world-building are largely products of the cartoonish style of the gouache and watercolor illustrations, while the composition and layout of the comic panels help the outlandish plot zip along. This delightful confection will entice readers with a good mix of fantasy, mystery, and action. Jonathan Hunt May/June 2022 p.151(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
