Lucy in the Sky

by Kiara Brinkman, Sean Chiki (Illustrations)

In this contemporary graphic novel, twelve-year-old Lucy discovers her father's collection of Beatles records and is inspired to form an all-girl rock band.

It’s the first day of seventh grade, and everything is going downhill for Lucy Sutcliffe. At school, she has the feeling her friends are all leaving her behind. At home, her single father is in a rut, and her perpetually traveling photojournalist mother is more absent than ever. Worst of all, Lucy’s grandmother is undergoing chemotherapy and is no longer the warm, vibrant presence that her family has come to depend on.

But everything changes the day Lucy discovers a box of her father’s Beatles records. Inspired by their music, she gets a drum set and forms an all-girl rock band with her friends. But can she keep the band together when petty rivalries, unrequited crushes, and outside pressures threaten to tear it apart?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Music, Comics, Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2021

About the author

Kiara Brinkman's novel, Up High in the Trees, was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and a Chicago Tribune Favorite Book. Lucy in the sky, her first graphic novel, was one of the Beat's Best Comics of 2021. Rhiannon is her second graphic novel.
Kiara lives in the Bay Area with her husband, illustrator, Sean Chiki, and three children. If she's not reading or writing or playing with her children, she's busy working on the perfect playlist for the next big occasion.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture yourself in a boat on a river
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes

What's your favorite Beatles song? "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" is definitely up there in the top ten for me. When I was a little girl in the late 1960's, my cousin lived with us and he had the LP of The Yellow Submarine. I was obsessed with the title song. Every day I pestered him and pestered him until I got to hear that song. And who can forget the Sesame Street version from 1970? I can still see that video clip in my head. Sean Chiki, the illustrator of this graphic novel, was also a fan of the Beatles as a kid. After embracing other music styles and artists, he bounced back to the Beatles. In our story, a young girl named Lucy also becomes a faithful fan. She forms a girl band with friends from school and they name it "Strawberry Jam." Cute, right? Besides the music, there are other themes explored like the absence of a parent, unrequited love, cancer treatment, and good old-fashioned girl drama. Includes a list of all the Beatles songs (real and imaginary) mentioned.

[human]

i'm going to be honest, i only read the title and slammed the request button

then i read the synopsis.

*panicked screaming intensifies*

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming. Loved this middle school coming of age story centered around a young girl's discovery of the Beatles through her parents' and grandparent's love of the band. There's a lot of growth and change in Lucy's family, friendships are changing at school, love is rearing its head, and she's developing a sense of who she wants to be (and understanding that the world is not always fair). I was a little skeptical at first of a contemporary middle schooler falling in love with the Beatles, but my Boomer parents indoctrinated me into the Beatles cult early and I'm doing the same to my kids now, so it is really not that far fetched. The art was cute and loved the coloring. A very charming, affirming, yet realistic look at growing up and the power of music to give meaning to life.

**Thanks to the author, artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jon Zelazny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waaaay too much tween angst and petty bickering for me, but as a rock 'n roll dad of a hip 11-year-old daughter, you can't ask for a better bedtime story than this saga of a young girl drummer who gets heavily into The Beatles and starts her own band.

Copious Fab Four details emerge chronologically as young Lucy studies them album by album, the lyric snatches echoing her shifting moods as she navigates family drama, girl stuff, and boy stuff.

My daughter reaaally wants to see Paul in concert, but even the nosebleeds at So-Fi Stadium were north of $250 a pop a year ago, so her first-ever dad-rock extravaganza was The Who at The Hollywood Bowl, third from the final show of what I assume was their last American tour. She was much impressed, and I'd never been in a crowd of 15,000 happily glowing grandparents either. Even crotchety old Pete Townshend seemed to be enjoying himself.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

After discovering her parents’ old Beatles albums, Lucy Sutcliffe and her friends are inspired to start a band. But that's actually not the main focus of the story, just the backdrop against which everything else plays out. Because it's more about growing up, coping with change, friendship, love, figuring out what's important to you, and coming of age and all of that. Which sounds grand and important and high-falutin’ and all, but it's much more down-to-earth and just plain fun. Plenty of things can be important without being IMPORTANT, if that makes any sense.

