de Alicia Keys
From New York Times bestselling author and 15-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alicia Keys comes a new authentic and poignant coming-of-age young adult graphic novel, about finding the strength within when your whole world changes in an instant.
Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad's business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother . . . she left long ago. But then Lolo's world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way.
Problem is that secrets like Lolo's don't stay a secret for long. Skin, a dangerous dealer with designs on taking over the neighborhood, hears of Lolo's telekinetic abilities and decides that he needs her in his crew. Skin might not have Lolo's powers, but he's got nothing to lose and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what he wants is Lolo.
Lolo's not willing to let Skin use her to hurt the people—and neighborhood—that she loves. But it's going to take a whole different kind of bravery to stand-up for what's right, especially after Lolo's mom returns suddenly and turns Lolo's whole world upside-down. For too long, it's true, Lolo's had her head in the clouds, but this time, it's on her . . . and she's not backing down.
Girl on Fire is a young adult graphic novel about a girl who's a flame. It's the first-ever graphic novel from beloved GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alicia Keys, co-written by Andrew Weiner and illustrated by Brittney Williams.
2023 ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2023 ITM Recommended YA Fiction List
From New York Times bestselling author and 15-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alicia Keys comes a new authentic and poignant coming-of-age young adult graphic novel, about finding the strength within when your whole world changes in an instant.
Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad's business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother . . . she left long ago. But then Lolo's world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way.
Problem is that secrets like Lolo's don't stay a secret for long. Skin, a dangerous dealer with designs on taking over the neighborhood, hears of Lolo's telekinetic abilities and decides that he needs her in his crew. Skin might not have Lolo's powers, but he's got nothing to lose and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what he wants is Lolo.
Lolo's not willing to let Skin use her to hurt the people—and neighborhood—that she loves. But it's going to take a whole different kind of bravery to stand-up for what's right, especially after Lolo's mom returns suddenly and turns Lolo's whole world upside-down. For too long, it's true, Lolo's had her head in the clouds, but this time, it's on her . . . and she's not backing down.
Girl on Fire is a young adult graphic novel about a girl who's a flame. It's the first-ever graphic novel from beloved GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alicia Keys, co-written by Andrew Weiner and illustrated by Brittney Williams.
2023 ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2023 ITM Recommended YA Fiction List
Critiques-
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March 1, 2022
Grammy Award-winning artist Keys co-authors a YA superhero graphic novel bearing the title of her hit song. Smart, quiet 14-year-old Loretta "Lolo" Wright struggles to stand up for herself until, on what should be a routine trip to a convenience store, her 16-year-old brother, James, is mistakenly accused of stealing by the police. When the officer slams her brother to the ground, Lolo's powers manifest for the first time. Meanwhile, Michael Warner, who lives in the same Brooklyn housing projects as the Wrights, is rejected from the football team for being too small. He develops exceptional fighting abilities and shortly afterward gets involved in working for a drug dealer named Skin. When Skin sees a video of Lolo levitating the cop who assaulted James, he wants to recruit her as well, and he tries to extort protection money from Lolo's dad, who owns a moving business. Lolo must convince Michael to choose a different path; it's only by working together that they can defeat Skin. Featuring dizzying shifts among multiple perspectives, this full-color graphic novel presents vibrant, expressive characters set against mostly simple, bright backgrounds, with extreme violence depicted in gory detail. The narrative briefly explores class issues and racial stereotypes, but while the setup is intriguing, the momentum fizzles and the pieces never quite come together. Most main characters are Black; Skin reads as White, and secondary characters appear racially diverse. An action-packed tale for those thirsty for more superhero stories. (Graphic fantasy. 14-18)COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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March 18, 2022
Gr 8 Up-Super smart Black girl Lolo Wright lives in the Monroe Housing Projects in Brooklyn with her older brother James, their dad Billy, and her maternal grandmother. A series of strange headaches and visions precede the emergence of superpowers; when James is attacked by the police in a case of mistaken identity, Lolo leaps to his defense. Her powers are connected in some way to Michael "Runt" Warner, a short, muscly Black boy with dreads, who goes to work for white drug dealer Skin, who saw Lolo's powers on a cell phone video and wants her to work for him, too. Lolo and her dad refuse Skin's "protection"; as Lolo's best friend Nia says, "What's the point of having powers if you don't use them for a good cause?" Lolo does the right thing even when it's hard, and she knows that her true superpower is her voice. Skin, his associates, and their variety of weapons are ominous and frightening; in violent fight scenes, panels are often split on the diagonal to enhance the feeling of danger. But there are heartfelt and funny scenes, too, and one beautiful page shows the Monroe Houses from below, with a different scene in each lighted window and Lolo on the roof above it all, trying to figure it out. VERDICT The origins of Lolo's powers may be a little fuzzy, but #BlackGirlMagic meets Miles Morales make this is a recommended choice for all teen graphic novel collections.-Jenny Arch
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Kirkus Reviews
"An action-packed tale for those thirsty for more superhero stories." — Kirkus Reviews
