"We have so much history...those ties go deep and aren't easily cut."Friends, this was such an enjoyable read! I've been suffering from the worst reading slump for the past couple of months and just wanted to read and finish something. I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books, and I figured that there is probably no better cure for a slump that a dose of nostalgia -- and how right I was!
One of the things I loved most about reading Nancy Drew was how strong, smart, and capable she a character she is. I loved the reimagining of the characters we know and love as modern day teenagers, and unlike some other reboots that I've read this is written in a way that doesn't alienate a younger reader unfamiliar with the source material but also doesn't alienate people my age that are in it for the nostalgia factor.
I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but I was impressed with how good the character development is in these first 5 issues! Thompson managed to give the reader a real sense of who the characters are and their complicated backstory effortlessly. With Nancy returning after seven years of drifting apart from her friends, the graphic novel briefly touches on that hurt but also shows how with some friends you can just fall back into patterns as if no time passed at all. I liked that the Hardy boys are also in these comics and how gloriously diverse this is.
There was a conversation between George and Nancy that I especially loved that dealt with our propensity to apologize for being emotional or crying. George's response was so perfect: "Why is crying dumb anyway? What are we -- freaking robots?"I really appreciate the normalization of crying in fiction, and the way that both Nancy and Pete are processing their grief in different ways but also are kind of brought together through their loss as well.
Overall this was a really fun read and I will be watching for the next issue because OH GOODNESS THAT ENDING! I loved the art style and the writing is easy to follow, witty, and full of life as the voices of the characters shine through the pages. I definitely recommend this to fans of strong female characters that aren't all pointy (can be soft, too), mystery lovers, and those that read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys as a kid.
CONTENT WARNINGS: grief, loss of a loved one, murder
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an eARC via NetGalley for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.
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