I definitely enjoyed this. The musical bits, in particular, really resonated. The book does a great job of capturing that thrill of discovering older bands for the first time, and paying attention to all of the other artists that get name-dropped when fans talk about them. Yes, this book comes with a playlist. And there's a lot of good music on it. But if I start digressing about music, we'll be here for hours …

The book is a bit on the low key side. The characters do more reacting than explaining, and we readers are left to fill in the gaps. Lucy is young, and still trying to get a handle on her emotions. The book is less about things that happen so much as it is about how she feels about what's happening, and she's not always sure about that herself.

Fun book! I enjoyed it. There are some references that music nerds will appreciate (Sutcliffe!), and it's overall quite good. Recommended!

[Lillian Kinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you read a book and it feels so deeply personal, like it was written for you or about you. That's what this little graphic novel was like for me. Honestly some of Lucy's moments and life events were so much like ones of my own as a teen, it felt like the authors had a secret window into my life. The Beatles have always been there for me, thorugh the good and the bad, and they always will.

A sweet, sweet story, great for younger readers and any Beatles fan out there--or even more generically speaking, anyone who has had music touch them during life's rough patches in such a way that it stays a part of their heart forever.

[Eleni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got me over here listening to The Beatle’s discography. I love it.

[Meredith Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

A good addition to the ever-growing collection of slice-of-life style middle grade graphic novels. Perfect for music lovers, especially those who might feel a little weird for liking classic rock. (I personally remember getting The Beatles' #1s album for a birthday and some of my friends being very confused.) I really liked Lucy's grandmother and the realistic look at the ups & downs of tween friendships. The cover itself is a lot of fun too. The book itself is on the longer side, which may turn off some readers, but those who stick with it might find themselves inspired to check out new music or even try to start their own band.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of those books I grudgingly forced myself to finish. I was relieved when I did. Why do I do this to myself? 😂

The story was quite dry and I didn't connect with it at all, especially since I found the protagonist and her friends insufferable. I couldn't tell/didn't know that they were middle-graders. No wonder they had the most childish, juvenile and petty arguments. It was also hard to keep track of who's who since I didn't care about any of them.

1 star for the hamster because I like rodents. And the bright colours. The art style was just fine.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75

This is such a hard rating. I liked this book, but it didn't wow me, y'know? It was a love letter to music and the Beatles, which I loved - that Yellow Submarine poster is never coming off my wall! - and the coming of age themes was quite nice. Lucy's complex relationship with her family was well-explored, and I quite liked her developing friendship with Georgianna. It's like a platonic love story, of which I very much wish there were more.

The main part of Lucy in the Sky that left me disappointed was her relationship with another friend, Vanessa. Most of their dynamic is standard teenage arguments and jealousy and boy talk, but there were multiple points where I was sure Lucy would acknowledge how rude Vanessa was and drop her - or at least have an honest talk with her about everything. The band dynamic ends up being a bit messy, because of this. But the familiar art style and different character relationships were very nice - as were all the musical parts!

3.75/5 stars.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up over the summer at an Ollie's, and it's a pretty charming read. I'm a big fan of The Beatles, so having their music as a way to guide readers through the story was a nice motif to latch onto. The friend drama felt pretty genuine to the age group, and there were a couple of almost non-sequiturs that made the middle school feel genuine in all its messy joy and sometimes light pettiness.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC courtesy of Netgalley and First Second

[Kricket · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid who grew up playing her parents' Beatles vinyl, I felt a deep connection to this book. Lovely artwork and interesting characters too.

[Mary T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because I grew up listening to the Beatles and my older brothers were in garage bands. Overall, though, the book fell flat for me and I kept reading to get it over with.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me nostalgic for my own Beatles obsession in high school.

[Coffeecups · Rating 5 out of 5]

a true and sincere love letter to beatles fans, middle schoolers, and love's abilities

[Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t really get what I was expecting out of this book. The cover made it seem like it was about a Beatles cover band when it wasn’t. The friend drama just made me frustrated and annoyed and honestly, I only read it to meet my reading goal this year.

[Rania T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought back memories of my obsession with The Beatles at a similar age. Also learnt a few little new facts. Well put together!

[Beth Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance digital copy of this via NetGalley.
This graphic novel is full of family, friendships, community, the discovery of the The Beatles’ music and all the love and angst that goes with all of them.
Lucy discovers her parents’ vinyl collection of Beatles music and begins a journey into forming a band with her friends. Friendships are tested.
We follow the relationships with her dad, her mum (who travels the world), her beloved grandmother who is going through chemo, her friends and others in the town. Mr Franklin, who sits on a park bench philosophising, is a font of lyrics for Lucy in her song writing efforts.
An enjoyable story with a musical background familiar to many.

[Susan Dunker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars of course from this Beatles fan. I saw that Emily was reading this on Goodreads, otherwise I might never have known about it. Now I need it for my own Beatles collection! I struggle with reading graphic novels because the print is small. Guess I need stronger readers. Thanks to the authors for the soundtrack at the back! That was super thoughtful!

[Jessica Carruba · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay middle grade graphic novel. I think this probably reads a little more mature than the intended tween audience, less so because of graphic content and more so just general interest level. The lack of chapters made the story confusing and too dense. There should be have been some sort of marker between sections.

[Izabella Britten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea. It was cute but really long. It was hard to get into any of the characters and I feel like the story line could have been better.

[Henry Ruggiero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a nice read, but a little basic from a story standpoint. I just wish it had a bit more personality considering the larger than life personalities of the band the characters idolize.

[Everett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't exactly know how to start this review, because quite honestly I don't have much to say about this book. It happened, and that was about it. I like the Beatles quite a lot, definitely more than Lucy did, so I appreciate this book, but it wasn't really Beatley enough for me. Contemporary graphic novels aren't really my favorite, and I also am not a big fan of middle grade graphic novels, either. It's a combination of two things I don't love, and it was very mediocre. I couldn't really care about the woes of these random middle school girls, and I didn't care what happened to the dumb Strawberry Jam band. The whole thing was just a bunch of pre-teens complaining about things, being moody, and fawning over boys that only appeared in two panels in the whole book. I would have rated it two stars if it wasn't for the fact it was themed around the Beatles, which always makes things better.

I guess the one thing I liked about this book were the Beatles references, which was expected, but I liked the ones that were picked for the book. We had gems such as the Help! movie, the Paul is dead conspiracy (which is completely true and happened, don't listen to what the fake news on the media tells you), and the "tippermost of the poppermost" phrase. It was all very adorable. There were also a few things that I thought was hilarious in the book regarding Lucy as a Beatles fan. First, there was the moment when she realized that John Lennon had beat women and stuff and Lucy was PERSONALLY offended and felt betrayed. I get how she felt, but she would not have lasted very long in the Beatles fandom, which thinks John's behavior makes for some great jokes, and she would have been bullied by any other internet user. I also found the scene where her dad found her crying about George Harrison's death to be pretty silly, but it was also relatable. I don't think I've ever cried about the fact he's dead, but I have sad in a gloom about it. I get it, Lucy.

Although the one thing I thought was over-the-top was Lucy traveling all the way to the John Lennon memorial. You have to be EDGY edgy to grumble something like "I'm going to talk to John" to your friend and then slink off the New York City. I would not be surprised if I've said that before but with a different band, but all I meant was that I was going to listen to their music or sulk for a while and think about them, but that doesn't involve skipping school and sneaking off somewhere. And the John Lennon memorial isn't that fancy or anything. It's just a stone mandala with the word "Imagine" on it. Lucy's drawing is just going to get trampled on and kicked into a gutter where it's going to get nibbled on by really fat subway rats. And the thing that got me was that she wasn't even bothered by what she did. She didn't care that she terrified her parents and her best friend, and she doesn't care that she got grounded for the rest of her life. Also if you were going to "talk" to a Beatle, why would it be John. He's not my favorite Beatles by a long shot. Or my second favorite. Or even my third favorite.

I just found the feuds that the characters were going through with each other to be stupid. Georgianna and Vanessa constantly argued with each other for no reason other than because they hate each other, and instead of bothering to be polite or civil to each other, they kept arguing until they ruined everything. The characters had bad communication issues in general, and they always thought a different person was angry with each other and instead of talking it through, they just used other people in general. And 90% of the struggles the characters went through I didn't care about. The only one I could really sympathize with was Lucy's grandmother, Cookie, going through chemo. But I don't know if I sympathize for her because I actually feel bad or because we have the same favorite Beatles who is the SUPERIOR BEATLE!!! So what if someone's middle school relationship didn't work out? So what if someone might have to skip 8th grade and leave behind their friends that they are going to stop talking to in a few years anyway? So what if the local weird old man (who served no purpose) decided not to sit outside all day in the dead of winter? I couldn't care less.

I wouldn't say I'm glad to have read the book because it was so mediocre that I know if I hadn't have written the review so soon after reading the book I would have forgotten everything about it. There was just nothing that stood out that much for me, and I don't think anyone would have picked this book up if it wasn't for the title and the fact that the whole thing is clearly a big Beatles tribute story. The last Beatles graphic novel I read I also rated it three stars, but I still felt like it was so much better, more interesting, and more entertaining than this. Again, this is not a bad book, but it was mediocre with a capital M, more so that most of the books I usually call mediocre (just saying).

[Charles Hatfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this character-driven YA graphic novel, Lucy, a middle-schooler, forms a garage band with schoolmates and begins to write songs while coping with hard changes in her life, including the unavailability of her peripatetic, long-distance mom, the frail health of her beloved grandmother, who is fighting cancer, and the tempestuous social dynamics of her ever-changing friendship circle. At the same time, Lucy learns about The Beatles from her family and becomes a devout fan, listening to and learning from each Beatles album in turn. This is one of those books that only a Beatles fan (or in this case, a couple of fans) could create.

Lucy is a convincing character, changeable, sometimes self-absorbed, and mostly unable to express the feelings that are nudging her this way and that: fears, resentments, jealousy, and the tug of war between her desire for independence and her need for reassurance. Textbook YA stuff, sure, but deftly conveyed, without a lot of expositional deadweight. Several of the supporting characters, especially her grandmother and her bandmates, are well realized too. On the other hand, there are minor characters and relationships that remain underdeveloped (school crushes, for example, which serve merely to complicate the plot). There's a lot of social busyness that feels just sketched in. Though the Sgt. Pepper's-style cover depicts twenty named characters, only half of them are worked up into something interesting. I found myself getting tangled up in the various schoolkid connections and rumors. This frustrated me a bit, but you could say that that's just part of the novel's realistic evocation of school life among adolescents.

Scriptwriter Kiara Brinkman and cartoonist Sean Chiki (partners in life as well as coauthors) are deeply simpatico, especially when it comes to characterization. Actually, the novel is pretty dense, with ten to twelve-panel pages being common (and Shiki sometimes packs fifteen or sixteen panels onto one page without breaking a sweat). Backgrounds are spare, and pages are mostly open and clean despite the packing. It's the rhythmic exchange of dialogue that carries everything, and Chiki accordingly focuses on expressions; in that sense, the cartooning is nuanced. Me, I found the art spare and serviceable overall, and wished for a bit more breathing room, visually. As is, though, the book runs to almost 300 pages, and they're full of incident.

