Thunderous

by M.L. Smoker, Natalie Peeterse, Dale DeForest (Artist)

If Aiyana hears one more traditional Lakota story, she’ll scream! More interested in her social media presence than her Native American heritage, Aiyana is shocked when she suddenly finds herself in a magical world-with no cell coverage!

Pursued by the trickster Raven, Aiyana struggles to get back home, but is helped by friends and allies she meets along the way. Her dangerous journey through the Spirit World tests her fortitude and challenges her to embrace her Lakota heritage. But will it be enough to defeat the cruel and powerful Raven?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Adventure, Comics, Young Adult

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2022

Reviews

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aiyana is a native American teen girl who wants to hang out with popular girls. She spends all her time on the phone, and she’s not nice to her relatives because they’re not cool. When popular girls challenge her to climb on the top of the tower to take a selfie, she falls and wakes in another world. She is about to go on an extraordinary journey in a magical world.

At the back, there is a glossary of some of the words. I would appreciate it if I knew that during my reading. Illustrations are mostly very good and colorful. Sometimes I didn’t like the style so much. Thunderous is a nice middle-grade graphic novel about family ties and the importance of our heritage.

Thanks to Dynamite Entertainment for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thought-provoking children's story for upper Elementary and Middle Grade readers which packs a plethora of lessons and is a great read to celebrate National Indigenous Month in June! Two aspects of Indigenous history are represented, as two cousins who move from the reservation to a city learn to adapt. One cleaves to tradition and the elders' storytelling, while the other turns her back on the "past." The outworking of the plot I found tremendously gratifying. The illustrations are simple and easily understood. Highly recommended.

[Scythe Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich glaube, der Comic wäre besser gewesen, wenn er länger gewesen wäre. Die Charaktere sind recht flach und besonders Aiyana wirkt mir stellenweise etwas passiv: Sie verbringt wenig Zeit damit, aktiv nach den Questgegenständen zu suchen, sondern rennt immer wie zufällig in die Charaktere, die sie ihr geben können.

[Ray Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a teenager who is new in town and wants to fit in with the kids at school. She’s being a bit selfish and mean towards people who are just trying to show respect for the place they all came from. But she doesn’t realize this until she’s transported to the world which was built around the tales she heard from since she was a little girl.

In these few pages we see those tales featuring mystical animals come to life and teach her that our ancestor’s stories are important not only because they teach us how to be better but because their stories keep them alive in our hearts.

For me it was a light-hearted reading and I would totally recommend it to kids and younger teenagers since it’s a quick read.

I received an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review via Diamond Comic Distributors.

[kaitlphere · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm happy to see Lakota stories published as graphic novels, and I hope to see more of them. I really liked the art on the cover of this book.

The coloring in this graphic novel jumped all over the place. Every scene had a different color pallet, and the change didn't have any clear reason. Also, the main character's fixation on selfies felt very much like a "kid's these days" commentary.

I want to see the comics the cousin was creating in the story!

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aiyana, a young Lakota girl, has recently moved off her Reserve with her cousin and in with her grandmother. Her grandmother wants to teach them the stories of the Lakota people but Aiyana just wants to fit in with the popular girls at her new school. While on a school trip, three of the girls she has been trying to impress dare her to climb a high bluff and take a selfie just as a storm begins. Just as she reaches the top, she is swept off and when she awakes, she is in a different land where nothing is familiar and she doesn't know how to get home. Fortunately, or perhaps not, trickster Raven tells her it is possible for her to go back but only if she can complete four tasks. It will take all her memories of her grandmother's stories as well as a lot of help from some friends she meets on her way to complete Raven's challenges to find her way home.

Thunderous is a graphic novel written by M.L. Smoker and Natalie Peeterse. The story is well-written and with plenty of adventure to keep a young reader, or an old one, entertained. But it also provides some important lessons about family and heritage as well as the difficulties facing young Indigenous children who leave the Reserve for school - does fitting in to this new culture mean leaving behind your past and all the cultural riches it provides.

The art is by Dale Ray Deforest and it is gorgeous. Done in full vibrant colours, it is a perfect complement to the story.

Thunderous is aimed at a young audience between 8 and 12 but I would suggest younger children and even those way past the target audience would enjoy it. I not only recommend it highly but would suggest it should be available in all school libraries and not just in the US.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Dynamite Entertainment for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young Lakota girl who'd rather leave the Rosebud reservation and her Native past behind and try to fit in with the other kids in her new school in Rapid City, South Dakota, finds herself cast into the spirit world where she must quest for four items in order to return home. It's a simple story with a familiar structure, but it is told well.

