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Sanity & Tallulah #3

by Molly Brooks

Everything is up in the air when the problem-solving best friends Sanity and Tallulah find themselves co-pilots on an unplanned adventure filled with action, adventure, and dangerous situations.
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Tallulah is great at piloting! And with her learner's permit freshly reinstated, she has the perfect opportunity to prove filling in on the mail route to nearby stations while all the regular pilots are out sick. It's her first big solo flight, and yeah, okay, her parking could use some work, but she's not even a little bit nervous—she's got Sanity along as copilot, plenty of old flight logs for navigation, and they'll be in radio contact with Wilnick almost the whole time. All they have to do is follow the pre-approved route and stay out of the dangerous, uncharted, explosives-littered debris cloud . . . no matter how tempting a shortcut it is. Oh, and don't cross the military blockade into the United Territories, obviously. See? No sweat!

Sanity and Tallulah's pre-approved route didn't say anything about space stations exploding, enemies in need of rescue, or getting caught in the middle of a border crisis in danger of escalating into all-out war, but sometimes totally awesome pilots have to change plans on the fly, and only an excellent copilot can keep things from going completely upside down.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Comics, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2020

About the author

Molly Brooks wrote and illustrated the Sanity & Tallulah graphic novel series (Disney-Hyperion, 2018-2021). She also did the artwork for Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared by Alison Wilgus (First Second, 2017), and Kathryn Ormsbee's Growing Pangs (Spring 2022) and Turning Twelve (Fall 2024), a duology about middle school, anxiety, friendship and first crushes from RHGraphic. Her shorter comics and assorted illustrations have appeared in a variet of publications including the Guardian, the Nib, the Boston Globe, the Nashville Scene, Kazoo Magazine, BUST Magazine, ESPN social, Sports Illustrated online, and others. Molly lives and works in Brooklyn, where she spends her spare time doting on her houseplants and documenting her cats.

NOTE: there is another Molly Brooks whose romance novels occasionally end up attached to this author profile, but that is an error. This Molly Brooks is comics-only.

Reviews

[orangerful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic adventure with these two BFFs. I really appreciate how Brooks is slowly revealing the politics of this science fiction universe with little subtle hints when the girls interact with the Landsliders. There is a serious, complex story hidden underneath the almost fairy tale like plot of the two girls straying from the safe path and into the furthest boarders of their zone.

I really hope this series keeps growing and maturing, there is a lot that can be done with these two friends.

[jess (bibliophilicjester) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars of I NEED EVERYONE TO READ THIS SERIES RIGHT NOW. Please and thank you.

The listings on goodreads are weird for this, so I'm just using the one with the actual cover even though I have the paperback. Which I pre-ordered because I'm in love with this series. Every time I think I like sanity more, tallulah says something hysterical. I've legitimately cackled my way through this series. Not cracking a little smile...mom asking me the next day what I was laughing about 😅

I usually don't do the quote thing, but in this case...there's a part where tallulah very seriously tells her dad, "bad ideas are sneaky, though. Because they seem like good ideas when you're having them." 😂🤣 it reminded me of the thing she said in the first book about how they were already getting into mischief, so they should keep going and get all their mischief in while they can 😂

My reviews are more a smattering of thoughts - I'm not a professional review writing human, okay?! But I wish more people would read these books. They're meant for 8-12/middle grade, but they're really clever. As an adult who reads middle grade, I always hate when books talk down to their readers. Brooks doesn't do that at all. The kids act like kids, but they're all really clever in different ways that actually make sense. I love learning a little more about the world(? solar system? small patch of space?) with each installment, and I hope this ends up being a long series 😍 the amount of trouble these two cause in one day...this series could be hundreds of books long, haha.

I know people love to "fly through" comics and manga and graphic novels, especially during readathons, but please don't. The art is half the story. I love the really limited colors (mostly just navy and red), probably because I'm a bit artsy, but also because it almost puts more focus on the story. But also ALSO, it makes me appreciate the art more too. There was a spoilery part in the second book where it was dark and they needed lanterns and I loved the sort of soft red glow on everything from the light. I feel like it's probably harder to do stuff like that with only a few colors? I don't know. Don't listen to me. Just read them for yourself.

I'm tired. This review is awful. "review" haha 🤦🏻‍♀️
These books are NOT going on my shelves because I need them within reach at all times for when I'm having a bad day.

