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Lo and Behold #1
Lo and Behold
Can a virtual reality headset help change the way twelve-year-old Addie looks at things?
Introducing an unforgettable graphic novel about connection, friendship, and the wonder all around us from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Mass and debut illustrator Gabi Mendez.
When you're named after a 250-year-old tortoise, you grow up believing life is full of possibilities and wonder. But ever since Addie's family got turned upside down, those things have been harder for her to see.
The last thing Addie wants to do is make a new friend, but when her dad's summer job takes them across the country, she meets Mateo and finds herself caught up in an exciting project. With the help of a virtual reality headset, she's suddenly scaling castle walls, dodging angry kittens, and seeing the world in whole new ways. Plus, she has an idea that could be bigger than anything she's imagined before, but can she right some wrongs first . . . or is it too late?
Introducing an unforgettable graphic novel about connection, friendship, and the wonder all around us from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Mass and debut illustrator Gabi Mendez.
When you're named after a 250-year-old tortoise, you grow up believing life is full of possibilities and wonder. But ever since Addie's family got turned upside down, those things have been harder for her to see.
The last thing Addie wants to do is make a new friend, but when her dad's summer job takes them across the country, she meets Mateo and finds herself caught up in an exciting project. With the help of a virtual reality headset, she's suddenly scaling castle walls, dodging angry kittens, and seeing the world in whole new ways. Plus, she has an idea that could be bigger than anything she's imagined before, but can she right some wrongs first . . . or is it too late?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2023
75 people are currently reading
1019 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Mass
83 books3,688 followersWendy Mass is the author of thirty novels for young people, including A Mango-Shaped Space, which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, the Willow Falls, Space Taxi and Candymakers series. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled "Mr. Monk Goes to the Theatre," which aired during the show's second season. She tells people her hobbies are hiking and photography, but really they're collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
July 5, 2023
This was a lot more of an emotional read than I expected. The cover definitely didn't lead me to believe that we would be covering difficult topics.
Lo and Behold is the first graphic novel by Wendy Mass. It follows Addie who is moving for the summer to a university campus with her father as he gets a new opportunity to work with VR programs. Addie has been struggling with the absence of her mother and has a hard time connecting with others. While there, she learns a lot of the grief formed from the absence of those we love the most as well as understanding the idea that everyone faces tough experiences in life.
What Worked: The artwork was AMAZING. From the illustrations to the inking, Gabi Mendez showed out with this graphic novel. I loved that they were able to capture every emotion felt by each one of the characters and also make it feel authentic. There is an air of mystery tied to this storyline, but with Mendez's art and Maas's words, the reader slowly appreciates the reveal at the end. I appreciate Mass taking the leap to introduce readers to more complex themes. While this graphic novel illustrates the many beneficial aspects of virtual reality, Maas also takes the opportunity to illustrate emotions like grief, anger, frustration and themes of parental absence, addiction, and more. I was unclear about where Maas was going with Addie's character development, but through each panel it became more clear and the interconnectedness of the characters as well as Addie's relationship with her mother comes full circle. There were a lot of great attributes to this graphic novel through the character development and plot development that made it a quick, but impactful read.
What Didn't Work: There were letters that Addie receives (I won't say from who), but I think that those could have been explored more in relationship to Addie's parents. I also think that the reveal could have been expanded to give more context to how everything impacted Addie.
Overall, this was a good read! I'm really glad that I decided to pick it up.
Lo and Behold is the first graphic novel by Wendy Mass. It follows Addie who is moving for the summer to a university campus with her father as he gets a new opportunity to work with VR programs. Addie has been struggling with the absence of her mother and has a hard time connecting with others. While there, she learns a lot of the grief formed from the absence of those we love the most as well as understanding the idea that everyone faces tough experiences in life.
What Worked: The artwork was AMAZING. From the illustrations to the inking, Gabi Mendez showed out with this graphic novel. I loved that they were able to capture every emotion felt by each one of the characters and also make it feel authentic. There is an air of mystery tied to this storyline, but with Mendez's art and Maas's words, the reader slowly appreciates the reveal at the end. I appreciate Mass taking the leap to introduce readers to more complex themes. While this graphic novel illustrates the many beneficial aspects of virtual reality, Maas also takes the opportunity to illustrate emotions like grief, anger, frustration and themes of parental absence, addiction, and more. I was unclear about where Maas was going with Addie's character development, but through each panel it became more clear and the interconnectedness of the characters as well as Addie's relationship with her mother comes full circle. There were a lot of great attributes to this graphic novel through the character development and plot development that made it a quick, but impactful read.