The spirit animals are drawn really well, but the people are fairly cartoony and some of the young girls in the opening sequence sort of blurred together on me.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I finished this, my 10 year old snatched it from me so she could read it. We both loved it. It’s such a great story of a Lakota girl and her connection to her Indigenous heritage.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel for a junior high school audience. The art is okay, but nothing special for a children's comic. It was created by Native American artists and writers, and I backed it on Indiegogo because I was interested in the Native American mythology.

The story is very typical "Tween girl trying to fit in rediscovers her roots" + a standard portal fantasy.

Aiyana is a Lakota girl whose family just moved off the rez to the local big city. She wants to be popular and fit in with the cool (non-Indian) kids. Her grandmother keeps telling her Lakota stories, which she's sick of because grandma is old and doesn't know anything.

On a field trip, Aiyana winds up being thrown into the Lakota spirit world, where she meets the trickster Raven, who tells her four offerings she must bring to Inktomi, the Spider, if she wants to go home. Aiyana foolishly makes a deal with Raven before she knows the terms (maybe if she'd listened to grandma she'd have known not to do that) which puts her quest on a timer. She travels around meeting other talking animals, eventually reaches Inktomi, has a confrontation with Raven, and goes home, where of course she has a new appreciation for her heritage and all those old stories, goes home to hug grandma, the end.

For what it was, it was all right, but definitely suitable for younger readers.

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this graphic novel up from a small independent bookstore in Atlanta. Not only did I want to support a small business, but I love stories about indigenous mythology.

Thunderous is meant for a younger audience, so it was on the shorter side, which I enjoyed. Short and sweet. It had a great message about listening to your family, especially when they are passing down the stories of your ancestors.

It actually could have been longer, in my opinion. There were parts and scenes that as an adult, I knew what happened, but because they were cut a little short, I’m not sure a kid would understand completely. That’s not to say that it wasn’t an amazing book, because it was, but it could have been even greater with another 20 or so pages.

I want more native stories in graphic novel form! There’s nothing I love more than knowing people of all ages will be able to pick this up and read it.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid quest story in an appealing graphic novel format. Of particular interest to Lakota youth, based on traditional stories and figures. I like that Kola, her cousin, has they/he pronouns, but honestly it's a really basic plot to hang a traditional story on -- not terrible, but not that compelling either. I really like the art.

[Hannah DCamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was enjoyable and engaging enough. The mythology was interesting, and the story's ultimate message is one I appreciated. The art was a little weird - the artist was clearly trying to do some interesting things, but the alternating colors were just confusing to me. Maybe I just missed the point.

[Jenny Tyrrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted this story from my local bookstore. It was a quick read with a great message and storyline that can be appreciated by all YA readers, from my 7 year old to my 11 year old, to even my high school students.

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful middle grade fantasy story with themes of reconnecting to your roots, appreciating your own culture, and absolutely stunning artwork!!

[Sandra Stedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was challenging at first to understand Lakota words for family members and animals, but I caught on quickly and think kids will too. Quick read and valuable storyline.

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8

[Kathryn Wuerker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet and full of great Lakota storytelling sure to leave readers wanting to learn more. Would pair well to introduce lessons on story telling and on native culture studies.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to lead with the caveat that the Kindle ARC download had some formatting issues that made it difficult to track some of the images to the correct text.

That said- this is a beautiful book that dives into stories that I think we need more of. On a field trip to Black Elk Peak Aiyana is swept into the Spirit World where she gets to experience first hand the stories that have been handed down from her grandmother. Aiyana has struggled to find a balance between life in Colorado and the traditional teachings of the Lakota. Her experience in the Spirit World gives Aiyana touchstone she needs to feel connected.

This story hits for me on two major fronts. One is specific to the story. It’s one that not many people have access to. For a middle school librarian, a book like this creates an opportunity for students to learn about a culture that isn’t their own, but that is integral to the history of the United States. Many only learn about Native American Nations in the context of history, and forget that these stories belong to Nations that exist today. Secondly, and this is more broad, there are a ton of students who can relate to not feeling connected to the culture their parents or families grew up with. So many have to find that balance between tradition and their current day to day lives and this story does a great job exploring that in a quick and accessible way.

On top of all that the art is beautiful and helps to tie the story together visually. I will definitely be adding this one to our library collection next year.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of intergenerational learning and keeping language and cultures alive.

