Review by Booklist Review
The Logan Museum is creepy, but Cel is desperate for a job since she lost her old library position under ambiguous circumstances. Despite an awkward interview, Cel becomes the archivist and spends the night shift cataloging materials from the Logan's collections. But bumps in the night and weird dreams of a girl in an asylum set Cel on edge, especially since she's worried about her own mental health. But the ghost girl's hints that something suspicious is going on with the secretive board are hard to ignore. With the help of librarian Holly and curator Aba, Cel sets out to solve the mystery of the girl and perhaps get to the heart of the museum's purpose. Steenz's blocky, thick-lined artwork depicts a refreshingly diverse cast of characters in a wide variety of skin tones and body shapes. Though the pace drags in the middle, and the mysterious origins of the museum are disappointingly underdeveloped, Cel's ultimate decision to finally seek out professional help for her mental illness is satisfying.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After losing her job as a library assistant, Celeste Walden scores another one as an archivist at the Logan Museum, a strange old building that once served as a sanatorium. Haunted by a long-dead patient, Celeste, who struggles with depression, is certain that there is something malignant in the museum's history, bringing stress to her relationships with her boyfriend, Kyle, and new coworkers, Abayomi and Holly. Weir and Steenz, newcomers to comics (and former librarians), create a slow-burning paranormal mystery set against the backdrop of mental health stigmas and treatment. The many unknowns surrounding the museum are intriguing, but Celeste's investigation has little momentum, and the secrets she uncovers come so abruptly and late in the story that it diminishes their impact-readers are essentially kept in the dark until all is revealed in one fell swoop. Steeenz works in a chunky cartoon style that helps temper some of the horrors of mistreatment that Celeste pieces together, and the dull red and brownish hues that settle in around everything at the museum are a rich metaphor for the depression that Celeste battles daily. Ages 13-up. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Desperate for a new job, Cel accepts a position as a live-in overnight archivist at a museum of medical history, despite reservations. When a ghostly figure from the museum's past begins haunting both her waking and dreaming life, Cel is driven to help the ghost while risking her job, her safety, and her mental health. Cel struggles with depression and anxiety and has been avoiding treatment since losing her previous job. In part through her research into the loathsome psychiatric remedies of the past, Cel realizes the importance of obtaining effective contemporary treatment. This horror story is more atmospheric than gory, aside from some bloody noses, and effectively creates an unsettling mood. The rich colors, comic interjections, and expressive features and gestures of Steenz's art add levity. The art also illuminates the characters' personalities, including Cel's stylish and skilled librarian supervisor, Holly; the awkward but dedicated curator Abayomi; and, of course, Cel herself. VERDICT A character-driven, creepy, but ultimately hopeful ghost story for graphic novel collections serving teens and new adults.-Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In another time and in different societies, librarians and people with psychosocial disabilities held similar positions: namely guardians of human knowledge. The author, one of the American Library Association's 2015 Emerging Leaders, reclaims this in Celeste "Cel" Walden, a woman of color fired from her library assistant job due to her multiply diagnosed mental illness. She interviewsand is hiredfor an archivist gig at the Logan Museum, an 83-year-old institution housing "one of the largest collections of antique medical photographs, documents, and books," according to the museum's exceptionally groovy purple-and-blue-haired librarian, a black woman named Holly Park. With the job comes an apartment that archivists are strongly encouraged to live in due to the overnight hours. The museum also has an aloof, black chief curator named Abayomi Abiola, a history of use as a health facility of many sorts, and a mysterious board of directorsand a ghost connected to the time when the museum served as an asylum for people diagnosed with mental illness. The ghost spurs Celeste to seek justice for her and, in the processwith help from Holly and eventually Abayomihelps Celeste seek wholeness for herself in terms of her condition. The author and illustrator bring a warm honesty, visually and narrativewise, to the characters, who are mostly people of color, as they navigate the complexities of mental illness, sexuality, love, and social responsibility. In their appealing protagonist, Weir and Steenz return both librarians and people with mental and emotional distress to their original, esteemed roles as keepers of truthful history. (Graphic fantasy. 12-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
