Saturday, August 6, 2011

Blog Review # 2: Graphic Novel Runaways, Pride & Joy

V. Brian and A. Alphona, "The Runaways, Pride & Joy, Marvel Publishing inc. 2009

Genre: Graphic Novel

Annotation: This book is a fictional graphic novel about six teenagers who are forced to attend an annual event by their parents. The event was hosted at the home of one of the teenagers, Alex Wilder. This meeting or event was usually held in private in the library behind closed doors while the teenagers were left on their own to entertain themselves. The teenagers’ curiosity about what went on behind the closed doors, led them to eavesdrop on their parents and they were surprised at what they saw and heard. Their parents were members of a secret cult called “The Pride”and they murdered a young teenage girl in cold blood. The teenagers were shocked to find out that their parents had been living deceptive lives all along and they agreed that the best thing to do was to take the matter to the police. They realized later that the “Pride” had taken over the city and that no one could help them. They then decided to run away and as they went from one person’s house to the next searching for evidence, they found out that great supernatural powers had been passed out to some of them by their parents. At the end of the story, they were able to subdue their parents but they could not turn them in to the police for the crime they committed. The six teenagers actually became suspects for the murder of the girl. They all went to a secluded cave in the park and gave each other new names with the exception of Alex Wilder
Who vowed to protect the world their parents were trying to destroy.

Nomination: I nominate this book because I found the story interesting and intriguing. The writer used suspense effectively in the narration of the story. The illustration or pictures are very colorful and vivid and even though it is an action story, the pace was regular, not too fast or slow. The cool settings used in the book would also appeal to the teens. The story was set in rich California neighborhoods like Malibu and Beverly Hills. The language of the book is also very modern and there was a constant reference to everyday events like TV shows and eBay or past historical events. The characters were also diversified; an under aged teen, an obese teen and a gothic teen were amongst them. The writer also incorporated humor in the story and I know teens would find this book to be interesting. The book is a very good example of a graphic novel because of its well structured sequence and vivid imagery.

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