Graphic Novels: January 2012
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High School
ANTHONY, Jessica & Rodrigo Corral. Chopsticks. unpaged. photos. Penguin/Razorbill. Feb. 2012. pap. $19.99. ISBN 978-1-59514-435-5. LC number unavailable.
Gr 9 Up–Told almost entirely through images, this intriguing mystery reveals the events leading up to the disappearance of Glory, a teenage piano prodigy who goes missing after her struggle with mental illness, which causes her to play the children’s waltz “Chopsticks” obsessively. Photographs, ephemera, and instant-message screenshots weave together the details of a forbidden romance with Francisco, the boy next door, and a stunningly executed twist ending leads readers to question what they believe to be true. Artfully faded and discolored images are atmospheric, and repeated motifs of sea creatures, dandelions, and wine bottles pique readers’ curiosity. Reluctant readers who prefer images over text will be drawn to this title, though it’s not necessarily a quick read. The story requires a sophisticated visual literacy, and each carefully crafted image deserves to be lingered over as part of a fascinating puzzle. An example of the emerging trend of transmedia storytelling, this book will also be available in a “fully interactive electronic version.” The inclusion of links to online media requires Internet access and a willingness to type cumbersome URLs, but the content of the links can be gleaned from context, and, ultimately, the print version stands strongly on its own. Spellbinding and inventive, this title will attract teens and compel them to reread and revisit each clue to the hauntingly ambiguous ending.–Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA 
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