Review by Booklist Review
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 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. Hand to kids who related to Lee Durfey-Lavoie and Veronica Agarwal's Just Roll with It (2021) or Kathryn Ormsbee and Molly Brook's Growing Pangs (2022).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Because of the intrusive thoughts and compulsions--visually rendered as an ever-present swarm of bullying cartoon bees--that characterize his recently diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder, 12-year-old Isaac, portrayed with brown skin, has been feeling overwhelmed and isolated. So he's delighted when classmates, impressed by his drawings of dragons and other mythical creatures, invite him to join their Swamps & Sorcery RPG group. Isaac finds that he loves the game and that hanging out with his intersectionally diverse new friends--and developing romantic feelings for white and freckled nonbinary peer Micah--helps reduce the frequency of his symptoms. But Isaac's mother worries that these new experiences will have a negative effect on his mental health, and Isaac's older sister Miriam feels ignored because of their mother's focus on Isaac. Palette shifts between blue/gray tones and full-color sequences respectively depict Isaac's everyday life managing his OCD alongside moments of joy and calm, such as interactions with his friends and fantastical scenes from the tweens' RPG. Via Isaac's nuanced relationships with classmates, family, and himself, collaborators Sattin and Hickman (Bezkamp, for adults) conceive a cleverly rendered interpretation of OCD embedded in a wholesome graphic novel drama. Ages 8--12. Agent: (for both) Dara Hyde, Hill Nadell Literary. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up--Isaac was recently diagnosed with OCD. At school, he has trouble focusing because of his intrusive thoughts. At home, Isaac's mom wants the best for him but is overprotective to the point where his sister, Miriam, is ignored. Miriam is jealous of the attention Isaac gets and is mean to him at home and in school. When a classmate, Micah, sees Isaac's drawing, they introduce him to their group of friends and invite him to play Swamps & Sorcery, a fantasy role-playing game. Isaac's mom worries this could make his OCD symptoms worse; throughout the story, Isaac struggles to show his mom that it is actually helpful for him. The art adeptly depicts how Isaac's thoughts can be so harmful. At first, only shades of a blueish gray are used except for the bees, which are yellow and stand out. When Isaac hangs out with his new friend group for the first time, readers get full pages of color. From there, they'll bounce back and forth between these palettes, and it helps show where Isaac is comfortable and can be himself. The story handles different topics other than OCD. Isaac's relationships with his mom and sister are both important, and both are tested. Isaac and Micah, who is nonbinary, like each other and get closer as the story progresses. The story falls a little flat toward the end, as conflicts quietly resolve on their own. Drawings from Swamps & Sorcery are included in the back matter. VERDICT Overall, a sweet story that fans of Raina Telgemeier will enjoy.--Michelle Lettus
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A middle schooler with obsessive-compulsive disorder navigates family, friendship, and role-playing games. Isaac, who has light brown skin and dark curly hair, was recently diagnosed with OCD. He constantly hears the metaphorical buzzing of his intrusive thoughts, depicted as cute but cruel cartoon bees. The artwork makes good use of color to bring readers into Isaac's world. His bees are always brightly colored, as are the panels depicting positive experiences such as his art, the friends he is beginning to make, and the fantasy world of their Dungeons & Dragons--like role-playing game. In contrast, school and home are shown in drab, largely gray and beige tones. Isaac's mom does her best to support and protect him, but her efforts slide into being overprotective and controlling. Over the course of the narrative, however, she learns to trust Isaac and support him as he figures out his own path. With their mom's attention on Isaac, his sister, Miriam, feels ignored, and she takes this out on him. This is a sensitive depiction of an unfortunate reality: When one sibling has a difficult diagnosis, others often feel pushed aside. In this case, both siblings are ultimately able to support each other while expressing their needs to their mother. This book provides a positive, sympathetic introduction to living with OCD, with appeal for readers who have the same diagnosis as well as those who do not. An original exploration of living with mental illness. (supplemental art) (Graphic fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
