The Never Weres

July 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Years into the next century, the human population is dwindling because of a virus that has resulted in no new births for a generation. Cloning may stave off extinction, but rumors of botched experiments, along with bias against clones, make it an uncertain option. The youngest humans left are teenagers, and three of them struggle to solve a mystery of a missing girl who may save the world. A perfect read-alike for Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion (S & S, 2002) and Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper (S & S, 2004), this comic has chaotic landscapes that resemble those in the film Blade Runner, replete with strange futuristic fashions and ads for 50-dollar bags of rice. Many pages are crammed with these interesting details, set in adventurous layouts that often spill outside of the panels. The illustrations, drawn in a bold, primitive, indie-comic style that resembles Lynda Barry's work, contrast interestingly with the tech-heavy story. Though this science fiction mystery's plot and layouts are a little too convoluted, its provocative ending is rewarding.-Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011
Grades 6-9 In a future where a virus has eliminated the ability to breed, will clones or robots save humanity? Smyth's debut graphic novel introduces readers to three of the last teens on the planet: friends Xian, Mia, and Jesse. Jesse is an aspiring clone scientist, and Mia teaches art classes at a senior center. While Xian searches the city's underground tunnels for spare parts to create her beloved robots, she discovers a secret that could end the world as they know it. The detailed, grayscale artwork is beautiful and compelling, so it's a shame that the profuse dialogue and narration often overwhelm the art. This awkward wordiness slows the pacing initially, but the mystery starts to pick up about halfway through. So, although there's a good deal of heaviness to wade through to get to the more intriguing parts of the story line, patient readers will be rewarded by this futuristic tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2011

Three of Earth's last teenagers discover a long-hidden escape route for humanity in this suspenseful future tale, a solo debut for Smyth.

Fifteen years after a virus stopped all new human births, most of the aging population lives in overcrowded urban warrens while Mia, Xian and Jesse rattle around a steadily-emptying school with the rest of their thinning generation. Jesse's controversial involvement in cloning studies, artistic Mia's work in an old-age home and reckless Xian's dangerous and illegal excursions into the miles of old tunnels and sewers beneath the city has turned their friendship contentious. Their bonds solidify again, though, when they discover clues that point to a successful but suppressed experiment in human cloning many years previous, thus drawing the ominous attention of a mysterious government agent. Smyth, a veteran illustrator, creates a credible futuristic world in which advanced technology and run-down infrastructure blend seamlessly in monochromatic ink-and-wash graphic panels done in an underground comics style. Showing particular chops with chases, escapes and even multiple actions like tantrums in single impressionistic m�langes of images, she creates back stories for each central character, cranks the tension up on the way to a climactic double surprise and closes with a tidy but upbeat resolution.

Despite earnest undertones a richly imagined and capably carried-out thriller. (Graphic science fiction. 11-13)

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