Review by Booklist Review
When raft-borne refugees are blown into Themyscira's seas on Princess Diana's sixteenth Born Day, she attempts to help them and is swept away from her home, unable to return. A stint in a refugee camp results in her relocation to Queens, New York, where she's taken in by a Polish immigrant and her social justice-minded granddaughter. Anderson (Shout, 2019) has beautifully reconceived Diana's origins, focusing on her awkward, superpower-lacking "changeling" (teenage) years and giving the character her own immigration story. As Diana learns about American (and mortal) culture, she finds much to love, even as she's faced with challenges that will resonate with today's teens: toxic masculinity, poverty, systemic injustice, and ultimately, a child-trafficking ring that preys upon the marginalized. Del Duca captures the delicate balance between the awkward changeling and the nascent superheroine as Diana--in jeans, a t-shirt, and Bracelets of Submission--finds power through her rage, foiling the kidnapping scheme and settling into her new home. A powerfully relevant take on an iconic character.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On the hidden island of Themyscira, where ageless warrior women, the Amazons, wait to protect the world from "Great Evil," Princess Diana has struggled with the physical and emotional upheaval of puberty, whose changes she's told will end by her 16th birthday. When she swims out from the island one day to rescue refugees on a raft that has broken through the island's magical barrier, Diana finds herself adrift in the modern world, unable to return to her own. As a refugee, she spends time in a Greek camp before two United Nations inspectors, recognizing her extraordinary gift for languages, take her to New York, where she learns about the mortal world and its perils from new friend and housemate Raissa, 17. Though Anderson goes beyond the typical superhero-villain conflict, commenting on a broad range of social issues (among them activism, corporate greed, homelessness and income inequality, human trafficking, immigration, and misogyny), the abundance of issues unfocuses the plot, resulting in disparate story threads that are too conveniently resolved. Del Duca's dynamic art, filled with female representation across ages, ethnicities, and body types, fills the pages with color and carefully observed detail, firmly situating the story. Ages 14 --up. (June)■
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Anderson and del Duca offer a grounded take on Wonder Woman, depicting her as a young woman finding herself and learning how to effect change in the world. Though being the only daughter of the queen of Themyscira Island's Amazon warriors and coming of age in a society composed solely of strong, capable adult warriors are challenging, Diana awakens on her 16th birthday finally feeling ready to become a full-fledged Amazon. But when the barrier hiding Themyscira is breached by fleeing refugees, Diana is carried away from her secluded home into the world beyond. Now, she must reckon with previously unfamiliar problems such as poverty, the human cost of war, and systemic injustice. Anderson's fish-out-of-water narrative, combined with del Duca's endearingly expressive character art, results in a likable, relatable Diana. The story touches on troubling social issues such as homelessness and human trafficking and even gestures toward some concrete responses, both individual and collective. However, rather than being a story about a superhero solving the world's problems, this is the tale of a young woman undergoing personal change and a social awakening, shaping and testing her values in an unjust society. VERDICT No prior knowledge of Diana Prince is necessary, making this a great option for those seeking an entry point into comics about Wonder Woman; it's also a fine choice for fans of activist characters or coming-of-age graphic novels.--Chuck Hodgin, Belmont Univ. Lib., Nashville
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Not all heroines wear capes. Protected on the hidden floating island of Themyscira, black-haired, light-skinned Princess Diana anticipates the end of her challenging changeling phase on her 16th birthday. She desperately wants to be a warrior like the other Amazonian women. A gift to the queen from the Five Mothers, Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, Artemis, and Hestia, Diana is different--tall but clumsy; once hale but now weak. However, outside Themyscira's magical barrier, Diana's agility, intelligence, strength, and compassion shine. When Themyscira is breached by mortals, Diana disobeys her mother's command, braving the violent sea to save drowning refugees. Mistaken for a refugee herself, Diana is hustled to a camp where she witnesses the devastating effects of war and cares for the mortals. After her extraordinary abilities are recognized by a United Nations employee and his husband, who get her a student visa, Diana moves to America, where she continues to fight for the weak and finds the place where she belongs. Astutely attuned to the current social climate, the story humanely and intelligently addresses complex issues, including immigration, child trafficking, hunger, and poverty. The text and illustrations, which show brown-skinned characters with a range of skin tones and hairstyles, naturally weave in characters of different backgrounds who are not reduced to their struggles. Will engage readers until the final battle. (Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America) (Graphic fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
