Nightmare in Savannah

October 1, 2021
Beware of fairies. Or risk facing perilous consequences. Fairies are menacing, petty, and vengeful beings who abduct human children and replace them with changelings who become dangerous as they grow. Alexa Bowman moves to Savannah from Chicago to live with her grandfather and finish high school. After they discover her parents' criminal history, Alexa is mocked by some new classmates, but she is soon befriended by three other girls--Fae, Chloe, and Skye. A night out with her three new friends brings about mysterious physical and emotional changes for Alexa, and life in Savannah continues to get stranger and more menacing as time goes on. Can she discover the source of all this weirdness and put an end to it? Gwenn's concept is interesting, but the execution falls short: Frantic pacing makes storylines seem disjointed in a way that prevents immersion in Alexa's world, and abrupt scene changes in panels reflect the story's lack of cohesion. The illustrations, primarily black-and-white art enhanced by a color palette of predominantly lilac and mulberry hues in both muted and high-contrast segments, suit the mystifying, eerie vibes of the book. Alexa is Black; there is ethnic diversity in the supporting cast. An intriguing premise in need of polishing and tighter pacing. (Graphic fantasy. 13-16)

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