Sisters of the mist

Otherworldly creatures, including the literalized specter of puberty, prowl this mercurial comic. As pale-skinned sisters Margot, Kyra, and Janna arrive for a two-week visit to their grandmother's farmhouse near "old and ancient" Frygea Forest, middle sister Kyra excitedly anticipates snaggle-toothed Trolls, a slavering Hellhound, and wraithlike Fog Furies--"mist creatures who lure young girls into the fog." Youngest sister Janna, meanwhile, attracts sprites with a song and harvests a carroty-looking Root Goblin to be her sidekick. But the perils prove child's play until 12-year-old Margot encounters the Fog Furies and begins keeping apart from the others, her nose in a romantic vampire novel. At the sight of blood on Margot's sheets, pragmatic Granny Annis observes, "Congratulations, your uterus is working." Even if menstruation is "the most normal thing in the entire world," according to their earthy grandmother, Kyra worries about Margot's newfound tendency to reject her juniors and wander the hazy woodland. In swirling, bold-hued panels, animator Spaaij conjures a liminal space as Margot hovers on the brink of a mystical womanhood in this alluringly high-pitched drama. Ages 8--12. (July)

The eldest of three sisters undergoes a change in an enchanted forest. Margot, Kyra, and Janna are on their way to spend two weeks with their Gran at the edge of the Frygea Forest. It's Margot's last summer before high school, and she's beginning to change in ways that confuse and frighten middle sister Kyra. Mom leaves with the classic warning not to wander too deep into the forest, so naturally the girls do just that, facing trolls, Hellhounds, and, most powerful of all, the Fog Furies, which seem intent on stealing Margot away--and Margot seems to want to go, baffling Kyra, who is determined to save her. When Margot gets her period (which steady Gran handles in a positive, straightforward manner), the puberty metaphor becomes clear: Margot is transforming in real-world ways as well as magical ones. The three fair-skinned sisters have distinct personalities: Tall, long-haired Margot wants to read her vampire romance novel; stout Kyra is stubborn and brave; and Janna, with her dark hair in puffy pigtails, is oblivious to the drama as she befriends tiny Root Goblins. Though the puberty/magic metaphor isn't always that compelling, the depiction of the sisters' relationship will hold readers' attention, as will the illustrations. Beautiful, watercolorlike art employs warm colors for indoor and garden scenes and spooky blues and greens for the deep forest; the Fog Furies are translucent swirls of pale gray, with human faces and elongated bodies. A magical, moving celebration of sisterly bonds. (Graphic fantasy. 10-15) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.