Review by Booklist Review
In the setup for this "tale passing strange" (the series' tagline), the reader plays a customer wandering into the Bizarre Bazaar, an antique shop crowded with objects from "every story." As two bickering, seemingly human employees greet you--looking offpage, directly at the reader ("Yes. I can see you. Hi.")--they lead you to a large mirror, an item that kicks off this installment's featured story. In small-town Texas, young Abel has confidence issues, an unrequited crush, a long-gone father, and a mom overburdened with work shifts. After a peculiar old neighbor gifts him a large mirror, he stumbles into it--and through it, to a mirror dimension of his regular world. In this version of the world, Abel has everything he ever wanted, but when the dream turns into a nightmare, he must find a way out. It's a successfully creepy tale that steadily builds tension till the end, though the proceedings are lightened by Enright's brightly filled, approachably rounded artwork. A promising start to a Twilight Zone--like new series for the early-middle-grade lot.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this double graphic novel debut, a fantastical series opener, Newbery Medalist Nayeri spins tales of passing strange originating from a magical marketplace boasting enchanted wares. Every item bought and sold at the Bizarre Bazaar--run by blond, temperamental Babs and her grumpy, salt-and-pepper-bearded partner Bruno--has a story, including an antique mirror with the power to transport users to mystical alternate realities, the tale of which 12-year-old protagonist Abel soon learns. To help distract himself from how lonely he feels during summer vacation, incoming middle schooler Abel assists his elderly neighbor in cleaning out her garage. It's there that he finds an old mirror, which he brings to the Bizarre Bazaar and offers to trade to Babs for a good luck charm. When he accidentally falls through the mirror and finds himself in an alternate world, however, Abel will need more than luck to make his way back home. Through Babs and Bruno's intermittent narration--conveyed in sporadic pop-ups throughout--Nayeri cleverly highlights the potential consequences of limitless magic. Enright's bold and brightly colored illustrations add dynamic movement to this freewheeling, wish-fulfilling adventure, which suggests that too much of a good thing can be as dangerous as it is exciting. Characters are depicted with varying ages, body types, and skin tones. Ages 8--12. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--Not much is going right in Abel Azari's life--his mom is busy working two jobs to keep them afloat, his impending summer plans are underwhelming, and he is firmly in the friendzone with his crush Ginny. Things begin looking up for Abel when he happens upon a brand-new, super mysterious shop of curiosities. The suspiciously helpful shopkeeper shows him the perfect gift to woo Ginny, but in order to secure the trinket, Abel needs an item to trade. With limited resources, he agrees to a shady deal with neighbor Mrs. Branley for a full summer's worth of yardwork in exchange for a dusty antique mirror from her garage. But on his way home, he falls through the mirror and into the parallel universe version of his life, in which all of his previous problems disappear. If Abel doesn't clue into what is going on fast, he may be stuck there forever. Printz Award-winning Nayeri (Everything Sad Is Untrue) freshens up the trope of middle school angst with fully realized characters and a disarmingly creepy narrative. Enright's cartoonish and vibrant panels lull readers into believing all is well, despite Abel's perilous situation in both the ordinary and extraordinary worlds. VERDICT A cool, well-conceived graphic novel that captures the essential appeal of vintage anthology sci-fi shows like The Twilight Zone. A recommended purchase for middle grade graphic novel collections.--Sarah Simpson
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The employees of the Bizarre Bazaar hawk unusual artifacts for the morbidly curious--and tell stories warning would-be customers about the perils of their wares. As she gently bickers with fellow worker Bruno, Babs launches into a tale about a newly acquired mirror. It all begins with Abel Azari, an unpopular, artistic boy who lives in a trailer park just outside Walnut Bend, Texas. Overlooked by friends, crush Ginny Mendoza, and even his busy, overworked mother, Abel stumbles upon the Bizarre Bazaar one day and finds a charm bracelet that's perfect for Ginny. It's out of his price range, but Babs is willing to take a trade. Back home, Abel rummages through his absent father's old things for possibilities but comes up empty; after he does manual labor for his grumpy neighbor, she lets him take a mirror as payment. Before he can swap his new find for the bracelet, he falls into the mirror and enters a seemingly perfect world where his parents are together and everyone, including Ginny, adores him. But Abel quickly realizes that something isn't right. In this start to a new graphic novel series, Nayeri's cleverly structured narrative, paired with Enright's bright, retro-style cartoons, sets a tone that's by turns cavalier and chilling, delighting in mortal foibles and offering unexpected revelations. Brown-skinned Abel's surname suggests that he's of Iranian descent, Ginny is Latine, and the supporting cast is diverse. Creepy fun.(Graphic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
