Spine-crushing fun.
When even suplexing people can’t cheer you up anymore, what’s an unhappy professional wrestler to do?
Cartoonist Hicks delivers an affectionate body slam to the world of pro wrestling with this compilation of graphic episodes chronicling the ups and downs (mostly the latter) of a struggling troupe of ring warriors—led by fish-headed veteran Great Carp, who’s feeling the existential depression more than the pain these days. He’s accompanied by frustrated Miranda (“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em…and then beat ’em to death!”) Fury, who secretly adopts a new persona as Hyper Mask so she can take on men too; and struggling poet Death Machine (“I gaze upon her beauty, her flowing, glistening hair / shimmering in the moonlight, like a reflective steel chair”). Great Carp’s departure to find himself (and make a fortune selling branded vodka and housewares) nearly causes the Glorious Wrestling Alliance to founder, but in a properly rousing climax that underscores the spectacle’s timeless appeal, he returns in the nick of time for a final, torch-passing Ultrabrawl XXVI bout that will have sweaty readers pounding their seats and saluting a new GWA champion. The art’s cartoon style (not to mention the costuming) makes it hard to distinguish racial identities, but the cast does show a range of skin tones.
Spine-crushing fun. (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72843-108-6
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A winning game of feelingsball.
A former football star, who never thought she’d play again after she came out as transgender, steps back onto the field for one last season to help her team win state.
Grace Woodhouse used to know where she belonged. She had Division I schools lined up to recruit her, but that was before what happened during playoffs last year, before she came out as trans, and before she quit the team. Although her single father and new friend group support her, Grace feels lost as her senior year begins. When one of her old teammates asks her to help him with his technique, she quickly realizes that he and the other captains are hoping for more than her expertise from the sidelines—they want her to rejoin the team. Grace can’t resist the opportunity to play again, but her return draws unwanted national attention that makes her question her future and who she wants to be. Flashback chapters written in the second-person present tense bring Grace’s past to life, which helps maintain momentum and makes her emotional journey feel more immersive. A heartfelt, goofy, and diverse cast of secondary characters surround Grace, who’s white, as she navigates self-doubt, friendship, complicated feelings for her ex-girlfriend, and what she wants to do after graduation. Overall, this coming-of-age sports narrative is honest, gentle, and hopeful.
A winning game of feelingsball. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781646145027
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
Flipping awesome.
After a wish goes wrong, a girl and her crush must figure out how to break a body-switching curse.
Chi-Chi Ekeh feels invisible. Like her previous crushes, hot varsity swimmer Flip Henderson—yet another rich white boy at her Texas boarding school—seems unaware of her existence. With only weeks until graduation, Nigerian American Chi-Chi’s friends Esther and Yesenia dare her to ask Flip to Senior Festival. But Flip accidentally shows her promposal video to the whole class—and immediately turns her down. Embarrassed, Chi-Chi flees, but her innocent remark—“I just wish Flip Henderson liked me”—has unexpected consequences. After falling and hitting her head, Chi-Chi wakes up in Flip’s body, and he in hers. Freaked out beyond belief and regularly switching bodies, Chi-Chi and Flip work with Esther and Yesenia to break the curse. Meanwhile, forced to see herself through someone else’s eyes, Chi-Chi must confront uncomfortable feelings. There’s much to love about this book. The fully realized and sympathetic characters, sincere and humorous development of friendships, and protagonist’s relatable and bittersweet emotional journey will keep readers engaged, eager to reach the resolution. Ukazu carefully balances tough topics like self-hatred, depression, and suicidal ideation with funny feel-good moments, deftly rendered in her characteristically expressive style. The dynamic and engaging illustrations bring to life a heartwarming story of self-love, acceptance, and true connection.
Flipping awesome. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250179517
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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