It's hard for me to judge this book, because I'm, roughly speaking, a Gen-X Beatles fan, or more broadly the kind of now-grownup middle-class, white, Cold War kid who grew up with album rock. So, I could be Lucy's parents here. I have met plenty of Beatles fans who are much younger than me, for example college students of mine, so I know that this story is not impossible. That said, I can't tell whether this is an ideal story for music-loving middle-schoolers or an improbable grownups' fantasy. I enjoyed it, more than I had expected, due to the rich characterization and evident love of music. But the book may assume rather than earn the reader's interest; I can't tell.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I Came to Read This Book: It caught my eye at a local bookshop the other day. Who doesn't love The Beatles?

The Plot: Lucy is 12/13 and like any tween, into all things pop. Things change however, when she listens to The Beatles for the first time. Suddenly Lucy's interested in starting a band, roping in her two longtime friends and forging a bond with someone else. Meanwhile, Lucy's grappling with an absentee mom, trying to get her dad to explore new dating options, a sick grandma, and of course, matters of the heart. Will the group get it together in time for their middle school talent show?

The Good & The Bad: I'm not a super seasoned graphic novel reader but this one was surprisingly dense, in a way that made it feel more like a graphic NOVEL and less like a bunch of stories stitched together, as other books in the genre have made me feel. So that alone made this pretty neat. I do think the writing was a little off in terms of the maturity level of Lucy and her friends; the way they spoke and acted, and the overall plotlines felt more on point for someone 14 or 15 (AKA not quite driving age) as opposed to 12.

Also there is this funny thing I've noticed that older writers love to do; to take something meaningful to their childhood and find some magical way for the protagonist to do the same (see: Angie Thomas' protagonists' love of 90s hiphop or Megan McCafferty's Jessica Darling being conveniently into 80s John Hughes movies). That is VERY MUCH the case here as good chunks of this book are devoted to not just The Beatles, but all kinds of legendary musical acts from the 60s and 70s, as well as small little sidebars about the Beatles' history (including George and John's deaths, and the band's origins in 'Teddy Boy' culture etc.) In some ways a lot of this was like "Yes, I know" but I also love the idea of this being read by a middle grader who then becomes inspired to listen to The Beatles. If this book inspires a few kids to do that, then well done.

Plot-wise there is a lot going on, but overall I liked the clip the story took. It dabbles into each of these stories in good measure and on a rotating basis, although not all of them seemed as fleshed out as they could have, and a lot of 'issues' seemed to be dealt with pretty easily (but I suppose, when you're this age, most disagreements can be overcome pretty fast).

I have a hard time thinking who this book is really for in some ways though. Like yes it reminded me a bit of a beloved story-based video game series I played around this age, but the Beatles piece of it made me feel like - ah this is for grown-ups. Still, I enjoyed this book overall. It had a surprising amount of heart and dimension underneath all that musical love.

The Bottom Line?: A sweet little read for soon-to-be and lifetime Beatles fans.

Anything Memorable?: No.

2022 Book Challenge?: Book #3 in 2022.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5

I was not sure what to make of this book - going back and forth from liking the book, to not liking the book, and back to liking it again.
The book is a coming-of-age story of Lucy, a middle school student. Like middle school students all over the world, she's going through a lot of turmoil. She's just coming to discover the things she likes and the things she's good at. Her friendships are on-again/off-again, with friends sometimes being the cruelest. Her family is splintering, with her grandmother - the steady influence in Lucy's life - showing frightening signs of aging.

Lucy discovers two things that give her something to feel good about. She discovers her love of music and with some friends starts a band. And she discovers her father's old Beatles' records, solidifying her love of music. But what if music is what separates friends? Can music make things right, too?

What grabbed me initially about the book, of course, is the obvious Beatles connection. The title and the cover image homage to Sgt. Pepper are definitely eye-catching to those of us who are Beatles fans. Yet while we're likely to be the ones to pick up this graphic novel, we're also likely to be a bit disappointed because this book is not for us. This is for our children and grandchildren.

And that's why I struggled initially. I wasn't putting it into context as to who the target audience for the book was.

The book feels a little bit over-written. Lucy goes through SO. Much, Drama. with her friends. It's back and forth without resolve. I wanted to give up a few times and I admit to looking ahead to see how many pages were left.

