Blackbird: Volume 1

Gr 10 Up–Nina “Crazy Baby” Rodriguez has always known there’s something hidden in the streets of Los Angeles. This graphic novel opens with a flashback—at 13, Nina came face to face with an enchanted beast. Since then, she has held on to her belief of magic. A decade later, after dealing with many traumatic experiences, including her mother’s death, Nina now lives an aimless life of drug and alcohol abuse. Then one night, she encounters the same magical creatures again, and they kidnap her sister. Now Nina must find a way to access their secret world to rescue her sister. Beautiful illustrations and captivating colors draw readers into an otherwise convoluted plot. Humphries’s storytelling feels a little lacking, though the ending does wrap up the story arc and introduces a dramatic change in Nina’s life, leaving readers eager for the next volume.