[Book Review] No Ivy League

Title: No Ivy League
Author: Hazel Newlevant
Pages: 208
Genre: Graphic Novel, Contemporary
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy. That means that this is not the final version of the book. Therefore, facts and quotes are subject to change in the published book.

Such a random story. I really need to start reading the summaries of these things. But for everyone reading this book, we follow Hazel, a seventeen year old homeschooled girl who joins a local group to start taking down the ivy invading the park. What she doesn’t know is that a majority of the people there are minority youth. And this is about her interactions with them? There is not a really a definitive end because it is an ARC but that is the gist.

Oh No’s

The story could use a little more work. Our author wanted to show a different view of minorities but to me it was just a story from her perspective (as a white person) which really doesn’t help show the true view of youth kids and those of color.

There wasn’t much closure. She throws her discovery of marginalized minorities into the last few pages instead of implementing it earlier on. Also the bit with her liking the older dude and actually laying out the age difference then suggesting polygamy was extremely weird and slightly uncomfortable? Like you do you boo but let’s not encourage going after (much) older (married) men.

Yay’s

The art is gorgeous. I feel our young author is still learning as there are many eyes that are definitely not aligned on the face. Writing a graphic novel is hard and this is incomplete but the effort is there and the storyline has potential.

Finally,

I’m rating this a 3 out of 5 stars because I really can’t objectively rate this higher or lower without seeing the finished product. There is plot and art missing that I will be pursuing in the finished product.

My next recommendation for this novel would be to go read The Tea Dragon Society.

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-PM