Losing the Girl

Gr 10 Up—This first installment in the "Life on Earth" series follows four teenagers at Blithedale High along their adolescent journeys with all the joys, agonies, and oddities that usually accompany them—with a few twists. Nigel tries a little too hard, and the girls are laughing at him, not with him. Emily finally catches the attention of her crush, but what will happen when things go too far too fast? Paula would give anything to get out of Emily's shadow. Brett wants the one girl he knows he can't have, and the girl he doesn't love is the only one right in front of him. Meanwhile, the teens discuss the disappearance of a classmate, Claudia Jones. Was she abducted by aliens? Each character comes in contact with something mysterious and inexplicable. Part 1 of the trilogy leaves most of the characters in cliff-hanger situations that beg for a sequel. The artwork is simplistic, like idle doodling, and while it propels the plot at a lightning pace, it disconnects readers from the characters at times. When the narrative does slow, some of the more intense scenes are carefully drawn out for emotional impact. MariNaomi skillfully weaves webs of intrigue, and fans of suspenseful graphic novels will be interested in how events play out.