Review by Booklist Review
A long time ago, planet Zephyr was suddenly blown apart, leaving many pieces floating adrift. Many believe the supergiant star known as Cynosure was responsible, but the story was never confirmed. Brothers Max and Lari, who live among the remaining floating pieces of Zephyr, are making a snack stop when their father is suddenly captured by Cynosure's minions, and they set off on a rescue mission to get their dad back. Their journey takes them to all sorts of interstellar beings, including a pair of entertaining dwarf stars, a moody protostar, and even a sinister black hole. As they get closer to Cynosure and Lari starts exhibiting some oddly celestial behavior, the truth about Zephyr becomes increasingly clear. The Adventure Time--like energy of the story is a perfect fit for the bold, imaginative artwork, featuring bright yellows against deep blacks to really emphasize the space setting. Stormie's inventive character design, too, gives the story an otherworldly feel. An adventurous yet still heartfelt story that will appeal to fans of Sid Sharp's work.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Debut creator Stormie weaves an intimate tale about family, self-acceptance, and personal responsibility into an imaginative spacefaring graphic novel adventure. After their father is kidnapped, pale-skinned brothers Max and Lari set off in a wooden starship on a rescue mission across their fragmented planet, Zephyr. Along the way, they cross paths with an asteroid engineer turtle, a black hole disguised as a kind elderly woman, and sentient, small-business-owning, humanoid stars. As the brothers' antagonism leads them into increasingly treacherous peril, they're forced to reconsider their roles--not just as siblings but as individuals whose decisions, intentional or otherwise, will shape their futures together and apart. Fluid line art and dynamic paneling balance high-energy action with quiet character moments. Expressive designs heighten the story's emotional depth, while jewel-toned cosmic landscapes and subtle visual humor add texture. Throughout, Stormie considers concepts such as control vs. adaptability, the weight of leadership, and the idea that repairing what's broken doesn't always mean restoring what was lost or returning to the way things were. The boys' close sibling relationship and their interactions with myriad memorable characters make for a thoughtful take on a classic hero's journey. Ages 8--12. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--5--Decades before our story begins, planet Zephyr suddenly explodes into hundreds of floating pieces. The people and buildings are okay, though they are now separated by large gaps of empty space, with everyone surviving on their own chunks of earth. We meet our young heroes on one of those floating pieces. Adopted brothers Max and Lari are picking up a few essentials at a floating shop when their spaceship is attacked and their dad is taken prisoner. Suddenly alone, 13-year-old Max quickly takes charge, planning to follow the fox soldiers to rescue their dad. Lari isn't convinced this is the best plan, preferring to lie low at the local floating amusement park instead. Max has always been the leader though, and convinced that he knows best, he and Lari start a whimsical quest that leads to conversations with sentient stars, traveling by sky whale, and lessons for both about taking--and losing--control. This graphic novel will particularly appeal to young readers who enjoy whimsical adventures that have high stakes but move at a slower pace. While the adventure is touching and fun, the art particularly stands out here, building a cohesive universe filled with characters of all shapes, sizes, and species. VERDICT A great option for fans of the "First Cat in Space" series and those readers who enjoy a healthy dose of strong character development.--Annamarie Carlson
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two brothers cross the stars to save their father. One hundred years ago, the planet Zephyr in the Zephyr Galaxy shattered into countless neighboring chunks. Brothers Max and Lari watch their adoptive father get captured by the forces of Cynosure the planet breaker. A pair of twin stars agree to taxi them across the cosmos to get him back. Lari is immature the way a little sibling can be, goofing off and making himself the center of attention. Max, who's proudly "almost thirteen," is a little too eager to play the role of heroic captain. Together they meet anthropomorphic animals, a protostar in the form of a 1,000,006-year-old child, and sky-whales. There's more to most characters than meets the eye, from the way Lari glows when he's upset to Cynosure's role in the breakup of Zephyr and the kidnapping of the boys' dad. The combination of a space setting with fantasy logic makes for chaotic fun along the journey to the boys' eventual maturation. The imaginative, jewel-toned illustrations contain visual clues that will engage readers, including the unnervingly large, black eyes of a mysterious old woman, and a map of the galaxy that changes to add new details at the beginning of each chapter. Most human characters have light skin; Max is pale with green hair, and Lari has tan skin and yellow hair. This debut adventure across the galaxy is a pleasure to navigate, both cosmically and emotionally. (science notes)(Graphic adventure. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