But a middle-school girl? This is every day of middle schooler's life. I think a young reader will immediately catch on to and connect with this. The Beatles part is secondary to a middle-schooler's reading. The Beatles get the attention of the older generation who are perhaps more likely to purchase the book to give to the young reader.

Real or not, I did not need the drama to drag on quite so much. We already have a lot going on - parents, grandparent, friends, music - that pulling it all together a little tighter would have made this a more enjoyable book for this reader.

The art by Sean Chiki, is 'simple,' solid lines with bold colors and not a lot of depth/shading. It works well for this book and complements the story nicely,

Looking for a good book? Beatles fans may get sucked into picking the graphic novel, Lucy in the Sky, but it is the reality of the middle school slice of life that will keep young readers interested.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[R Schjelde · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Remember, Bunnybear, Don't ever let anyone stop you from being who you are or going where you need to go." - Cookie

Lucy in the Sky is a sweet coming-of-age comic that centers around our main protagonist, Lucy. Fairly early on, Lucy is introduced to the music of The Beatles by her father. She goes through the typical currents of early teenage years (finding her style, dealing with old friends changing and changing up friends, struggling with her own emotions and thoughts, trying to understand the actions of her parents and dealing with unpleasant experiences such as sick grandparents, divorced parents and feeling alone at times).

Her solace? The discovery of 20th century rock-n-roll, early pop and rich variety of British bands that made a huge influence on the music we listen to today. Even I, a millenial in his early thirties, was educated on the music my parents listened to - Not by them but by a children's comic!

The book is divided into the seasons, starting with autumn and ending with summer, although I am not entirely sure why they are used as a form of chapters. They may correspond to the different periods that The Beatles went through, but for Summer to correspond to the period when Lennon died, not sure.

The story, all-in-all, is sweet but a bit long. The drawings are colourful, but a bit simple at times. What makes it is its content and a refreshment on a music genre that may seem ancient to the targeted audience.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

ETA an extra star because both of my 10yos read and enjoyed this one.

In this middle grade graphic novel Lucy and her friends start a garage band, taking inspiration from the Beatles. She lives with her divorced dad and is sometimes visited by her always-traveling photographer mom. Her awesome, involved maternal grandmother has cancer. Her friend group goes through typical, angsty episodes but they pull together to perform in the school talent show.

There are a whopping 288 musical references at the back of this book and I think that might be part of why this one kind of feels like work. I like the Beatles well enough that I recognize most if not all of the references, but I think the more you love them the less satisfying this one is. I know it's somebody's labor of love so I feel catty saying this, but ultimately it reads kind of like The Baby-Sitters Club find their parents' record collections. Some plotlines don't go anywhere and just seemed kind of pointless. Lucy has a crush on the gay, adult school librarian (and...?) The keyboard player's mother is pushing her to be a doctor even though they're in seventh grade (and...?) It was missing the girl power. Although the guitar player really knows her bands there's still that element of gatekeeping where the knowledge seems to have come from her older brother or the guy who owns the record store. Lucy bonds with her dad over music and the women in her life make cameos, but it just felt overlong and fell kind of flat for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely illustrated graphic novel that interweaves some history about the music industry and rock and roll into a middle schooler's experience. The conflict between the girls is depicted well, although I do feel that the bratty girl, whose name I still can't remember, never really learns the lesson of being part of a group and not pushing people to do what she wants. When she wants to leave the band, she does. When she wants to get back, she does and she buys her way back in. And then she gets her way elsewhere. That got my back up a bit, because while it may be a dose of reality, I feel like it had the opportunity to really work the girls through the dynamic and come out better people and stronger as a team in the end.

I also found that the book started slowly and there were some moments where it was really disjointed at the beginning. The jumping around from location to location and the introduction of the record store boys .... That sort of thing which I get but which didn't, for me, do much to add to the overall story that Brinkman was telling.

All in all, though, it's a nice story about girl friends forming a band that teaches kids a little bit about some of the music classics. In a way that doesn't read like a history of rock 'n roll book.