What Didn't Work: There were letters that Addie receives (I won't say from who), but I think that those could have been explored more in relationship to Addie's parents. I also think that the reveal could have been expanded to give more context to how everything impacted Addie.
Overall, this was a good read! I'm really glad that I decided to pick it up.
March 6, 2023
Wonderful and thoughtful. Addie’s has had a rough year. Her family life use to be perfect before her mother had an accident. Now Addie is going with her dad for his summer job at a university where he is working on projects involving virtual reality. Living across the hall is Mateo whose mom is also a professor. Addie is still on her own a lot. Mateo tries to include her in his volunteering and pay it forward projects but Addie is interested in her dads work. the students he mentors allow her to try their games and a projects to help develop empathy. Addie invites Mateo to join her and together they work on an VR project of their own.
There is so much to love in this story. I enjoyed learning about moon trees and an old tortoise. I like the positive uses for VR beyond game playing. I love how sweetly the book covers sensitive topics including death, separation from a parent and opioid addiction. The use of VR in the book is great because of the graphic novel format. It lets you see how the technology can work instead of imagining from reading a traditional book.
I was genuinely moved by the story and the illustrations. This can easily be enjoyed by upper elementary grades and middle schoolers. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Random House Graphic for the temporary ARC in exchange for a review.
There is so much to love in this story. I enjoyed learning about moon trees and an old tortoise. I like the positive uses for VR beyond game playing. I love how sweetly the book covers sensitive topics including death, separation from a parent and opioid addiction. The use of VR in the book is great because of the graphic novel format. It lets you see how the technology can work instead of imagining from reading a traditional book.
I was genuinely moved by the story and the illustrations. This can easily be enjoyed by upper elementary grades and middle schoolers. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Random House Graphic for the temporary ARC in exchange for a review.
February 3, 2023
2.5, really. I felt like Wendy Mass’s powers were diluted rather than augmented when written for a graphic format. VR is also diluted by illustrations of VR, or at least these. My favorite part was Mass’s afterword about how deeply excited she is about VR and how it’s a daily part of her life. Bonus points, though, for representation of a character in the protagonist’s situation vis a vis her mom, and of her mom, still a little talked about issue in middle grade lit (I can only think of one other book, and of course not the titles)—not mentioning situation here because spoiler.
Happy to have received an ARC from #netgalley, and I’ll still of course be purchasing this for the library—just not thrusting it into hands.
Happy to have received an ARC from #netgalley, and I’ll still of course be purchasing this for the library—just not thrusting it into hands.
January 16, 2024
Original story, don’t often see VR in books. Also don’t often have incarcerated moms, stories of parents with addictions, addiction after a painful accident, or siblings who died before a character was born. All these serious topics but the main story is fairly light: adjusting to living in a new place and making friends and then deciding to help the community in an original way. A good candidate for a book parents might read with their kids so they can talk about some of the serious stuff in it and learn to have empathy for their peers who may be experiencing it. I can imagine it would feel so uncanny if that was something a reader had experienced in their family, since it’s so rarely depicted in kids media. Recommended for kids who like real life stories focusing on being new to somewhere.
February 6, 2023
Welcome Back!
This past week I tried something new! I tried listening to two different audiobooks throughout the week! In between these audio books, I would read a lot of manga or graphic novels. I am excited to talk more about this experiment but for now, I want to talk about the first graphic novel I read during that time! I decided to head to my Netgalley and pick up an E-ARC of Lo and Behold (many thanks to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). So without further ado, let’s talk about this awesome upcoming graphic novel!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Addie’s family was completely rocked not all that long ago but now Addie is going to have even more changes when her father gets a temporary job far from home at a university. Addie’s father loves Virtual Reality and works with all sorts of technology for his job. Before everything happened, Addie, her mom and dad all lived in one house and they were a big happy family, but since the accident everything is different. Now Addie is leaving her home to go with her dad to live at this university. She knows it’s not forever but it will definitely feel like a long time. However, once they are there things are much different than Addie imagined. There is another kid who lives across the hall and the projects her dad helps to work on are actually really amazing. Shortly after arriving and making friends with the kid across the hall, Addie gets wrapped up in playing some of her father’s students’ new VR games. But this kind of spoils her friendship in some ways because it feels like she is hiding all her time in the VR world. But that all changes one day when Addie and her new friend have the most amazing VR idea and they recruit the help of her father’s students to make it happen!