PS I hope we get to check in with princess sparkle destroyer of worlds soon! 😂🐈‍⬛

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun adventure with Sanity and Tallulah. The diverse cast of characters is great. The story felt a little complicated, almost ‘too big’ in a way. There was lots of spaceship stuff and technical details that were less interesting to me than the two previous S&T stories. It felt like there was both too much and too little going on somehow. But I like our plucky heroines and look forward to reading more about them in the future.

[Aud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better. With every installment, we see more of the kids' lives and their universe, and it keeps getting richer and more interesting. The girls themselves continue to be great, and I love, love, love their parents. The adults in this volume really shine, but not in a way that will loose kids, I don't think (it didn't loose my nephew, anyway. He's a big fan of this series, too, at age 10).

The stakes were higher and the tone maybe a little darker in this book. There's the looming chance of war breaking out again, over something fundamentally stupid (not the girls' fault! At all! Seriously, they're just there to witness it), and everyone on "our" side is working feverishly to ward it off. The reader can't help but notice the traces of the last war - how Tallulah's dad, Hank, has a missing leg and Sanity's mom is missing an eye, for example - and that brings home the reality of what they're trying to prevent. The scenes of everyone in the various space settlements battening down the hatches preparing for the worst - including Tallulah's mom and brother (both home sick with the flu) - does the same. For all of that, though, the fundamental elements of what makes this series great - the humor, the relationships, the madcap genius and bravery of the titular characters - is still there in spades. It's just a really good book.

I also love Tallulah's quote about bad ideas being sneaky, because they seem like good ideas while you're having them. That whole conversation with her dad is amazing. I hope I can parent like that some day.

A++ I love it.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this series goes on it get's less word heavy which I appreciate because Field Trip had a lot of dialogue and big words I really had to work with my niece on. That one also had a lot more science while this one was more character focused which makes me think this will be an easier read for her. Graphic novels work best letting the illustrations shine. Sanity and Tallulah's adventures continue in this third installment where the girl's are making a delivery to another space station and run into some trouble. It was a very fast read feeling like an episode of a tv show. It was nice to visit another station and see how things operated.

[The Carrion Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two. Certain scenes felt like they were missing panels. Also Kyle and Tucker made me want to pull my hair out.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love me some Sanity & Tallulah

[Karah Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the series so far.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanity and Tallulah are running errands ON THEIR OWN in the mail shuttle. They're sad that a flu epidemic is the reason they are allowed to do this, but they are pretty excited to be out on their own delivering important materials. When they just miss one of the people they are supposed to deliver something to, Tallulah decides that it would be a good thing to change their itinerary and cut through the debris field and deliver it at a station right at the edge of the military blockade set up by the United Territories. What could go wrong? Well, it turns out quite a lot. Like a major explosion taking out a space station, jeopardizing lives, and a possibly starting a war. But it isn't their fault, right? Will Sanity and Tallulah be able to help, or will they just get in deep, deep trouble?

I think this is my 2nd favorite Sanity & Tallulah after book 1. There's the perfect mix of humor, Sanity & Tallulah techy team-up, mystery & suspense, and time for the girls to learn some important lessons. The mystery of what caused the explosion kept me guessing for several chapters. And I felt that the resolution was perfect to both the inter-territories incident and the girls activities (Sanity and Tallulah may not appreciate it always, but they have some very wise and loving parents). Several characters learn important lessons about responsibility, friendship, and more. And the bits about the show that the one station residents make out of spliced video feed from the United Territories which turns out to be all commercials was genius, as were all of Tallulah's questions about life on a planet 🤣. Hand this to graphic novel lovers who like adventures in space.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There's a serious knock to the head that results in some bleeding and a concussion and someone's arm gets trapped in a space lock (but they are able to stitch it back up). There's also a flu epidemic that is mostly just annoying people, nothing about it killing anyone.

