Magali Le Huche and Jessie Aufiery (translation), Nowhere Girl, Walker Books, November 2022, 128 pp., RRP $34.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781913123192
Nowhere girl is a middle grade graphic novel, translated from French, about 11 year old Magali, who feels overwhelmed by the challenges of starting middle school and transitioning to adolescence. When she discovers The Beatles she finds that listening to their music lifts her mood, helping her escape her anxieties with fantasies of the psychedelic, magical scenes of their lyrics.
It’s a highly relatable story for early adolescents (11 to 13 years old), with an optimistic message that emotional difficulties can be tackled with a passionate interest (in this case, music) and also humour, perseverance, support of family, self-awareness and by facing fears.
The illustrations are central to the storytelling, depicting Magali’s intense emotions and her inner thoughts and feelings. They are mostly black and white lined drawings (with pink or black background), showing Magali in various real-life contexts, experiencing a range of emotional states. In contrast, there are also vibrant, boldly coloured, detailed, and fantastical psychedelic scenes, representing her imaginary world of The Beatles.
Nowhere girl offers an easy-to-read story with relevant and suitable content for 11 to 13 year olds. As such, I recommend it as an important option for reluctant readers in this age group and also for having appropriate content for any “tween” graphic novel lover.
Reviewed by Barbara Swartz
