Olive: Lost in Inner Space: A Graphic Novel

by Véro Cazot, Lucy Mazel (Illustrator)

A fantastical coming-of-age story involving love, loss, and found family, centered around a determined autistic heroine who refuses to make herself fit neatly into other peoples’ space

Wherever she is, Olive has never quite fit in, and living in a dorm room for the first time is no exception. To get away from the bullies, annoying teachers, and her parents, Olive escapes alone into her own vast world of vivid landscapes and fantastical inventions—until she gets an unexpected visit from a mysterious astronaut.

Could the astronaut in her inner world be the same astronaut who recently crash-landed on earth without a trace? Night by night, Olive watches his health fade and becomes more and more certain that she has to take action. When no one believes that she knows how to save him, she joins forces with her plucky new roommate to unpack the clues from her inner world and venture on a journey to real-life countries she’s never been to before—all to save an astronaut who, as far as she can recall, she’s never met.

Genres: Graphic Novels

232 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 19, 2026

Reviews

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

To tell the truth, I'm not entirely certain what my final opinion is of Véro Cazot's Olive: Lost in Inner Space. The mystical nature of the story was interesting, for sure, but really took me out at points. Also, the entire thing with the plane at the beginning cutting off as it did felt awkward and didn't really answer the question of what happened well at all.

We're thrown pretty quickly into Olive's world, and it's not what I expected. The connection she has to the missing astronaut is also...not what I expected. In fact, it felt rather silly. Then it ties directly into this reveal related to the plane which, unfortunately, we see the majority of coming a mile away. The pacing isn't bad, but it's not good either. And I'm kind of left feeling like the story was just...okay. Out of the characters, the only ones I actually care about are the ones that were initially on the plane, and Olive and her roommate. But even then, I'm also pretty meh about them?

The biggest strong suit that this story has is the artwork. It's beautiful, really pulls you in and makes you want to see even more. But when the story just moves awkwardly from one beat to the next, the artwork isn't enough to save it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting young adult graphic novel. I love that what made Olive different was the very gift needed to help save someone else.

Olive doesn’t quite fit in and often daydreams to escape her problems. She has created her own world where she feels safe and comfortable. One day, an astronaut appears out of nowhere, and Olive realizes he’s also missing in real life. Now, she’s the only one who can save him, but to do so she must push herself to take risks and face her fears.

Olive is such a lovable character. Despite what others say or do to her, she stays strong and remains true to herself. Her friendship with Charlie is incredibly sweet - she’s the best friend we all hope to have.

I found myself completely immersed in this story. Between the beautiful art and storytelling, I had difficulty putting this down. Seeing everything come together at the end made this a satisfying read.

Thank you to Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Francis Tapon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a visually striking graphic novel with expressive, atmospheric artwork by Lucy that really brings the dreamlike world to life.

The story leans into surrealism, which creates an intriguing mood but can also make the plot hard to follow at times.

Its tone and themes feel best suited to teens and young adults, especially those who enjoy slightly offbeat, introspective stories.

Autism is present in the premise but not directly explored on the page, which may disappoint readers hoping for a more explicit neurodivergent narrative.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience and would rate it four stars for its originality and strong visuals, even if the storytelling occasionally feels opaque.

[Leslie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so interesting! I loved Olive's inner world so much. The art was also done very well, and I greatly enjoyed seeing Olive learn and grow through the story. I found the connection between her and the astronaut to be so fascinating. Charlie was also a fun character, and I really liked her a lot. She brought Olive back into the real world and helped her out like a true friend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to read!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story about an autistic girl saving the day. Olive realises that the fantasy world she escapes to is connected to a big story in the news, and to her hidden past. At the start of the book, she struggles to make friends outside of her fantasy world and is bullied for being different, but over the course of the graphic novel, she makes a new friend who supports her on her quest.

[Free ARC from NetGalley]

[Haruka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! The pace of the story is a bit slow at first but afterwards I understand more and more. Sometimes we all need an escape from this reality. Im glad Olive opened up herself even if so many things happened to her along the way.
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~