[Kirbie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was 5/5. This book touches on family traditions, Native American heritage and of course friendship. I absolutely loved the story but the pictures were also very well done.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always on the lookout for new graphic novels for my school library and Thunderous is going to be a must-buy. 

A beautiful story of adventure and identity, Thunderous is the story of Aiyana. She just wants to fit in at school, get followers online and be liked. She'd rather not listen to yet another Lakota story from her grandmother or her dorky cousin. When on a school field trip, three girls who Aiyana wants desperately to impress, deal Aiyana to climb on top of a building in a storm, Aiyana finds herself accidentally plunged into a strange world where animals talk and she must complete four challenges if she is to be allowed to return home. 

The artwork is gorgeous. Some pages have sequences of panels done in a tight monochromatic palette of incredibly bright colours, from vibrant blues to neon pinks. These colours are used to highlight different passages of Aiyana's journey and are an excellent way to bring night scenes to life. Other panels use a full range of colours. 

Thunderous is both a story of Lakota stories and Native American heritage and a story of family and accepting your identity. On her journey, Aiyana learns compassion, to stand up against those who are cunning and wish her harm, and the importance of family. It is a story of growth and I loved watching Aiyana step into and start to appreciate her heritage. Thunderous is also a story of adventure, epic landscapes and beautiful animals who offer Aiyana guidance, strength and support. 

I adored this beautiful graphic novel and it belongs on all school library shelves - and not just those in the USA.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

[Ellen]

Wow, that was so disappointing. Two big issues: first, the art just doesn't appeal to me, which was a shocker after the fantastic cover. The animals breathe, but the people? Eh. The look just doesn't work for me. I admit, that's personal preference. Second, this was the most After School Special book I've read in ages, almost ever - clearly a well-intended didactic project about a grumpy pre-teen with reconciling with her Lakota heritage, about making her understand that her grandma's stories are more important than selfies and getting in with the mean girl clique. I was so excited about the heritage aspect, and indeed the time heroine Aiyanna spends living with Lakota legends is by far the book's most appealing (if still not very well structured) - but the execution of the "real world" section is painfully clumsy, even cringeworthy. A worthy goal does not, unfortunately, guarantee a good story.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too unsubtle for its own good, this young comic looks at a Lakota girl, belligerently going about her day and school life not caring about her ancestry – and insisting that the old stories of her grandparents and suchlike have no worth in the current day. Wanting to fit in, she goes off-limits on a school trip to a heritage site – and gets zapped into the world of Lakota lore, full of all the vibrant characters – and sick-making vibrant colour schemes – of the heritage she denies. In a world where this should have been a really successful flashback to legendary animal characters, it's a nuance-free cartoonish approach, with a heroine that's not really easy to like, and something that really deserved to be less broad and more finely crafted.

[Dad's Novel Idea · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL;DR REVIEW

This short graphic novel about the importance of family/cultural traditions is entertaining and educational.

THE REVIEW

In the classic sitcom “Cheers” (which until recently was available on Netflix, boo), there’s a scene that I think perfectly encapsulates my relation to cultural traditions. Reacting to Carla’s Italian traditions, Frasier says wistfully, “Gee, I often wish that I was a member of an ethnic group,” but then immediately follows it up with, “Oh, it's just as well. I hate hugging.”

This short book — really, a graphic novel short story — is about the importance of such traditions, specifically Native American traditions.

I find books about cultural traditions fascinating, largely because I have none to speak of, and I wouldn’t like the hugging anyway. I live in an area with a lot of Mexican, Polish, and Middle Eastern neighbors, and while I love that they observe their traditions, I don’t fully comprehend it.

But books like these help me understand it a bit better. (Especially in context of cultures that have been ravished.)

The story is about a school-age girl who is embarrassed by her Lakota traditions, but then she goes on a vision quest of sorts and learns to appreciate her and her peoples’ uniqueness.

It’s a clever, cute story with very approachable illustrations and plot (i.e., not heavy-handed), and I would recommend it to any and all.

DAD SAYS

This is great for any age. There is a giant spider, though, so beware if you have any arachnophobes in your house. My daughter is one and handled it fine, though. The story is fun, and there is a bit of humor as well (specifically involving the giant spider). Kids will learn a couple of Lakota words, and it’s a great opportunity to talk about your own family and cultural traditions.

[Olivia Thames · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.L. Smoker and Natalie Peeterese, better known for their award winning poetry, have collaborated on the next graphic novel to take both library and personal bookshelves by storm: "Thunderous".

