Review by Booklist Review
When the class bullies pick on Zoe, some mysterious girls come to her aid. That's not such a big deal, but when she finds a mysterious letter and a diamond inside a scrapbook from her birth mother, it gets weird. First the mysterious girls reappear, and then they defeat a shadowy dragon and tell Zoe that she is part of their team. They are the Crystal Cadets, who use their gems to gain powers and summon magical creatures, and they are tasked with protecting the world from the Darkness, a misty force that emanates from lying, cheating, and bad manners. But there are still a few Cadets left to find, and the girls must get to them before the Darkness does. O'Neill's candy-colored mangalike art looks like a softer version of Sailor Moon. Though the story is nothing new, Toole and O'Neill execute it well: the plot and action unfold at a steady, tantalizing pace, and the interactions among the girls on the team are lively and never one-note. Hand this one to fans of fantasy adventures and all-girl teams.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-On Zoe's birthday, she receives a diamond from her birth mother and meets three girls who also have powers given to them from inherited gemstones. Together they search for other cadets to drive back The Darkness, a malevolent force that takes the form of tentacled lizards and can control those who are dishonest or irresponsible. The color work here is warm and attractive; it glows in a way that befits the gemstone motif and easily pulls viewers into the story. But neither the visuals nor the plot will keep many readers, except for those who love any and all magical girl adventures. There is a complete absence of convincing peril, and the action and panel transitions rarely generate any narrative suspense or rising action. In part, this seems to be due to formatting that tries to accommodate both print and digital publishing, but mostly the book lacks compelling structure and features many examples of clunky visual storytelling. The story is gamely moralistic and the characters diverse and inclusive; it has all the hallmarks of a production that means well but ultimately means little else. VERDICT Well-intentioned, but in a rising tide of girl-friendly comics, readers can find better.-Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH © Copyright 2015. 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
On her birthday, a teenager learns that she is one of the Crystal Cadets, a textbook group of young, magic-wielding heroines charged with saving the world from vague, clichd darkness. This series opener introduces Zoe to the other Crystal Cadets: Jasmine, Olivia, Gwen, Liz, Milena, and a sixth, who is used as a plot twist. They ride fabulous creatures like winged horses and giant butterflies and use magical tools to fight off creepy people with black eyes. Zoe seems only momentarily fazed to find her parents evidently possessed before being whisked away. Glib dialogue makes the book feel trite and superficial. "Nonny, nonny boo boo. You can't catch me!" sings a young cadet as she faces off against what looks like a toothed shadow. Attempts at puns create cringe-worthy moments: "Looks like the crystal's out of the bag!" The story was originally published as a digital comic series, and Toole's writing offers mostly choppy transitions and is further hampered by poor worldbuilding, logic, and back story. In what feels like a halfhearted stab at grounding the story, Olivia explains, "The darkness has been around forever. It feeds on bad stuff, like fear and greed and bad manners." If both story and illustrations remind readers of Sailor Moon, that is about par for the course. O'Neill's depictions are fair and in the vein of manga comics, though at times they look depthless. Skip and pass. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
