Rye Hickman

Isaac has recently been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and his mother hovers over all his behavior with worry and disapproval. Hickman evocatively depicts Isaac's intrusive thoughts as buzzing bees that fuel negativity and compulsive behaviors. While Isaac has some success quieting the thoughts with drawing, the bees' buzzing significantly fades when he joins a new group of friends to play Swamps & Sorcery. Though his mother allows him to play the game, she worries fantasy show more gaming will worsen his condition, but Isaac knows how much creativity and fantasy help. Hickman cleverly uses color to portray Isaac's emotional reality: when he's stuck in his compulsive thought patterns, the world is gray, but when he’s with his new friends or playing Swamps & Sorcery, the panels are in full color. There are lots of graphic novels about kids experiencing anxiety or intrusive thoughts, but not many featuring boys, which makes this stand out. show less

Really liked this! The magic and fantasy, set against the gritty realism of the classist culture with downtrodden "Maze" residents living outside the "City" with its privileged inhabitants, creates an interesting balance of realistic narrative and other-worldly strangeness. There's something to be examined in the not-so-subtle metaphors of racism, with the "white feathers = good" and "black feathers = evil" ideas held by most of the characters from the beginning.

Loved this book -- really great art, the use of color is amazing, and the friend group is so lovely. It was interesting to see the harm that loving adults can sometimes cause unintentionally. It was refreshing to see a school counselor portrayed in a positive light. I'm so glad to see more books that tackle neurodivergence and mental health. It's also fab to see a nonbinary character who isn't the subject of the book, and whos is just accepted as they are. There are big emotions here. show more There's also a kickass tabletop campaign and some needed healing. show less

Nia is such a great character, and it's cool how Nicole Mains has championed her across TV and comics. It's a little weird reading an origin story for such an established character, because it's so clear where things are going -- Nia embraces her dream powers and becomes Dreamer, and her mom realizes that "daughter inherits powers" could be her trans daughter. And there's plenty of hints early on. But the ending was still surprising (and bittersweet), and I adore the group of show more queer/trans/alien friends Nia connects with. I hope there will be more Dreamer stories! show less