Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy

Lumberjanes #1

by N.D. Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooklyn Allen (Illustrator)

What's to Love: Lumberjanes is the hit series from the BOOM! Box imprint that features five rad ladies who fight monster baddies with the power of friendship! Written by Noelle Stevenson (Nimona, Adventure Time) and newcomer Grace Ellis, and illustrated by Brooke Allen (A Home for Mr. Easter), this new series has taken comics by storm and placed on many Best-of-the-Year lists, including Comics Alliance, Entertainment Weekly, and Comic Book Resources.What It Is: At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams! Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here. Presented as the Lumberjanes Field Manual featuring a cover gallery and early character designs by Noelle Stevenson and Brooke Allen. Collects issues #1-4. "Completely unpredictable, ridiculously charming, and laugh-out-loud funny." - Entertainment Weekly

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, LGBT, Graphic Novels Comics

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

ND Stevenson is the award-winning, bestselling author and illustrator of Nimona and The Fire Never Goes Out, the co-creator of Lumberjanes, and was the showrunner for the award-winning Netflix series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am a fan of the spirit and the messaging and the energy of this book but i'm not personally crazy about either the artwork or the story.

when this book first started making the rounds here on goodreads, for some reason i didn't clock that it was YA. i saw that people were adding it to their YA shelves, but i've come to terms with the fact that as long as there's a teenage character in a book, people are gonna shelve it as YA on goodreads regardless of whether it's intended for teen readers, or even appropriate for them.

so when i finally decided to board this lumberjane-bandwagon and found it officially categorized in the teen section of the bookstore, it threw me for a loop for a second, but then i was all "i am glad i am now so broad-minded in the scope of my reading that i am not unwilling to read a book for a teen audience."

and yet.

it just read so young to me. young enough that you could probably get away with marketing this to a middle grade audience without any comprehension/content concerns. and having already adjusted (not lowered, mind you, but adjusted) my expectations to teen mode, i found myself requiring additional mental adjustments to try to fit in with the enthusiastic fans - to be the thoughtful reader this book deserved.



maybe i'm just accustomed to the way teens in the YA novels i read sound like they're twenty-five and maybe this is a more accurate representation of how teens really speak and behave, but it still felt really childish and i don't think me-as-teen would have liked it. i think i would have felt talked-down to, the way religious material directed at teens misses that target of age-appropriateness by presenting unilaterally shiny and morally flawless characters who are perky and great at everything and willing to pitch in and fight fire and succor the needy, perfect and unstoppable like a fifties housewife on benzos. without, naturally, the benzos.



as a female-person, it's hard not to want to love a book that's so oohrah girl power and full of smart math-loving girlnerds who say things like



and that's emphasizing confidence and empowerment and athleticism and building strong female friendships, but it's just so excessively "HOLY ROLE MODEL, BATMAN!" that it becomes off-putting.



it's a little too much of that tone that irked me in Boy Meets Boy where everything's acceptable! and girls can do anything! and conflicts are easily resolved! in this hunky dory goody goody role modelly wonderland!



there's no tension here, and you know what happens when things are too relentlessly positive, right?



when other perfectly normal emotions go unacknowledged?





it's not at all bad, i guess i'm just too much of an old shriveled husk of cynical coal to not be filled with double-rainbow x chromosomes in response to this. i'm perplexed. i don't know how old these characters are meant to be, i don't understand how the magic works or what the blend of reality and fantasy is meant to serve, i don't know why everyone's going crazy for it.

and that makes me feel lonesome.

things i did like -

fox tummies:



every part that had to do with discovery channel-inspired phobias of blood-sucking catfish, river monsters, murder rivers etc…



the fact that the pungeon master badge looks deeply ashamed and disappointed in itself. as it should.



titillating subtext





and pretty much every loud, adorable thing ripley says.



ripley reminds me of a special girl i knew in the wayback - someone i was very close to and who rubbed off on me a bit, so i guess ripley also reminds me of ME, which makes me like her even more.



here is a celebration of ripley



whose "hungry" posture is the same as her "i have to pee" posture





who is a marine biology enthusiast







who likes kittens





and also puppies



who is willing to fight a rude bird for some chocolate







and this especially made me misty, thinking about my old galpal, who was so refreshingly free from social niceties that when someone pissed her off, she'd just pee in their car at a party or something.



my wonderful little beastgirl.

i'll probably keep reading because sisterhood, but i'm not fangirling it yet.

*******************************************
3.5 stars for the reader-who-is-me, but i definitely love and respect it more-stars as an objective overseer acknowledging its important contribution to the bookworld.

come to my blog!

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because so many of my friends that I trust have gushed about it. (That's how I end up picking up most of my books these days.)

And I wanted to love it. But... I didn't.

Don't get me wrong. I liked it fine. But that's the very definition of damning something with faint praise...

This happens every once in a while. A book everyone else loves leaves me kinda feeling.... meh.

This happens to everyone I think, and it's not an issue of quality. I think it's an issue of personal taste. I think this is one of the books that I appreciate more than I enjoy. I see what it's doing, and the craft of the book is excellent, but it just isn't the right flavor for me. I felt the same about Tank Girl when I read it. I really wanted to like it, but... meh.

So yeah. I liked it. Didn't love it. But I will pass along the huge gushy enthusiasm of many others. If you enjoy non-superhero comics, it's probably worth a try...

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kind of disappointed with this one. I had thought going into this that Noelle Stevenson had done the art, but alas I was wrong. I kind of wish she would've done the art, because I wasn't a huge fan of Brooke Allen's style. It's kind of messy in my opinion. I still enjoyed the story and will definitely be picking up the next volume, but I just wasn't impressed with this volume.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I solemnly swear to do my best
Every day, And in all that I do

So, from what I can tell...the Lumberjanes are like super hardcore Girl Scouts on the set of a Supernatural summer camp.

I loved this idea and there were definitely bits that I liked - in particular, I adored the all of the main characters.

They each were so different - from personality to body type - and they were all so supportive and unique.

I liked how they banded together and how each of them had a different skill set that was useful on those various adventures.

I also really enjoyed the lore that was mixed in - all of the weird happenings and supernatural creatures really clicked with me.

And yet, despite loving so much of it...it just didn't click.

There were so many paranormal things that I had a hard time keeping track of the lore of this world. In addition, the magic and creatures used in this book just didn't feel cohesive.

It felt like....as soon as I got used to one thing, we turn the corner and run into a three-eyed fox or a yeti.

The girls are constantly acting and reacting to these things like pros and they deal with everything relatively quickly - which left me reeling.

Also, we aren't really given an explanation for this - the wild creatures, their casual attitudes to everything else, etc.

It just...happens...and is there. But why and how? No idea.

Perhaps it's better explained later on in the series, but spending the entire first volume confused wasn't ideal for me. I honestly don't know if I'd go back to finish this series.

And to make the world a better place
For Lumberjane scouts
And for everyone else.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Caz (littlebookowl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO FUN! It was silly and I loved every minute of it - cannot wait to continue with the series.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

HA! This was so cute and hilarious. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. But with the solid artwork (IT'S SO PRETTY), the dialogue causing me to LOL multiple times and the story being just plain FUN, how could I not?

Things I loved:

- Loved that the camp sign had HARD CORE LADY TYPES nailed over "Ladies."
- Also, FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX! Heck yeah, positive female friendships!



- The Lumberjanes pledge! "Then there's a line about god or whatever." I DIED.



- Unexpected puns. LOLOLOLOLOL. Pungeon Master Badge. Can this be a thing? Let's make it a thing.



- The clever and hilarious way gender is challenged. Loved it!



Basically, I'm definitely reading the next one!

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really not one for graphic novels; the form generally misses me. But I kept seeing Lumberjanes appear on my feed, and the idea behind it always piqued my interest. Five girls camping at a residential girl scout camp with a hassled cabin leader and a intriguingly supportive camp director sounded both fun and familiar. Luckily, the library had a copy, and off I was to the adventures at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types.

It was fun.



My first surprise was the take on Girl Scouts, beginning with a ‘Message from the High Council’ and the ‘Lumberjanes Pledge.’ I had to laugh because although I couldn’t tell you the Girl Scout pledge, I know there’s something about ‘God and country’ there, and this edition has a mock cross-out. I was always uncomfortable with that bit too, ladies. Chapter One starts with the ‘Up All Night’ badge, another fun take on the Girl Scout badge collection. It’s the kind of subtle satire that elevates it a bit above a grade school level. Billed as ‘young teen/teen,’ I wouldn’t have any problem letting a younger person read it, just note they might miss some of the subtext.



and possibly, fun but unfortunately obscure references.


Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman in space



At any rate, the Hardcore Lady Types have a lot to deal with: late night wanderings lead to mysterious encounters, a day on the river leads to a monster encounter, caving becomes puzzle-solving, and a simple hike leads to a strange tower and a nearby camp for boys. The last section is cover art from different editions, done by different artists. Each section/edition resolves one problem, while opening an opportunity for the next. Occasionally the messaging gets to be a little heavy, but since it’s a message I support, it wasn’t very bothersome.



The drawings are fun, blocky, elongated, lots of primary-type colors and not going for a lot of realism/depth. Occasionally they verge on the over-busy or are a little too stylized to help differentiate what is going on. Each chapter seems to have a general color scheme, blues, browns or greens. The story is intriguing, but the overarching story doesn’t come anywhere near to resolved. In fact, I’m not entirely sure about the world-building–are these monsters a surprise to the girls/staff? I don’t think it’s supposed to be imaginary.


Overall, it was super-cute. The girls are fast friends, each one perhaps appealing to a different demographic. When they get into deep trouble, they all team up–none of this ostracizing ‘Puffy runs away and is welcomed back to the group’ plot line. I confess I had my own fondness for Riley, the one who would leap into any situation in defense of her friends, even at her own risk. Honestly, it reminded me of the days watching Scooby-Doo and Wonder Twins. Craaaack! Pow! Onward!

Disclosure: I worked at a lumberjanes camp for two years, although I and my friends were on the staff side of things.

love always to Spryte, Pomme, Paddy, Flipper

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story starts in the woods with the almost childishly drawn five girl scouts of the Roanoke Cabin (of the Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types) up to possibly no-good in the pitch black woods at late at night? The at first glance 'childishly' drawn art turns out to be the innovative and genre breaking drawing skills of Brooklyn Allen.

The all women creative team is killin' it with this book, alongside the art, there's the pitch perfect slow build-up and reveals of this spooky yet almost-conventional perpetual camps-site reality despite the preponderance of danger and mystery. There's the strong pro-woman (but not anti-anything else) feel of the Cabin crew and their leader; there's multi faceted and completely impossible to break down into tropes characterisations; there's over 15 covers and variant covers all by female artists... and there's the almost beautiful exclamations of girls using famous mostly women of colour women in history's names. Holy Mae Jemison! 7 out of 12 Three Stars, with a whole lot more to come, I can see no other direction!


Oh Bessie Coleman!

2020 read

[Ashley Nuckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS ALL

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lumberjanes follows a group of five butt-kicking best friends determined to have an awesome summer together. And they're not going to let a magical quest or an array of supernatural being get in their way!

I’ve been looking to get my hands on this volume for months now. But I didn’t enjoy this graphic novel as much as I hoped I would, there was just something lacking in it for me.
The characters weren’t as developed as I would have like and there wasn't one that stood out to me, although April managed to make me laugh on multiple occasions.

Also, the action in this volume didn’t make me feel excited or scared or anything really…
I just didn’t feel any connections to the art, plot, or characters.
It was, however, a quick and funny read and I’m glad I flew through it.



*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Lumberjanes, Vol. 1, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*


This review and more can be found on my blog.

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread!

This was so damn adorable and hilarious! The art was gorgeous, the writing was fantastic, the characters were quirky and the story was just great and unique and gave me all the feminist and butt-kicking feels! I need more!!!

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about one second long.

It spends that second being very cool and fun and unique and in many ways rad, and also that second's worth of art is wonderful, but all of that does not change the fact that it only lasts for a second.

The characters MIGHT be good, and the world MIGHT be good, and the story MIGHT be good, but again I wouldn't be able to tell you because I only spent a second with any of those things. And in some ways really just a fraction of a second, if you divide it up.

Maybe I will continue with this series, BUT HOW AM I EVEN SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF I LIKED IT ENOUGH TO DO THAT.

The art was dope though.

Bottom line: ???????? An actual second.

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I read any YA or MG fiction (three years ago, in fact, when I read Paul Acampora's I Kill the Mockingbird), and decades since I read any comic books (except for graphic novel classics like Sandman or From Hell), so when my wife Susan told me her friend Grace Ellis was a co-creator and co-writer for Lumberjanes, I decided to pick up the initial volume of the series, and give it a try. I finally did so last week and now I’m hooked.

Lumberjanes chronicles the adventures of five plucky “Lumberjane Scouts” during a summer session at “Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types.”

There’s Jo (unofficial leader and math whiz, willowy and aristocratic, looks a little like a young Oscar Wilde), April (tiny, fearless, inveterate punster and Powerpuff type), Molly (deadly archer with coonskin cap, who has a crush on Mal), Mal (tentative, reflective, with punk-rock hair, who returns Molly’s affection), and Ripley (baby of the troop, worthy of her Sigourney Weaver moniker: a cyclone of enthusiasm, energy, and trouble).

These “lady types” are looked after by camp-counselor Jen, a conscientious, harried young black woman in her early twenties, and camp-director Rosie, amiable and indulgent despite her large muscles and tattoos, who appears to know more about the strange goings-on at Miss Quinzella’s Camp than she is willing the admit.

And there certainly are strange goings on: an old woman who turns into a bear, a pack of vicious three-eyed foxes, some dangerous rapids, a river monster, a three-eyed eagle who steals candy bars, an underground cave with a secret chamber (guarded by a talking statue and filled with mysterious clues), not to mention a troop of demon-possessed boy scouts, a patch of poison ivy, and a yeti or two.

But the Lumberjanes manage to prevail through all their trials, for they do what Miss Rosie tells them (“Stick together no matter what!”), and always follow the camp motto (“Friendship to the Max!).

One of the things I like about “Lumberjanes” is the way the campers' periodic exclamations of surprise also name-check women in history and the arts (“Holy Joan Jett!” “Holy Mae Jemison!” “Holy Anahaero!”). But the thing I like best about Lumberjanes" is that, although dedicated to a message of female empowerment in an LGBTQ-friendly atmosphere, it emphasizes its lessons with a very light touch, never letting a bunch of boring preachy stuff get in the way of fun and adventure.

[Kristina Horner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be absolutely delightful and I can't wait to get more.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Allow me to introduce the Lumberjanes. They aren’t your typical girl scouts . . .



Nope, these girls aren’t interested in selling cookies. They want ACTION and ADVENTURE!!! It’s action and adventure they will find at Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hard-Core Lady-Types. Follow along as the girls face one quest after another and use their smarts . . .



To make it past any obstacle in their way . . .



Even stuff you always thought only existed in your nightmares . . .



This was just about the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. While the plot was kind of a bit all over the place, Lumberjanes was pure fun. I made a new friend . . .



And confirmed something I’ve known for a long time . . .



I keeeeeeeeeeeeed.

The only things to really complain about is that something that can easily be read in less than 30 minutes costs so much money (Thank Jeebus for the library!) and that I might have a bit of a volatile reaction should I ever hear the phrase “what the junk?” again . . .



I don’t care if they are children.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the urge to learn how to lay and follow trails, identify the healing abilities of local fauna, how to walk great distances and run even farther, and how to work around the unnatural and supernatural forces that a Lumberjane is bound to confront.

This book was awesome.

It's about 5 scouts at a summer camp. Age? Unclear. The book blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, for although the girls live in what seems to be a normal world, they keep encountering animals with three eyes. Also river monsters, yeti, and bear-women.

PROS:
- All the MCs are female.

- And a variety of skin color, body type and sexuality is represented (in both males and females). Mal and Molly have a crush on each other and it's obvious to any (hopeful) reader that they will soon start a relationship. Other characters, such as April and Jen, express a romantic interest in boys. (But perhaps not only boys?) Not only do characters come in all skin tones, but they are chubby, thin, short, tall, with big thighs, skinny thighs, short hair, long hair.... great diversity. It's important to teach kids that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and colors. And everyone has a distinct, different, and vibrant personality.

- The book is amazingly feminist without being all "We're feminist!" or giving readers the feeling like some kind of message is being forced on them.

- Males are shown doing things like baking cookies, drinking tea, knitting, and scrapbooking (in addition to scout stuff, like starting fires, tracking, etc.). While clearly being romantically attracted to females. The one "manly-man" character who says stuff like "I am going to catch a fish by wrestling it away from a bear" is seen as a laughable buffoon, and later an evil villain.

- The art, especially when it comes to the supernatural creatures, is great.

- The book is funny! I was laughing. Cute.

- The book is smart! Anagrams, Fibonacci sequence, etc.

CONS:

- I don't like this drawing style where all the characters (except April) have beady little eyes. I enjoyed the end section of this volume because it included covers in a variety of drawing styles and I finally saw the characters with irises and pupils. o.O
...

Tl;dr - I just picked this up because I was seeing it everywhere on GR. It was great. A wonderful graphic novel for anyone, regardless of gender or age. Funny, adventurous, supernatural, brave, mysterious, strong female friendships, goodnatured, exciting and smart.

I would say appropriate for all ages.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 4/9/18: This was so much cuter than I remembered and I am SO excited to carry on with the series now!

Original read 10/26/15: I wasn't really sold on this at first, but by the end I was enjoying myself SO MUCH. I can't wait to get my hands on the next volume. So cute.

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet and goofy and perfect for my friend's kid. she'll love it! well I hope she loves it. the Lumberjanes are really supportive to each other and I can't remember the last time I've seen that in an adult comic. some great messages in here but nothing moralistic or obnoxious. the art is colorful and super fun. yay, Lumberjanes!

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork was amazing but the rest was just kinda meh :(

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lumberjanes is a group of girls, a mysterious forest, strange creatures, tunnels filled with living statues, river monsters and cookies!

I have high hopes that my reluctant reader child is going to love this if I can convince her to sit down and give it a try. One of her favorite television shows is Gravity Falls and this has a very similar vibe.

It is also a girl power book in that it showcases young women looking after and protecting themselves. A positive message, a fun story and cute graphics- I highly recommend it.

The highlights of this graphic novel are: the panel containing "the Kitten Holy" (Though she hasn't read it yet, my child flipped through the book just to find it. Totally worth the "squee" she produced when she saw it.) and this joke, "Why are hipster yetis so odd? Because they can't even." pg 101. Hilarious.

Thank you to my Goodreads friends for recommending this excellent graphic novel to me. You guys were right. It's awesome.

[Lex Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars. I'm not quite sure what I think about this one yet. It had a real hyper sort of feel to it that bothered me some. When it slowed down is when I really enjoyed it. Artwork at times was so-so, but other times it looked great. Overall I feel a bit torn about how much I enjoyed this but I did think Molly and Mal were super cute together. My plan is to eventually read the next volume to help decided if I will read them all or not.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just absolutely everything I wanted it to be! The characters were sassy, the colours were vibrant, the plot was action-packed and, basically, this just gave me all of the feminist feels. YAY for feisty female protagonists who kick butt!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/22/17 Reread for my summer YA Comics class with a focus on girls. One of the younger series/books we are reading. I liked reading it again, as did my class, though Nimona (also by Stevenson, and drawn by her) was much preferred, and also preferred was The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks. I think in part because it is younger, less snarky, shallower in comparison to these other two. But the energy and color and fun come through! And this is just the first of several volumes, so things grow and change in the series.

5/18/15 Very high-energy all-ages comic by a rising star in the burgeoning area of strong girl stories. This one is set up like it is a Girl Scout/Brownie book complete with mottos and codes and merit badge requirements set in a summer camp, and not for Lumberjacks, but awesome Lumberjanes, and throw in three-eyed fantasy characters and some silly humor and cross-camp battles. I really did like it quite bit for all its energy and humor, and more importantly, my eight year old daughter, a Brownie who craves camping, likes it a whole lot.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I so enjoyed Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery, Goodreads and Amazon were constantly recommending this one, so much so that I finally broke down and bought it.

Sigh.

Lumberjanes, you're no Rat Queens.

I was expecting art work like the excellent cover by Stevenson. BUT NO - the illustrations are by Brooke A. Allen and done in a rather sloppy, rather annoying, semi-manga style:



The story itself was okay - girls at a summer camp have Indiana Jones-style adventures in the hopes of earning merit badges. There are encounters with three-eyed varmints and some overly-prepared guy scouts. (Their exceedingly rugged leader has the best line in the book - "I am going to catch a fish by wrestling it away from a bear.") The girls themselves don't seem to possess distinct personalities. They're just one big, ball of giggly teenaged fun.

I seem to be pretty much alone in thinking this one was not the bee's knees. Maybe I'm just too old. (After all, I did just use the term "the bee's knees.") Or maybe it's because this -



is the only camping badge I ever earned.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read J.K. Rowling's fiction but I now have a clue what readers who live and breathe the wizarding world of Harry Potter are so attracted to. I found an abundance of wonder and wit in Lumberjanes, a graphic novel series that requires less of a time commitment than the trip to Hogwarts and didn't tip the scale into a children's book for me. I should clarify that the creators of this series are not riffing on Rowling. There are enough authors doing that. This is not another fantasy series about a school for gifted children or magic, but I think Hogwarts lovers will relate to the imagination at play here; it slapped a giddy smile on my face and kept my attention rapt.

Published April 2015, Lumberjanes, Vol 1: Beware the Kitten Holy contains four chapters, plus a cover gallery with thirty pages of alternate character designs or illustrations not seen in the book. It was written by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis and illustrated by Brooke Allen. The series creators are Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis & Noelle Stevenson. This was the first graphic novel I've read. Ever. Something in the description from Goodreads reviewers tickled my fancy in a way no other graphic novel, comic or work of fantasy fiction really has--long names and geography and handshakes I have to learn are enough to give me an ice cream headache and keep me away from most epic fantasy.



The story plunges the reader into the world of five Lumberjane scouts at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Girls Hardcore Lady Types in the thick of the summer season. Long after dark, one of the Lumberjanes, a redhead in riding hood named April, is in the woods searching for something. April's flashlight locates two of her friends, an athletic blonde wearing a coonskin cap named Molly and her girlfriend, the terror stricken Mal. Their search has also turned up empty. The girls are soon joined by a rockabilly named Jo, and a cannonball named Ripley who's something of a simpleton.

The Lumberjanes are surrounded by a pack of three-eyed foxes and when the creatures attack, Mal suggests something called a Little Red formation, which April and the others apparently go off script by administering an all-purpose butt stomp. The foxes stop their assault to wail "Beware the kitten holy," before disappearing. Mal responds with a recurring Lumberjanes curse, "What. The. Junk?!" Sneaking back to their cabin, the girls are caught out of bed by their cabin leader Jenny, a put-upon but respected Lumberjane responsible for the five girls and for laying down the law. "I should've taken that internship with the space program. It would've been less of a headache," she remarks as she escorts the girls to stand before Rosie, the camp director.



April explains they violated eight camp policies to track a bearwoman, or as April describes it, "a super weird old lady" who she and Jo spotted outside their cabin before it turned into a bear. Waking the other three girls ("because FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX, obviously...") they went in search of the bearwoman before being surrounded by some foxes that didn't seem to like cats. Rosie promises the girls they'll see some stuff this summer they won't understand, and issues them all Up All Night badges for their moxie. In pursuit of their Naval Gauging badge, Everything Under the Sum badge and Robyn Hood badge, the Lumberjanes confront a river monster, a talking statute, hipster yetis and the scouts of Mr. Theodore Tarquin Reginald Lancelot Herman Crumpet's Camp for Boys.

This novel is a demographics buster. While the Lumberjanes seem 12-15 years old, the appeal of the book is much broader than that. Much in the way that The Pee-Wee Herman Show conjured a world of puppets and cowboys by tapping into the kitsch of '50s television programming for kids, appealing to children on a superficial level while communicating to parents on the sly, Lumberjanes conjures supernatural mystery by mining the world of summer camps and scouting with that same love, plus monsters that the creators of Scooby Doo: Where Are You? never colored far enough outside the lines to produce. Everything the Lumberjanes experience reinforces their bonds of friendship and builds self-esteem.



As an added plus, this book is hilarious. I take my reading habits seriously and cannot stand joke-oriented books. But I busted up each time the girls fled pell-mell from some monster, usually moments before one of the characters uttered a curse based on a female cultural pioneer ("What the Joan Jett...") The character work done on Jenny, the aggrieved cabin leader, is hysterical. Stevenson & Ellis don't make Jenny a butt of the jokes but the character's vexations make me believe the writers tapped into experiences babysitting as teenagers. Each chapter begins with a sample taken from the Lumberjanes Field manual, which I noticed is rife with spelling and grammatical errors that would give the girls even more reason to roll their eyes at it:

To obtain the Naval Gauging badge a Lumberjane must be able to tie rapidly six different knots. She will find herself well versed in rope work as it can be extremely important in her future adventure, she must know how to splice ropes, use a palm and needle, and fling a rope coil. A Lumberjane must be able to row, pole, scull, and steer a boat; also bring a boat properly alongside and make fast. She must know how to box the compass, read a chart, and show use of parallel rules and dividers. She must be able to state direction by the stars and sun, and be capable of swimming fifty yards with shoes and clothes on.



As other reviewers have commented, Stevenson & Ellis forward a progressive oriented vision without making an issue of it. There are no politics or current events in the book. There are no keywords like "same-sex relationship" in the book. Readers might even miss that Molly and Mal are a couple. It's just accepted and no one questions it. I liked how the girls demonstrated curiosity about the natural and unnatural world, running away when terrified but always using their Lumberjane badge skills to navigate the wilderness or solve puzzles. Each girl feels at times that they are not contributing to the group and that the others seem awfully close to each other, which of course is quickly proven untrue when the next weird monster or challenge arises and they are able to help.

Summer officially begins on June 20 and Lumberjanes ended up being a terrific way to kick it off. As an adult, I hear about other adults who've forgotten what it was like to be a kid and perhaps in my determination to read Pulitzer Prize winning fiction or Russian classics, I've had to let go a lot of the content I gobbled up as a kid like The Pee-Wee Herman Show. This book helped me get back in touch with my imagination. I've ordered Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 in this series and imagine buying more as long as the creative dynamos behind this volume keep cranking them out. I'm happy to support them with my cash if they do.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun and totally not what I expected. It was utterly bizarre, in the best way and I'm extremely intrigued (also very much relieved I have the second volume ready to jump straight into...) This was such a fun read and of course the artwork was gorgeously endearing. I really, really appreciated that the characters were all different shapes, sizes and colours. It made them feel real, rather than a classic caricature of what a girl 'should' look like. I can't wait to carry on with this series and hopefully (eventually?) have some idea as to what's going on. I'm also very much looking forward to hopefully getting to know the characters in more depth. They all seem like so much fun but I don't feel as though we were introduced to them as individuals quite as much as I'd have liked in this. Having said that, I already adore them all! I also absolutely that they've replaced curse words with the names of women throughout history e.g. 'Holy Mae Jamison' and 'Oh my Bessie Coleman'. It was such a unique concept that stuck out to me from the first reference until the last! I'm super excited to see where this story is going and to get a little more depth and insight into both the plot and characters in the next volume!

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small group of friends spend their summer at Lumberjanes Scout Camp where things get surprisingly weird. The surrounding forest is full of talking Yetis, three-eyed snakes, three-eyed falcons – three-eyed everythings! All clues point towards a mysterious tower as the source of the oddities. And off they go – what will they find?

Lumberjanes was a lot more imaginative than I expected. I thought, modern young girls going to summer camp, it’s not going to be that great, probably some hipster nonsense with the kids talking like witty adults, and then it turned into this kinda cool fantasy adventure. I wouldn’t say I loved it mostly as I’m not really the target audience, ie. younger readers, who’ll probably enjoy it more and actually find it funny. The look and overall flavour of the script reminded me of a Saturday morning cartoon on Nickelodeon or whatever channel da yoofs of today are watching.

It’s nice to have a feminist comic with realistically depicted female body types who aren’t quipping non-stop. The characters are as you’d expect young teen girls to be: awkward, clumsy, silly, innocent-ish, and I liked that they’re not overly obsessed with their looks or boys and junk. Two of the girls also discover romantic feelings for each other and their burgeoning relationship was handled very sweetly with the girls sometimes holding hands but mostly avoiding each other’s gaze.

The creative team obviously have a very strong attachment to the group though it does work against the comic at times. The panels are a bit too crowded as they try to give every one of the five characters an equal share of the spotlight. By focusing on all of the characters at once, it’s hard to distinguish between them. I ended up knowing them by singular traits rather than anything else: there’s the lil girl who’s goofy and adorable, the smart one, the strong one, and the remaining two are falling in love with each other. But at least they do have character traits.

While the stories just about hold the attention, they sometimes feel a bit derivative. In particular, one issue is a clear homage to Indiana Jones with the famous door closing/hat grabbing scene played out again, and the faith walk scene in The Last Crusade as the girls have to find out the right squares to step across a chasm without falling in. Some stories underline the feminist angle a little too obviously like the opening scene where the girl are fighting wolves and beating them, telling us this ain’t no Red Riding Hood kinda tale.

Lumberjanes isn’t without its problems but I feel like those stem from my perspective being an adult male reader. Give this comic to a tween girl? I think they’d really enjoy it. It’s a very kid-friendly all-ages comic full of action and adventure with a group of likeable characters. It might not be for me but in a way I’m glad that it’s not. It’s great that there’s a comic out there catering for a completely different audience, and that it has as many positive messages in it as Lumberjanes does.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this. So much.

And the colors are just beautiful.



These Lumberjane scouts use their wits and rely a great deal on friendship when things go awry. Each issue contributes to the overarching story which helped keep me interested, and monsters, hilarious hijinks, and a fascinating mystery surround Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types.

HARDCORE LADY TYPES.

Read this. Now.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely adorable, and I loved it. The best way I can describe it is if there were a Girl Scout camp in Gravity Falls. There's very little that you could do to make this more perfect for me.

As you might guess from the Gravity Falls comparison, this is filled with really weird and basically inexplicable things. I don't really need a reason for why there's, say, a sea monster in the river. I just need to have fun reading about it. And the adventures are fun, because the girls are fun.

And that's where the book really shines, for me. I love this cast of characters. The girls are so lively, capable, and effortlessly diverse. But yes, it is kind of a big cast. With this many characters, you always run the risk of leaving somebody behind. But the writing tries really hard to keep them all included, which almost goes too far in the other direction. Because everybody is always sharing the spotlight, nobody gets a lot of depth added to their characterization. It's a bit of a draw back, but I like what I did learn about them so much that I seriously don't really care.

All of the weird happenings aside, this is a really upbeat comic. I mean, just look at how many times I've used the word "fun", or something like it, in this review. It's simply enjoyable to read. The bright, poppy colors help, for sure, but it's really the total package that delivers. There's also a very tweenage feel to the book, but I'm totally immature so that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!!!

What the junk?

THIS WAS FREAKING AWESOME! When I first heard about this I thought it was some kind of contemporary, coming of age graphic novel, but then I got it free for my Kindle app and decided to give it a go... boy, was I wrong as hell. This was action packed, hilarious, fun, crazy, and awesome as hell. It reminded me a lot of Gravity Falls and I loved it even more for that because I loved that show. I feel like this needs to be turned into an animated TV series ASAP because it would be epic. I loved all the girl power in this too. YAAAAASSSSS! Ripley is my favorite. Since the rest of the series isn't free on Kindle I will be getting a hold of them via my public library very soon. I need more.

- Richard