Lakota lore, with a dash of "The Wizard of Oz", Aiyana's experience with code-switching and assimilation with her peers at a new school off the reservation is one that so billions have had to endure, and to various degrees continue to endure. It is an internal pain that many can only begin to imagine, given their privilege.

But not all is lost for Aiyana, nor her loved ones both in this world and the one she enters when a field trip goes wrong.

There will be those who, like myself, were not engrossed due to the illustrations. It was the story, and the storytelling, that won my heart and immediately caused me to add this GN to the list of contenders for the Graphic Novel Book Club I am leading this summer. The range of topics one could discuss are endless. One minute you could discuss 'identity' and 'mythology', and the next 'pros and cons of technology'. Regardless of the size of your group, or the time frame to read a selection, this is the perfect GN to work with.

Along with the names of Smoker and Peeterse's other works, I shared this GN with the head of the children's department at my library, and she was instantly on board with ordering copies for our collection. I hope this is not the last time we see Smoker and Peeterse in the GN section, and that Aiyana's advice comes true: more graphic novels and comics about the Indigenous communities and cultures of our world.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aiyana is tired of hearing Lakota stories and legends about her ancestors. She wishes her family would just focus on the modern world. When her class goes on a field trip to the mountains, she worries more about hanging out with the popular girls rather than with her cousin. She suffers a fall and is somehow transported to the world of the Lakota legends, where the trickster Raven tries to trick her into staying forever. To make her way back to the human world, Aiyana will have to complete several quests and befriend some talking animals along the way.

I love that this graphic novel teaches us about Lakota traditions and heritage! It's so interesting to learn about this beautiful culture.

I was sort of confused that the art style on the cover is completely different from the art style of the book. The art style inside is much more cartoonish.

The story is good, but doesn't really flow in a natural way. The plot is kind of disjointed and the pacing is strange. A child reading this book would probably not notice though.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short graphic novel that was in the Scholastic book fair in the fall. The story is about a girl named Aiyana who moved to a new city and is not living on the res anymore (Lakota tribe of South Dakota). She is uninterested in the stories from Unci (grandmother) and Kola (her cousin). She falls off the top of a tower trying to take a selfie to be “cool” for the new girls, and she falls into Lakota land, a dream like place. There she meets a raven who curses her and tells her four items she must bring to Iktomi the spider within two days in order to be able to go home. Along the way, Aiyana gathers the items, meeting and befriending a buffalo, wolf, porcupine, and eagle along the way. She ends the story prompting her cousin to keep writing/drawing comics about the Lakota stories.
It was choppy, in that there were no designated chapters or anything, and I had to draw some connections myself. I can see the draw to this graphic novel for many of my students though, especially the Native ones who really embrace their heritage. Easily readable in one sitting, as I finished it in about half an hour.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always looking for stories about Native American and Indigenous young people, and this had the added bonus of being a graphic novel...a genre that is always SUPER popular with my middle school students.

I was under the impression that this wouldn't be all that impactful because of it's length (just 96 pages), but I was wrong. Aiyana is trying her hardest to fit in after moving off of the reservation, but her cousin wants nothing more than to immerse himself into the stories of their Lakota heritage. After an accident, Aiyana finds herself in a strange world where the lessons of her ancestors becoming increasingly important.

I love the beasts Aiyana meets on her journey, and the small pieces of humor inserted throughout a mostly serious story were well-timed.

Short but powerful and entertaining.

[libreroaming · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always worth promoting more Native made stories, and "Thunderous" provides a very quick read to kids interested in the topic.

Unfortunately, the cover art is misleading since the interior art is very different, cartoony with odd color pallet choices and minimal backgrounds. The story of a girl rejecting her Lakota heritage only to be transported into a world where reconciling it is her only way of survival is sparse and sinplistic based on the brevity of the story, coming in at 96 pages.

An Ojibwe version of this same concept, "Rabbit Chase," handled the art and story better, but for people who have never read about Lakota legends or want to support lesser known creatives, this is a breezy easy read.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a slim middle grade graphic novel about a Lakota girl who succumbs to peer bullying and distances herself from her cousin, who enjoys Lakota storytelling traditions, and climbs a dangerous mountain for a selfie during a field trip. She falls, and when she does so, she's transported to an alternative world with her animal ancestors. Raven the trickster makes a deal with her to find four offerings to return home. But if she doesn't do so in 48 hours, she'll remain forever.

I like the story and Lakota myths. To me, this could've been about 100-200 pages longer so I could learn more about the people in the book and their back stories. But I realize having slim, easy-to-read formats is important.