Last Pick

Aliens invade, abducting almost everyone.

In this high-octane graphic novel series opener, creepy extraterrestrials have overrun Earth, deploying gargantuan robot "scoopers," collecting people ages 16 to 65. However, in addition to leaving children and the elderly, the aliens have also left behind anyone they deem useless, like the “disabled.” Sixteen-year-old Sam and her twin brother, Wyatt, are in hiding, trying to rebuild the aliens' abandoned technological devices in order to ascertain where their parents might be located. With the help of a rough-and-tumble band of senior citizens, the twins make their way through an eerily analogous—albeit alien-run—landscape. Though never explicitly stated, Wyatt is seemingly on the show more spectrum. While sister Sam has always served as his protector, in a dramatic turn of events at one point in the story, it is up to Wyatt to become the hero. Cartoonist and teacher Walz (A Story for Desmond, 2015, etc.) tells his reader, "you might be surprised to find that whatever the world sees as 'different' is exactly what the world needs more of." Here he has created a masterful sci-fi tale with relatable characters, skillful worldbuilding, and cinematically designed illustrations that convey his message. Colorist Proctor has employed a muted earth-toned palette, using color to help easily distinguish flashbacks from present action. Sam and Wyatt are both white and fair-haired. Secondary characters are widely diverse in physical ability, age, and skin color.

Awesome. (author’s note) (Graphic science fiction. 12-18)

-Kirkus Review show less

Author visit in the LMC! This is pretty deep and pretty bleak for middle school, but no doubt appealing for the Hunger Games/Divergent generation. Here is original dystopian post-apocalyptic literature in graphic novel form. Twins Sam (girl) and Wyatt are left on a devastated earth after their parents have been "scooped" by aliens in some bizarre selection process (healthy creatures aged 16-45) have been taken to some unknown planet. Sam is a bad-ass and commits small acts of resistance and social justice; Wyatt is an on-the-spectrum genius, esp. with technology and they are determined to find their folks. The way they stick together is touching and the family scenes from "before" (in black and white) also show better days, though there show more are hints of the coming disaster. In this book, the twins are seeking the technology to track their parents, encounter a somewhat friendly, if nerdy alien who helps them, team up with some underground misfits who are willing to risk everything to help them, and try to elude a pack of kids commissioned by the Sheriff - the ruling ruthless alien - to turn them in. Drawings are so detailed in "toxic waste" colors adding to the stark setting, and action moves briskly with all the energy of traditional comics. But what a heart! Only drawback is a total cliffhanger which means I need to get book 2 ASAP. show less

Oh.
Wow.

Writing a novel that can make me cry is easy. Doing that with a graphic novel isn't.

This book was gripping and sad and wonderful and...heartbreaking.

There's been a lot of discussion about the writing of disabled characters in some groups I belong to. There are arguments that disabled characters are boring. Essentially every character that does anything in this series is elderly or disabled in some way and they kick absolute ass. They start off believing that they can't do things, but do it anyway.

Here's to you, Bird One.

Two teens lead the resistance against the aliens who, 3 years prior to the start of the story, invaded earth and took everyone between the ages of 16 and 35. At least, everyone in that age range who they thought were strong and abled. The "disabled", elderly, and young were left behind.

This, of course, may have been the wrong choice on the part of the aliens, who are subverted at every turn by the people left on earth.

Excellently illustrated and written by Jason Walz, this story centers specifically on twin teens Wyatt and Sam as they resist in their own ways. Wyatt, the nerdy, quiet one, needs a piece of tech that can only be bartered from an alien, and uses his knowledge of comics and TV shows to broker a deal, while Sam acts out show more against the aliens by breaking into their food storage and grabbing enough to distribute to others.

I highly recommend you read this graphic novel. It highlights how those who are disabled in one way still contribute to society and where we as a community would be if they couldn't or were disallowed to. Sometimes it isn't the mainstream that is the right path to take.

I can't wait for the next installment in the series. show less

Note: This is the third book in the series and should be read as such. I did read this one without diving into the others first and was confused the first chapters. In other words, this book should not be read as a stand-alone.

Wyatt and his group of friends are determined to find a way to the hyperport but first need to get the map. Meanwhile, his twin sister, Sam, is out with her group in an attempt to rescue their parents from an alien prison. But even if the two of them fulfill their missions and meet up, they still need to find a way to stop the alien regime. That's not an easy task for anyone, let alone misfits like them.

I was looking forward to sinking myself into a science fiction graphic novel, and this one definitely had an show more interesting surmise. This book takes the most unexpected heroes and places them at the center of an action packed, space adventure. Not only are children, elderly, and anyone else deemed as 'incapable' now the last hope for humanity, but this book hits many other groups as well. The diversity of cultures is clear, but it doesn't even stop there. The alien friends are just as bullied as their human counterparts, and there's even some LBGTQ thrown into the mix, too.

The tale is a fun and quirky weave of action, tension, and humor. Each character holds their very own personality, and each one has an oddity or rough edge. Some are likable, while others are obviously evil. Still, the author tosses in a bit of snark and almost slap-stick like humor at times. It gives the entire story an unexpected twist, which guarantees to keep boredom away. But then, with the amount of danger and sticky situations these heroes run into, boredom isn't exactly something which pops in often, anyway.

The illustrations flow with a wonderful pace, keeping the plot interesting while still allowing needed character depth and enough emotion to keep the reader engaged. There were a few times when things seemed to slow down, but these moments picked up right away and lead to the next adventure.

There's a wonderful sense of family and friendship, which gives the tale heart. While this is sold as a novel for young adults, I can easily see older middle graders enjoying it quite a bit as well. I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley. show less

I missed the little "1" on the spine and did not realize I wasn't getting a full story until the last page, so that left a sour taste in my mouth for a story I was on the border of liking. Well, no, I wasn't liking the story overly much because it is a pretty dumb alien invasion/post-apocalypse sort of thing, but I was growing fond of the interaction of the two main characters, one of whom has autism spectrum disorder, and I might pick up the next book to see how they get along, but it is not a sure thing, especially since the preview of the second volume's cover leaves me to infer they will be separated for a while.

16 year old twins surviving in a post-apocalytic world where aliens have abducted every "healthy" person between the ages of 16 and 65. These are the left behinds, and they are fierce, resilient, and finding ways to inspire the others surviving on a denuded planet. Good adventure, solid portrayal of autism's challenges and special abilities, great cliffhanger.