This graphic novel was absolutely amazing. Addie’s VR project really stuck with me and was an amazing idea. This particular topic (the one they tackle with the VR project), is super near and dear to my own heart and I can absolutely imagine how this would change and help so many people (I wonder if anyone has done anything like this project in real life)? Outside of that aspect, I loved Addie, her father, and all the other characters. I was really not expecting the twist with Addie and her mother but it honestly made me so happy that it was not too late for things to change. I also really loved the use of color and the art style in this graphic novel. I will absolutely be picking up a copy when it comes out in May! I can not wait to have this one on my shelves!
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (Deserves many more)!
***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
This past week I tried something new! I tried listening to two different audiobooks throughout the week! In between these audio books, I would read a lot of manga or graphic novels. I am excited to talk more about this experiment but for now, I want to talk about the first graphic novel I read during that time! I decided to head to my Netgalley and pick up an E-ARC of Lo and Behold (many thanks to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). So without further ado, let’s talk about this awesome upcoming graphic novel!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Addie’s family was completely rocked not all that long ago but now Addie is going to have even more changes when her father gets a temporary job far from home at a university. Addie’s father loves Virtual Reality and works with all sorts of technology for his job. Before everything happened, Addie, her mom and dad all lived in one house and they were a big happy family, but since the accident everything is different. Now Addie is leaving her home to go with her dad to live at this university. She knows it’s not forever but it will definitely feel like a long time. However, once they are there things are much different than Addie imagined. There is another kid who lives across the hall and the projects her dad helps to work on are actually really amazing. Shortly after arriving and making friends with the kid across the hall, Addie gets wrapped up in playing some of her father’s students’ new VR games. But this kind of spoils her friendship in some ways because it feels like she is hiding all her time in the VR world. But that all changes one day when Addie and her new friend have the most amazing VR idea and they recruit the help of her father’s students to make it happen!
This graphic novel was absolutely amazing. Addie’s VR project really stuck with me and was an amazing idea. This particular topic (the one they tackle with the VR project), is super near and dear to my own heart and I can absolutely imagine how this would change and help so many people (I wonder if anyone has done anything like this project in real life)? Outside of that aspect, I loved Addie, her father, and all the other characters. I was really not expecting the twist with Addie and her mother but it honestly made me so happy that it was not too late for things to change. I also really loved the use of color and the art style in this graphic novel. I will absolutely be picking up a copy when it comes out in May! I can not wait to have this one on my shelves!
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (Deserves many more)!
***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
April 24, 2023
Read an ARC that was mostly B+W. I'm curious to see what it'll look like in full color.
Nothing about this book was what I expected it to be. I try not to know much about plot going into a book, but I would have been even more intrigued if I known it was going to be about dealing with loss.. and include tons of VR. It's a pretty unique book.
I found this book fast paced and moving. I didn't see the "twist" ending coming (maybe it's not even a twist and I wasn't paying full attention?), but I found that to be another unexpected turn in a book that had already pleasantly surprised me.
I feel like I'm selling this short AND saying I loved it at the same time. That combination might require a reread.
I will read Wendy Mass more later this year when her new book with Rebecca Stead comes out. I can't wait for that!!
Nothing about this book was what I expected it to be. I try not to know much about plot going into a book, but I would have been even more intrigued if I known it was going to be about dealing with loss.. and include tons of VR. It's a pretty unique book.
I found this book fast paced and moving. I didn't see the "twist" ending coming (maybe it's not even a twist and I wasn't paying full attention?), but I found that to be another unexpected turn in a book that had already pleasantly surprised me.
I feel like I'm selling this short AND saying I loved it at the same time. That combination might require a reread.
I will read Wendy Mass more later this year when her new book with Rebecca Stead comes out. I can't wait for that!!
April 6, 2024
This unique realistic fiction graphic novel shows how virtual reality can improve life. It touches on some sensitive topics and shows characters developing empathy. The illustrations are well-done and colorful, conveying all the characters' emotions. I also learned about moon trees. This is a great book for upper elementary and middle school students. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I already purchased this for my library. We have many Wendy Mass fans and realistic graphic novel fans I can hand this to.
July 25, 2024
2023 Cybils finalist
This is a fun graphic novel that shows off some of the cool virtual reality stuff possible. I liked that part more than the emotional problems of the girl who has stopped having friends after some mysterious stuff with her mom that I had mostly figured out before the reveal and that didn’t add much.
