Review Detail

Nothing Special Volume One: Through the Elder Woods is a graphic novel geared towards teens that has fantasy elements as well as a coming-of-age story.

Callie was raised by her father who owns a magical antique shop. He often travels to a magical realm for work but insists that Callie stay in the human world for her safety. Callie and Declan become fast friends once they realize they both can see sprites (typically dead plants). The mystery begins when Callie's father goes missing on her 17th birthday. The two friends venture to the magic realm to search for him. Once in the other realm, Callie makes friends with a radish ghost who helps Callie and Declan along their crazy adventure.

The characters are well-written and relatable. Callie is your typical 17-year-old trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Her struggle is very relatable, even though some of what she is questioning has to do with magic. Declan is a supportive friend and his crush on Callie makes me want to root for him. The banter between Declan and the radish made for some humorous moments.

This graphic novel was written and illustrated by Katie Cook, and her illustrations are captivating. The magical realm is filled with vivid detail and is exactly how I picture a magic forest to look like. Additionally, Cook does a fantastic job of conveying emotions through different facial expressions, which greatly enhances the storytelling.

I highly recommend Nothing Special Volume One: Through the Elder Woods for fans of fantasy graphic novels.