Odessa

by Jonathan Hill

Overview

2020 Believer Book Award for Graphic Narrative

"It’s dark and gritty, yet there are moments of kindness and strength that will keep you thinking about these characters long after you’ve finished the book." — Dav Pilkey, author of the Dog Man series

Three siblings search for their missing mother across a ruined America in this original graphic novel debut from author & artist, Jonathan Hill.

Eight years ago an earthquake—the Big One—hit along the Cascadia fault line, toppling cities and changing landscapes all up and down the west coast of the United States. Life as we know it changed forever. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, life changed shortly after the earthquake, when her mother left and never came back.

Ginny has gotten used to a life without her mother, helping her father take care of her two younger brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a mysterious package arrives for her eighteenth birthday, her life is shaken up yet again. For the first time, Ginny wants something more than to survive. And it might be a selfish desire, but she's determined to find out what happened to her mother—even if it means leaving her family behind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620107898
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Pages:	328
Sales rank:	623,967
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Hill is an award-winning cartoonist who lives in Portland, OR. His comics and illustrations have been featured in publications by Fantagraphics, Lion Forge, tor.com, Powell's City of Books, The Believer Magazine, and the Society of Illustrators. His first two books, Americus and Wild Weather, were created with writer MK Reed and published by First Second Books. Jonathan also teaches comics at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and serves on the board of directors at Literary Arts. Odessa is the first book he has written and drawn himself.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/19/2020

Eight years ago, Virginia “Ginny” Crane found her life upended: her mother abandoned the family, and an earthquake, “the Big One,” tore the western U.S. asunder. Now, Vietnamese American Ginny lives with her father, Gregory, and her brothers, Wes and Harry, in this nearly postapocalyptic world: everyday technology such as cell phones may be gone, but mail carriers use a scanner to verify the DNA of mail recipients; North vs. South mentalities are replaced by West vs. East; and cannibals created by Jinx Root, a new plant that can heal those near death at the cost of their sanity, harass survivors. When Ginny receives a package for her 18th birthday, she embarks on an emotional odyssey to San Francisco to find her mother, Odessa, accompanied by her stowaway brothers. Their journey becomes rife with obstacles as they navigate competing gangs and their own sibling rivalry. Reconnections with friends, including a girl who has a long-standing crush on Ginny, buoy her along the way. Making his #OwnVoices debut, cartoonist Hill fully realizes the destroyed world in two-toned art, and packed layouts deliver consistently strong, emotive reactions from the cast. Ginny’s skillfully laid transformation as she bonds with her brothers is an impactful contrast to the harsh, sometimes unforgiving world in this powerful graphic novel. Ages 13–17. Agent: Alex Slater, Trident Media Group. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Jonathan Hill's trichromatic illustrations and story, set in the rich, forested Western landscape, is as compelling as it is beautiful."

Powell's Books (Staff Pick)

"With Odessa, Jonathan Hill has captured everything I love in a single story: old family secrets, smart kids running the show, and a beautifully realized post-apocalyptic landscape. Innovative artwork and gorgeous writing come together to create one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. I dare you to read this and not finish it in one sitting."

David Arnold

"Sweet and heartbreaking."

Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)

Hill’s storytelling and artwork bring to mind the brilliance of writer/cartoonists like Jeff Smith and Kazu Kibuishi.

Dav Pilkey

03/26/2021

Gr 8 Up—It's been eight years since the Big Quake changed everything, and Ginny Crane, who is Vietnamese American, and her family have been trying to survive by scavenging the ruins left behind. When Ginny receives a package from her mother, she decides to leave her dad and brothers behind to find the woman who left them to fend for themselves, but her little brothers end up following her. Naive and inexperienced, the Crane siblings squabble their way down the California coast unsuccessfully trying to avoiding bikers and gang wars in search of answers. Although the artwork is intriguing with its pink-toned black-and-white illustrations, the characters, plot, and world-building will leave readers wanting more. Most of the dialogue involves the characters bickering with one another, and hints of mutants, monsters, and advanced technology are dropped into the story without explanation. The plot often feels redundant with the repeating scenario of the Crane siblings running into and then trying to run away from generic bad guys. The cliff-hanger at the end of the book makes this feel like a long set up for future volumes. VERDICT Not a must-read, but recommended for purchase where postapocalyptic stories are in high demand.—Amanda Melilli, Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas

School Library Journal

★ 2020-08-14
A bloody story of resilience and redemption in the middle of a post-apocalyptic gang war.

Eight years ago the earthquakes of the Great Disaster hadn’t yet reduced the world to rubble and Ginny’s mom, Odessa, hadn’t left their family. Now 17 and sick of holding her family together, Ginny sees the arrival of a mysterious package from Odessa as a sign that it’s time to leave home and find her mom. Ginny means to go solo, but her two squabbling younger brothers tag along. When the trio reaches their maternal uncle in San Francisco, pursued by a pissed-off motorcycle gang, they find a menacing, corrupt city rocked by a gang war. As Ginny searches, she’s caught in a web of murder and betrayal. Rendered in a deceptively innocent combination of black and bubble-gum pink, panels are expertly placed to use linework and sequencing to strengthen the emotion and humor of the story. Subtle and exaggerated facial expressions add nuance to the intricate plot that unwinds with each new, surprising piece of the puzzle. Snarky humor, mostly from the more cartoonishly rendered younger brothers, provides a counterpoint to the action-packed graphic violence and gore. This title leaves a pile of bloody bodies and unanswered questions as the siblings continue east looking for answers and safety. Ginny and her brothers are cued as biracial (Vietnamese and White); there is ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.

A gritty, raw page-turner. (Graphic dystopian. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews