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The Prisoner of Shiverstone
A positively ingenious story about a mysterious island, long-lost secrets, and a young girl’s quest in the world of mad science!
In Linette Moore’s debut, middle-grade graphic novel, The Prisoner of Shiverstone, eleven-year-old Helga Sharp is found unconscious in a drifting rowboat near the coast of Utley Island. Utley, as Helga finds out when she awakens in the hospital, is forbidden territory: it’s a prison island to which the Mainland has exiled troublesome mad scientists for generations. Helga is questioned by the island’s guards and though they’re suspicious of her story, they agree to let her stay until they find her family.
The truth is, it’s no accident that Helga landed here. She is a keen inventor, but the Mainland is suspicious of all scientists and inventors. While working on her projects in secret, Helga made radio contact with Erasmus Lope, a mad genius who everyone thought had died in a lab experiment gone spectacularly wrong. But Lope is alive, and Helga is on a mission to rescue him from the prison island.
Now Helga must find a way to break Lope out, right under the noses of the family of famous heroes that run Utley Island. There’s only one big problem—Lope’s trapped inside a giant crystal in the mad scientists’ museum!
Fans of Red’s Planet and Suee and the Shadow are sure to love The Prisoner of Shiverstone, a charismatically illustrated mad science adventure for readers of all ages.
In Linette Moore’s debut, middle-grade graphic novel, The Prisoner of Shiverstone, eleven-year-old Helga Sharp is found unconscious in a drifting rowboat near the coast of Utley Island. Utley, as Helga finds out when she awakens in the hospital, is forbidden territory: it’s a prison island to which the Mainland has exiled troublesome mad scientists for generations. Helga is questioned by the island’s guards and though they’re suspicious of her story, they agree to let her stay until they find her family.
The truth is, it’s no accident that Helga landed here. She is a keen inventor, but the Mainland is suspicious of all scientists and inventors. While working on her projects in secret, Helga made radio contact with Erasmus Lope, a mad genius who everyone thought had died in a lab experiment gone spectacularly wrong. But Lope is alive, and Helga is on a mission to rescue him from the prison island.
Now Helga must find a way to break Lope out, right under the noses of the family of famous heroes that run Utley Island. There’s only one big problem—Lope’s trapped inside a giant crystal in the mad scientists’ museum!
Fans of Red’s Planet and Suee and the Shadow are sure to love The Prisoner of Shiverstone, a charismatically illustrated mad science adventure for readers of all ages.
Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 56 reviews
March 12, 2025
A mystery graphic novel for children, which scores a lot of points with me because of the weirdness baked into it all. Weird locale, weird characters, weird story. Lovely weird art.
3.5 stars
(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)
3.5 stars
(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)
January 15, 2023
I picked this book up because as a mystery, graphic novel I was interested. However, it fell really flat for me and I do not recommend this book. The main issue is that the story makes absolutely no sense. We are following Helga who is on a mission to help save her grandfather, who is locked on a mysterious island. If that was the gist of the story that we got I would’ve been fine with it but instead we got a very convoluted storyline that made no sense to me. The only saving grace is that the illustrations are beautiful, bright and colorful.
February 28, 2022
A story of outcasts, of belonging, and found family. Full of quirky characters, odd robots, mystical inventions and morally-questionable scientists on a hidden island, and a girl who finds herself lost there... or is she?
The main beats of the plot were enjoyable, but the details and humor were a bit rough - it didn't quite land for me in a lot of cases. There were literal plot... devices... that came out of nowhere to bring tension without any explanation of origin. The art style was cute but the lettering looked dot matrix, perhaps it was the ARC version? Overall it's something that I think a middle-grade audience will appreciate, but it didn't affect me beyond surface level.
The main beats of the plot were enjoyable, but the details and humor were a bit rough - it didn't quite land for me in a lot of cases. There were literal plot... devices... that came out of nowhere to bring tension without any explanation of origin. The art style was cute but the lettering looked dot matrix, perhaps it was the ARC version? Overall it's something that I think a middle-grade audience will appreciate, but it didn't affect me beyond surface level.
September 25, 2023
I think as a kid aged 10 to 14 I would have enjoyed this story, but as an adult, something was missing. I think it was plot points. There were jumps in the story arc that seemed out of left field. Overall, things are fine and kids will enjoy, but I think we need a little more background to help us see why the world is the way it is, why all scientists are "mad scientists," and why are some of the prisoners (because no matter how many fancy parties you have, people are prisoners) are the way they are (the one all fawn over is a bully). The artwork is interesting and expressive. As it is mostly the story, as text is minimal, it moves things along.
April 2, 2022
Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through NetGalley and Edelweiss.
September 22, 2022
This scifi graphic novel for middle grade readers didn't fully live up to my hopes for it. I did quite enjoy it, but I did find some parts a bit confusing and the characters aren't as appealing as they might have been. As the main character, Helga could have used more backstory. At the beginning of the story, it's apparent that she's at a boarding school sneakily working on building a radio. When she inadvertently contacts a man trapped on a prison island. But you don't find out why she decides to try to rescue him until much later in the book. It's also not clear exactly how Helga gets to the island in the first place. In addition, it seems odd that on an island full of brilliant if strange scientists, no one really catches on to what she's doing until she's caused a great deal of destruction. And the consequences for the mess she makes aren't as severe as one might expect. Maybe it's because its an island of mad scientists that her mischief isn't frowned on as much as it would have been on the Mainland.
Despite the issues mentioned above, I did quite enjoy the ingenuity that Helga and the prisoner of Shiverstone show in their efforts to get him free. I think my favorite character though is the butler robot who likes to read mad science thrillers. His excitement at becoming a part of the plot adds a good deal of humor to a rather intense situation. The prejudice that led to the creation of the island and the isolating of the scientists there is made clear as is the fact that the Mainland doesn't want the scientists around but the people there are more than happy to take advantage of the scientist's inventions. And yet, as Helga discovers, despite the island being a prison, there is some freedom for the scientists to do their work and experimenting without too much interference, which creates an interesting conundrum. The book is full of contrasts that make it a more thoughtful read than I expected when I set out. The contrast between Helga's difficult situation and her sometimes obnoxious behavior or the contrast between who the prisoner in Shiverstone once was and who he has become add depth to what seemed like a simple rescue story.
As far as the graphics go, they do have a big of an old-fashioned feel to them, but it works for the most part. There are lots of strong lines and Helga's emotions are clear as day. When she's mad, boy is she mad.
All in all I found The Prisoner of Shiverstone to be an enjoyable read with some interesting ethical and moral dilemmas.
Despite the issues mentioned above, I did quite enjoy the ingenuity that Helga and the prisoner of Shiverstone show in their efforts to get him free. I think my favorite character though is the butler robot who likes to read mad science thrillers. His excitement at becoming a part of the plot adds a good deal of humor to a rather intense situation. The prejudice that led to the creation of the island and the isolating of the scientists there is made clear as is the fact that the Mainland doesn't want the scientists around but the people there are more than happy to take advantage of the scientist's inventions. And yet, as Helga discovers, despite the island being a prison, there is some freedom for the scientists to do their work and experimenting without too much interference, which creates an interesting conundrum. The book is full of contrasts that make it a more thoughtful read than I expected when I set out. The contrast between Helga's difficult situation and her sometimes obnoxious behavior or the contrast between who the prisoner in Shiverstone once was and who he has become add depth to what seemed like a simple rescue story.
As far as the graphics go, they do have a big of an old-fashioned feel to them, but it works for the most part. There are lots of strong lines and Helga's emotions are clear as day. When she's mad, boy is she mad.
All in all I found The Prisoner of Shiverstone to be an enjoyable read with some interesting ethical and moral dilemmas.
June 29, 2022
Despite a slightly confusing beginning, this colorful and action packed graphic novel delivers a fun, science fiction adventure with creepy dystopian political undertones.
Helga Sharp is a curious tween with a scientific bent, who loves tinkering and inventing. Unfortunately her boarding school, and the mainland culture at large, strongly disapproves. When her self-built radio picks up messages from an imprisoned scientist, Helga quickly forms a bond with him and sets out to rescue him. A few panels of a tiny boat floating on a sea and nightmarish forest entanglement scenes resolve into Helga in a hospital bed. She’s been rescued from a boat and is recuperating on an island designed to safely house ‘mad scientists.’ Can Helga find and free her scientist friend before the ship from the mainland, that brings supplies and takes away useful inventions, arrives to return her to her parents?
Quirky characters, odd inventions, plenty of mysterious elements and a strong undercurrent of the desire to find kindred spirits combine with brightly colored comic illustrations to add up to a page turning adventure that has open ended possibilities.
Helga Sharp is a curious tween with a scientific bent, who loves tinkering and inventing. Unfortunately her boarding school, and the mainland culture at large, strongly disapproves. When her self-built radio picks up messages from an imprisoned scientist, Helga quickly forms a bond with him and sets out to rescue him. A few panels of a tiny boat floating on a sea and nightmarish forest entanglement scenes resolve into Helga in a hospital bed. She’s been rescued from a boat and is recuperating on an island designed to safely house ‘mad scientists.’ Can Helga find and free her scientist friend before the ship from the mainland, that brings supplies and takes away useful inventions, arrives to return her to her parents?
Quirky characters, odd inventions, plenty of mysterious elements and a strong undercurrent of the desire to find kindred spirits combine with brightly colored comic illustrations to add up to a page turning adventure that has open ended possibilities.
May 17, 2022
Not a graphic novel I would recommend, but the story was original.
November 26, 2022
I really enjoyed how imaginative and clever the lead girl was. Pretty fun despite some things not being explained well.
November 7, 2022
Copy provided by the Publisher
In this graphic novel, Helga Sharp wakes up in a hospital bed on and island, and is told she was found in a boat, her parents missing, even though she isn't shown previously in a boat. Utley, where many "mad scientists" have been sent from the Mainland, is where her grandfather, Erasmus Lope, who has been held captive in a large block of shiverstone. It's an odd community, built in a crater, and populated by people who have invented all manner of things that got them in trouble on the Mainland. Helga is able to communicate with him via radio, and needs to figure out how she can split the shiverstone and release him. There are a number of adults who are taking care of her, from the Alethea, the head of security, and her significant other, Frank; the suspicious Captain Ostridge and his helpful sister Miss Lucinda; and Lucida's helpful robot butler, Headly, whom Helga is able to persuade to help her free her grandfather. Helga thinks that a crystal worn by a rival scientist, Dr. Helguni, might be the key to inventing something to split the crystal, and endures a painful party in an itchy dress in order to steal the crystal-- which Dr. Helguni gives to her when she asks! Time is of the essence, as people are still searching for Helga's parents, and when a supply ship comes in a few days with the General, Helga will be returning to the Mainland with him. She makes good progress, but just as she thinks she will manage to free her grandfather, robotic spiders attack and throw things into confusion. Will she be able to free her grandfather and somehow be spared from having to go back to the Mainland with it's anti-science bias?
Strengths: It's good that in the absence of her parents, Helga has the company of her disembodied grandfather, and the support of the scientists on the island. Her scientific bent is encouraged, especially by Headley the robot, and she gets access to interesting library collections, and gets to work straightening up a lot of things for the scientists. Children in books should get more chances to organize things; I'm trying to think of other examples of this kind of activity that don't involve grandparents who are hoarders, but I'm coming up blank. There are lots of fun inventions in the illustrations, which are a bit mysterious since they aren't really explained. The drawings had a slight 1960s vibe to them, and a predominately red and teal blue color palette. The story had just enough detail for a graphic novel and wasn't too hard to follow.
Weaknesses: The beginning was a bit confusing, and I never did quite understand how Helga had gotten to the island. Also, dresses are not necessarily itchy. Surely, an island of scientists could provide Helga with dresses that aren't itchy. I'm not entirely sure that the term "mad scientist" is one that is currently acceptable.
What I really think: There aren't as many fantasy middle grade graphic novels as there are realistic ones, and even fewer ones with STEM connections. This felt somewhat similar to Gerrity's The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor, and should be popular with readers who enjoyed Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl, Brooks' Sanity and Tallulah, or Sedita's Pathfinders series.
In this graphic novel, Helga Sharp wakes up in a hospital bed on and island, and is told she was found in a boat, her parents missing, even though she isn't shown previously in a boat. Utley, where many "mad scientists" have been sent from the Mainland, is where her grandfather, Erasmus Lope, who has been held captive in a large block of shiverstone. It's an odd community, built in a crater, and populated by people who have invented all manner of things that got them in trouble on the Mainland. Helga is able to communicate with him via radio, and needs to figure out how she can split the shiverstone and release him. There are a number of adults who are taking care of her, from the Alethea, the head of security, and her significant other, Frank; the suspicious Captain Ostridge and his helpful sister Miss Lucinda; and Lucida's helpful robot butler, Headly, whom Helga is able to persuade to help her free her grandfather. Helga thinks that a crystal worn by a rival scientist, Dr. Helguni, might be the key to inventing something to split the crystal, and endures a painful party in an itchy dress in order to steal the crystal-- which Dr. Helguni gives to her when she asks! Time is of the essence, as people are still searching for Helga's parents, and when a supply ship comes in a few days with the General, Helga will be returning to the Mainland with him. She makes good progress, but just as she thinks she will manage to free her grandfather, robotic spiders attack and throw things into confusion. Will she be able to free her grandfather and somehow be spared from having to go back to the Mainland with it's anti-science bias?
Strengths: It's good that in the absence of her parents, Helga has the company of her disembodied grandfather, and the support of the scientists on the island. Her scientific bent is encouraged, especially by Headley the robot, and she gets access to interesting library collections, and gets to work straightening up a lot of things for the scientists. Children in books should get more chances to organize things; I'm trying to think of other examples of this kind of activity that don't involve grandparents who are hoarders, but I'm coming up blank. There are lots of fun inventions in the illustrations, which are a bit mysterious since they aren't really explained. The drawings had a slight 1960s vibe to them, and a predominately red and teal blue color palette. The story had just enough detail for a graphic novel and wasn't too hard to follow.
Weaknesses: The beginning was a bit confusing, and I never did quite understand how Helga had gotten to the island. Also, dresses are not necessarily itchy. Surely, an island of scientists could provide Helga with dresses that aren't itchy. I'm not entirely sure that the term "mad scientist" is one that is currently acceptable.
What I really think: There aren't as many fantasy middle grade graphic novels as there are realistic ones, and even fewer ones with STEM connections. This felt somewhat similar to Gerrity's The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor, and should be popular with readers who enjoyed Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl, Brooks' Sanity and Tallulah, or Sedita's Pathfinders series.
February 26, 2022
This was a delightful story about a sharp girl who goes on a fun, high-stakes adventure to rescue a mad scientist from a prison island.
Helga was a strong main character that I think many middle grade readers will admire. She’s witty, intelligent, curious, and tenacious. She went after her goals with determination and also consideration for those around her, not wanting her actions to harm others while still wanting to meet her objectives. I love seeing such dynamic characters in any book I read but especially in children’s and middle grade books.
The setting was really fun- an island full of mad scientists forced into this seclusion is amazing! I liked the differences between the Mainland and Utley Island. Besides making the island itself seem like a fun place to be, the author used the differences between these two setting and and their inhabitants to promote self-expression and creativity.
The artwork was really fun! I enjoyed how well it depicted the characters’ emotions and their surroundings. One of the characters in this book is a robot who feels so many different emotions and all of them are so apparent in his body language and facial expressions, I just loved it.
There were a couple points throughout the book where I thought I might have skipped a page because the transition was so sudden. It doesn’t appear that I missed any pages so it seems like it was either the book jumping around a little too much or I just wasn’t following like I should’ve. This wasn’t anything too major and ultimately didn’t take all that much of my enjoyment away while reading this book but it is something I think is worth mentioning.
I would certainly recommend giving this book a read, regardless of your age. It’s a quick read but includes a fun adventure, wonderful artwork, a spunky main character, and some great messages about unabashedly being the best version of yourself. In my mind you just can’t get much better than that!
Helga was a strong main character that I think many middle grade readers will admire. She’s witty, intelligent, curious, and tenacious. She went after her goals with determination and also consideration for those around her, not wanting her actions to harm others while still wanting to meet her objectives. I love seeing such dynamic characters in any book I read but especially in children’s and middle grade books.
The setting was really fun- an island full of mad scientists forced into this seclusion is amazing! I liked the differences between the Mainland and Utley Island. Besides making the island itself seem like a fun place to be, the author used the differences between these two setting and and their inhabitants to promote self-expression and creativity.
The artwork was really fun! I enjoyed how well it depicted the characters’ emotions and their surroundings. One of the characters in this book is a robot who feels so many different emotions and all of them are so apparent in his body language and facial expressions, I just loved it.
There were a couple points throughout the book where I thought I might have skipped a page because the transition was so sudden. It doesn’t appear that I missed any pages so it seems like it was either the book jumping around a little too much or I just wasn’t following like I should’ve. This wasn’t anything too major and ultimately didn’t take all that much of my enjoyment away while reading this book but it is something I think is worth mentioning.
I would certainly recommend giving this book a read, regardless of your age. It’s a quick read but includes a fun adventure, wonderful artwork, a spunky main character, and some great messages about unabashedly being the best version of yourself. In my mind you just can’t get much better than that!
December 1, 2022
3.5 stars. When Helga Sharp is found floating unconscious in a rowboat, off the coast of Utley Island, the residents take her in. But Helga is there under false pretenses. The island is off-limits to the people of the mainland. It houses all the mad scientists and inventors who are not welcome among the ordinary mainland people--even though their inventions and ideas are very much in demand. Helga has come to this island that she views as a prison to free one of those inventors who is trapped inside a crystal. Will she be able to find the allies and parts she needs to free him before she is sent back to the mainland? The narrative jumped around a bit, but I enjoyed it.
November 10, 2022
This one fell flat because it was supposed to be a genius spy story in which our main character is pretending to be stranded on an island when in fact she's there for a very specific purpose because she's super smart and is on a mission but there were so many holes, missing pieces, and weirdness with the characters and setting and her focus and motivations that I don't know if many readers will have the patience to see it through. I wasn't even particularly taken with the graphic style to sustain me either.
August 18, 2023
87%
What I liked most about this graphic novel is that it had futuristic technology, but it had the vibes of like an old coastal mansion owned by the last generation of the Industrial era; there was some sort of nostalgia of a forward-thinking, progressive creative era heaving its last gasps as a leisurely luxurious era settles in. It also was silly at times, not in a "haha I'm so stupid look at me so funny" way, but more innocently endearing - kind of like when you're watching an old movie and someone says, in earnest, "oh golly".
What I liked most about this graphic novel is that it had futuristic technology, but it had the vibes of like an old coastal mansion owned by the last generation of the Industrial era; there was some sort of nostalgia of a forward-thinking, progressive creative era heaving its last gasps as a leisurely luxurious era settles in. It also was silly at times, not in a "haha I'm so stupid look at me so funny" way, but more innocently endearing - kind of like when you're watching an old movie and someone says, in earnest, "oh golly".
September 20, 2023
I read this book for the Charlie May Simon Award Committee. I originally picked it up because it was a graphic novel/mystery and I thought that it would be a fun little read that many students would enjoy. The storyline was so jam-packed with nonsense, strange characters, and weird details that I really just ended the book feeling confused and frustrated. I don't recommend and will vote NO on this one.
SPOILER ALERT: Plot line - Girl shows up on island and is looking for something. Lots of spying and stealing ("borrowing"). They're all mad scientists. The end.
SPOILER ALERT: Plot line - Girl shows up on island and is looking for something. Lots of spying and stealing ("borrowing"). They're all mad scientists. The end.
August 29, 2022
Helga wakes up in a strange bed. She was saved just before her boat sank near a secret island full of mad scientists. But it's no accident that Helga ended up on this island. She's trying to free one of the scientists kept there, but where is he??? Can she find him before she's taken back to the Mainland where science and inventions aren't appreciated at all. A fast-paced sci-fi adventure graphic novel. For fans of Sanity & Tallulah and Zita the Spacegirl.
September 3, 2024
This was definitely a unique book, very quirky, about mad scientists and a girl looking to find her place in the world. Some parts could be a bit abrupt or difficult to follow. Kids who are into science or inventing would be able to connect most with the characters, though the bits and pieces we learn about Helga's family life near the end could connect with others, as well, particularly those who struggle with fitting in. May be a good choice for kids looking for something different.
May 28, 2025
Helen finds herself in a boat on the coast of the island Utley. Mad scientists and their mad science projects populate the island. As a STEM but slightly dangerous girl herself, the citizens of the island, including a robot butler, a brother and sister up to no good, and a long-lost relative lead her into a plot that could change everything.
There were moments I got lost, but I am not a particularly scientific girlie.
Great for science nerds of middle school age.
There were moments I got lost, but I am not a particularly scientific girlie.
Great for science nerds of middle school age.
August 27, 2024
The plot is the thinnest of plots which makes the meh ending less annoying, but the art is cool! I expected it to be run of the mill bad YA art but it's actually v nice! And some great panels. I get now what they got a rec from the author of Phineas and Ferb - it's that sort of science-villian trope
November 10, 2022
Mad scientists? Check. Remote island with secret labs? Check. Feisty girl hero? Check. Students will enjoy this inventive graphic novel and root for Helga to save the day and a scientist trapped in a crystal.
June 1, 2023
This sci-fi suspense for ages 8-12 puts me in mind of the 1950s or '60s, and was thoroughly enjoyable. With some humor and a little poignancy, Helga is a gutsy, smart, and relatable hero. Happy ending.
June 23, 2023
Kids will enjoy this STEM-based graphic novel where a young girl embarks on a secret mission to free a scientist from imprisonment on a remote island. Flashbacks, plot twists, great illustrations, and a turn-around ending are bound to surprise and please young readers.
July 23, 2023
The illustrations in this graphic novel are beautiful. Unfortunately, the story itself is odd and confusing. It jumps around so much without any transitions, often leaving me wondering what I had just read. The writing itself also feels incredibly choppy which didn’t help my confusion.
April 25, 2024
This graphic novel for kids is filled with elements of mystery, adventure, and mad science. The plot involves a forbidden island for exiled mad scientists and an inventive young girl on a mission to rescue a presumed dead genius. I loved the illustrations!
May 10, 2025
most of the book was good.
the ending was HORRIBLE!!
it was crazy choppy and i had NO IDEA AT ALL what was happening.
plus, most of the book had no backstory. and the main charector had no feeling
two and a half stars
the ending was HORRIBLE!!
it was crazy choppy and i had NO IDEA AT ALL what was happening.
plus, most of the book had no backstory. and the main charector had no feeling
two and a half stars
April 23, 2022
Not quite sure how I feel about the ending message. “It’s better to be in a prison where people understand you” does… not ring well to me?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2022
Fun and twisty story about a mysterious island, mad scientists, and a prisoner who needs rescuing. Awesome artwork and page-turning adventure make this graphic novel a middle school winner.
July 4, 2022
Fun story with creative touch on a science based technology world not always based on what's best. Speake eloquently for some of todays science that causes more harm than good and if it should be allowed at all.
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July 3, 2022I might like this if I was 10 but it held no interest for me.
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