Review by Booklist Review
Unlike most in this methodical world, tenderhearted and artistic June hasn't yet chosen to discontinue the discomfort of emotions by having her heart removed and placed in a numbing solution. After losing the friendship of her beloved sister to the procedure, this plucky teen fakes her own to find a way to reverse it--a heart abandoned in its jar in an alley seems to hold the solution. June's race to locate the scientist who invented the procedure intensifies as the immersed hearts begin to fail, reawakening feelings but causing pain and ultimately death. Art is rendered in pencil strokes and loose washes; a single color--often yellow, later red--effectively highlights key elements against a grayscale palette. Despite the somewhat illogical premise (removed hearts can later be propagated for replanting), the compelling, well-paced noir visuals will keep readers invested in June's heart-racing quest. Wilson's debut graphic novel presents a spare dystopian world where science and efficiency hold sway, but June's determination and, of course, heart prove the redemptive power of art and emotion.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wilson cultivates a gripping tale in which teenage June is the last person on earth with a heart in this speculative graphic novel debut. After an enigmatic figure known only as the Scientist pioneers a heart-removal surgery that promises to free patients from negative emotions, what's left behind is a world populated by emotionless drones. When artist June's parents schedule her surgery, she skips it instead and, while wandering through town, stumbles across an abandoned heart in a jar, which she hides in her family's barren greenhouse. June endeavors to uncover a way to reintegrate a heart, bringing her closer to classmate Max, who believes his removal is failing. Together, the teens hunt for the truth about the Scientist, but the emotional strain of their search has June second-guessing her decision to keep her own heart. Bland halls and yards punctuated by urgent advertisements for the removal curate an eerie ambiance deepened by Wilson's rich grayscale palette and the sunrise spot color depicting June and her own art, which appears throughout. This introspective read tackles issues surrounding the experience of navigating difficult emotions. Ages 13--up. (June)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--In this story that takes place in the future, sisters June and Maya bond over art and enjoy each other's company until Maya has her heart removed, a routine procedure in their society. After that, she can no longer feel emotions and concentrates only on her other studies. Even though June feels like an outcast at school, she believes that art is important and refuses to have the surgery. Eventually June's parents insist that she have her heart removed, but she only pretends to have the procedure. While researching the reclusive scientist who developed the unusual idea, June meets Max, who is beginning to feel emotions despite having undergone the surgery. While the plot seems unlikely and the teens rush towards their goal, the graphic novel's art is outstanding. The monochromatic background colors represent the heartlessness of society and set a sterile tone. Eye-catching pops of color are used to direct the movement and actions of June's mission. The artist uses color to represent shifts in time, allowing readers to reminisce along with June. Wilson makes a strong statement about the importance of art and emotions in society. June appears to be white, while the male lead has dark skin and curly hair. VERDICT While the plot moves at a fast pace, the art skillfully portrays the story and helps relay a relatable situation for teens.--Karen Alexander
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A teenage girl refuses a medical procedure to remove her heart and her emotions. June lives in a future in which a reclusive Scientist has pioneered a procedure to remove hearts, thus eliminating all "sadness, anxiety, and anger." The downside is that it numbs pleasurable feelings, too. Most people around June have had the procedure done; for young people, in part because doing so helps them become more focused and successful. Before long, June is the only one among her peers who still has her heart. When her parents decide it's time for her to have the procedure so she can become more focused in school, June hatches a plan to pretend to go through with it. She also investigates a way to restore her beloved sister's heart, joining forces with Max, a classmate who's also researching the Scientist because he has started to feel again despite having had his heart removed. The pair's journey is somewhat rushed and improbable, as is the resolution they achieve. However, the story's message feels relevant and relatable to teens, and the artwork effectively sets the scene, with bursts of color popping throughout an otherwise black-and-white landscape, reflecting the monochromatic, heartless reality of June's world. There are no ethnic or cultural markers in the text; June has paper-white skin and dark hair, and Max has dark skin and curly black hair. A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions. (Graphic speculative fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