[Ellen]

The third installment of the Sanity and Tallulah graphic novel series really fleshes out this sci fi universe, giving us a lot of context for the other two. Sanity's mom Vengeance and Tallulah's dad Hank are (as we guessed) rebel leaders for a group called the Breakers, who live in a community of space stations blockaded from United Territories space. During a flu outbreak, our scientifically inclined BFFs are called on to ferry supplies to other stations, and stumble into an incident that might just start a war. Between Tallulah's chirpy diplomacy and Sanity's engineering genius, the girls charm, outsmart and science their way to a solution, with support from lots of fascinating fellow Breakers. It's also even more clear why the Breaker kids are so technologically advanced, and we even get a funny origin story for the girl's favorite show. I love the scrappy, diverse Breakers and their hipster fashions (those top knots and sweaters, come on!) and the dude bro UT soldiers are a hoot. Excellent for fans of science fiction, but also of kids who take initiative and work hard to find solutions - it's quite empowering!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tallulah has her learner's permit, and can go on short errands in the mail craft. So, tasked with delivering some equipment, and Sanity in the copilot seat, Tallulah demonstrates her great pilot abilities as she arrives safely at 2 different space stations. But, they just missed Tallulah's dad, who needs the important turbopumps, so the girls decide to take them to him anyway. But, passing through a dangerous debris field gets even more complicated when their destination explodes
right in front of them. Now Tallulah and Sanity are caught up in a possible space war.

This series gets better and better. I was on the edge of my seat. The tri-color illustrations are well detailed and contribute to the story. I love that Tallulah and Sanity act like kids, they do dumb things, get in trouble and have consequences. I loved all the questions about what it's like to live on land - the girls have been in space their whole lives. Although part of a series, Shortcuts can totally stand on its own.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Stacey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because they're short handed due to a flu outbreak Tallulah gets to pilot her first delivery But when the person isn't there to take the delivery Tallulah and Sanity (well Sanity gets talked into going) head to Tortuga, but to get there they take a shortcut...through a very dangerous debris field. As Tallulah is trying to dock with Tortuga an explosion occurs trapping everyone in a small area with no power, no way to communicate and air leaking out. They have maybe 6 hours of air. Tallulah and Sanity must save them. They take the ship to Epsilon. Meanwhile Tallulah's mother and brother are sick back home and worried that they haven't returned yet. For some reason security alarms are going off everywhere and no one knows why. Tallulah's father and Sanity's mother are going to find out what's happening. Tallulah and Sanity find a landsider floating in space. Is he dead? They decide to put him in their ship and take him to aid. when Tallulah and Sanity meet up with their parents they have a lot of explaining to do. And there are still problems that need to be solved.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three books in, Brooks starts to flesh out the background of the universe that Sanity and Tallulah inhabit. Now we know quite a bit more about the shape of that universe, though not much about the conflict that shaped it, and we finally see how the two sides have sort of settled into a cold war. That's actually important in this volume, which revolves around attempts to avert a war that could have been caused by negligence alone. It's quite a bit darker in tone than the previous books had been, which I enjoyed. I like that we know a lot more about this universe without knowing everything, and I like the little details that flesh it out. Like the fact that Sanity and Tallulah's favorite show is made by splicing together clips from the other side's ads, with new narration and effects by their side. I hope there's more to come in this series.

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

80%

I super appreciate the addition of a space map (beginning of book) and character pages (end of the book)! I've been wanting that for the past two, and I found it very helpful to keep track of character relationships and what their 'world' looks like.

Initially I was really annoyed with Tallulah for doing the shortcut, because it seemed more like an opportunity to cause trouble than to actually be helpful; there was one line about the guy sounding like he "really needed" the piece they were trying to deliver, but I think that should have been shown early on instead of mentioned in passing after the fact so that Tallulah's actions were better justified.

Other than that, the art was fantastic as always and I especially enjoyed learning the origin of "Janet Jupiter"!

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to walk into my library and see this book on the display shelf. I love the Sanity & Tallulah books. They have spunky female leads, a great cast of very diverse characters, imaginative and detailed world building, and fun and engaging stories. Fabulous. Everyone should read them.

With all the regular pilots out sick with the flu, Tallulah and Sanity are given the job of doing a routine mail run. But when they end up behind schedule, Tallulah decides to take a shortcut.

Note: this is the third book, but I think you start with this book with out any problems. The stories are independent enough that they could be read out of order.

[Adam Sequoyah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing considering the other books were so fun. This one had a plot that eventually completed satisfactorily. But it wasn't a very fun ride getting there. Too many complicated matters to talk through.

...Plus I hated the way Sanity just kind of shrugged and said, "Whatever" when Tallulah suggested they go for a ridiculously dangerous, unsupervised 5-hour joy ride. Not there nor anywhere else did Sanity display any personality, besides her knack for engineering. I mean that she didn't care what Sanity or anyone else did. The two girls didn't actually seem like friends.

MPA ratings: PG for violence

[Kelly]

My favorite thing about this series is how each book got better than the last one. This one had so many sections where I was flipping pages so quickly because of all the action. The first one was kind of slow, but the 2nd one picked up and this one really picked up. Why did I keep going after the 1st one? Well, I still really liked the first one. And I know this one took me forever to read, but other books kept getting in the way (that's what happens when you work at one library and have another with more renewals at a home library).

[Heather Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these so much! I was so thrilled to see the 3rd one at the library. In fact, I gasped, exclaimed, "There's a third one?!?" and grabbed it to clutch to my chest. The nearby librarian raised her eyes and asked, "Find something good?" LOL!

This was less science-y than the other two, and a little more people-y. I love the stories and side stories Brooks comes up with, and of course the artwork is fantastic. Very dynamic and interesting, and good storytelling with pictures alone. Love it!

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Tallulah, what are you thinking???? But wow, good job surviving the mines and the explosion and navigating into remote locations through a debris field. Thank goodness Sanity is along to save the day when the day needs saving. I was a little thrown off with how quickly everyone just sort of noticed and moved on from an arm amputation, but it's a delight to return to this world and learn more about it. The sneak peek behind the creation of Janet Jupiter was particularly amusing.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I missed that there's a third Sanity and Tallulah book out! Well, I'm very glad I spotted it at the library, because Shortcuts is delightful--just as fun as the first book! I continue to love Brooks' hilarious and diverse cast of characters and rambunctious art style, and it's great to learn more about the politics and practicalities of how this space-station-based world works.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this 3rd book more than the second so I’m happy to see the series continuing. I really like the relationship dynamic between these two BFF’s and the adventures and situations they stumble into (or more likely that Tallulah gets them into!) there is certainly a more complex story at work here with the political tension, as I saw another reviewer point out. But I like that it is still simple enough to follow the storyline (it did take me a minute to recognize a few characters since it’s been awhile since reading book 2, yet it was easy to catch on and remember after a few pages) I am excited to see what their next adventure will be!

[Shandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read, though as mentioned in other reviews, also a slightly darker storyline. There's hints of politics, and also a weird family dynamic vibe... why exactly is Sanity's mom so hesitant to come home? A mystery for future installments, I hope! I love the characters, and artwork is very well done as always.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had been a bit since I read the other two so I had some trouble remembering who people were. I also struggle figuring out who is who due to the limited color palette. But this book pulled me in in a way that I don't remember the previous book doing. I found myself halfway through the book in no time. A fun sci-fi adventure (even if Tallulah still kind of annoys me)

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigh, when's the next one coming out? The ending came much too quickly. Plenty of action during the book, but I was hoping for a few more hints at what's coming next. It seems like maybe a big showdown is on the horizon??? But I could be reading into things.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well done. I love this series. Two young ladies with a license to drive a spaceship. It gets them in a little trouble but they end up saving the day.. I like the relationship between Tallulah and her dad. Her permit gets suspended for a year and a half for her stunt.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yknow, props to Molly Brooks for always keeping readers on their toes. There's real intrigue in every single Sanity and Tallulah volume, and the worldbuilding gets more incredible each time. Well done! Expanse-lite for middle grade readers.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sci fi adventure with Sanity and Tallulah. These girls are highly adventurous, epic problem solvers, and mechanically & technologically savvy to solve the many problems they encounter on their first solo space delivery.

[kiki thelibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 only bc there’s sooo much more dialogue telling the story and I missed having more of the vibrant, action-filled artwork that there was in volumes 1 and 2. Still an excellent series and I’ll absolutely keep reading and promoting to others!

[Jordyn White · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ it’s been a few years since i read the first 2 sanity & tallulah graphic novels. this one was still very cute and i love their adventures! not my favorite of the series but i really enjoyed it ☺️

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanity and Tallulah are called in to help with deliveries, even though they only have permits for piloting spacecrafts. When their decision-making goes awry when taking shortcuts, it leads to a cascade of life/death decision making for these novices.