This is a fun graphic novel that shows off some of the cool virtual reality stuff possible. I liked that part more than the emotional problems of the girl who has stopped having friends after some mysterious stuff with her mom that I had mostly figured out before the reveal and that didn’t add much.
January 28, 2024
Unread shelf project 2024: book 11.
This was a super absorbing and utterly adorable graphic novel about empathy, changes, growing up, friendship, and acceptance of the difficult parts of life. I loved the color work and the art as well as the writing. Definitely a keeper for rereading when I need a wholesome pick me up — this is not a book I’ll be giving away. 🥰
This was a super absorbing and utterly adorable graphic novel about empathy, changes, growing up, friendship, and acceptance of the difficult parts of life. I loved the color work and the art as well as the writing. Definitely a keeper for rereading when I need a wholesome pick me up — this is not a book I’ll be giving away. 🥰
December 4, 2023
Thoughtful graphic novel aimed at middle-grade readers about some difficult life situations. Addie and Mateo are wonderful characters - their personalities and emotions shine through the colorful illustrations. The ongoing theme regarding developing empathy for others is a worthwhile subject and using VR as a method of viewing life from another's point of view is a very intriguing concept.
October 28, 2023
I really liked the concept behind this one, but I also feel like it dealt with too many topics on too much of a surface level. Would have liked to go a little deeper with one or two. Overall this would be a fun and thoughtful addition to most graphic novel collections.
March 17, 2023
The real world is a crazy place. Things that make sense one day don’t make sense the next. Addie had her whole life flipped upside down with one life altering day. Trying to process what happened can be extremely difficult. Having to move across country to support your dad’s job over the summer doesn’t help. Yet her father is working with an amazing group of kids to develop some amazing virtual reality programs. Can one of them help Addie see things in a different manor and accept what happened in the past?
I think this book is beautiful. Processing things when you’re a teen can be extremely difficult, and having someone show that different methodology can be very effective in helping someone process a trauma is amazing. Not everything has to be old school. There is so much amazing technology and while a lot of people see it as being addictive, it is all in how we use it. It can allow for so many amazing breakthroughs and perspectives that we previously had not explored or thought of before. Facing our trauma is hard enough, facing it in a way that we feel safe is just so important, be it through technology or another way. Thank you for taking the time to show how someone might go through the process.
Thank you so much to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.
I think this book is beautiful. Processing things when you’re a teen can be extremely difficult, and having someone show that different methodology can be very effective in helping someone process a trauma is amazing. Not everything has to be old school. There is so much amazing technology and while a lot of people see it as being addictive, it is all in how we use it. It can allow for so many amazing breakthroughs and perspectives that we previously had not explored or thought of before. Facing our trauma is hard enough, facing it in a way that we feel safe is just so important, be it through technology or another way. Thank you for taking the time to show how someone might go through the process.
Thank you so much to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.
April 18, 2023
A nice middle grade graphic novel about a girl, Addie, who travels to a college campus with her dad for the summer, where he will be helping with a virtual reality (VR) collaborative. There Addie makes friends with the only other kid on campus, and becomes enamored with VR. She and her friend develop a VR program to help child cancer patients and elderly patients at a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, Addie is struggling with the weight of her mother's opioid addiction. I liked this, but it's trying to do a lot in a little space, and things could've been better developed.
May 1, 2023
I read this book pretty much in one sitting - only taking a break to eat something and then jumping right back into it. In this graphic novel, we follow Addie, whose family has gone through some pretty drastic changes recently. Her dad's job is taking them across the country for the summer while he helps grad students work on VR headset projects. Addie doesn't really want to make new friends but she begrudgingly does so with the boy across the hall, Mateo. As she gets to know Mateo and the grad students that her dad works with, Addie opens up and learns about empathy, forgiveness, and friendship.
Overall, this was a fantastic graphic novel that made me cry multiple times. I loved all of this but mostly I really loved Addie. She was a great character that I feel most people can relate to in one way or another. I would highly recommend that people check this book out!
Overall, this was a fantastic graphic novel that made me cry multiple times. I loved all of this but mostly I really loved Addie. She was a great character that I feel most people can relate to in one way or another. I would highly recommend that people check this book out!
January 26, 2024
After Anne read it, she said mom you have to read this. When she says that, then I usually know it is going to be good. This follows Addie who is transported away for the summer because of her dad’s work as futurist … ie he works with virtual reality. Addie’s mom had a terrible accident and got an addicted to pain medication and is not with them at the moment. It is a true coming of age story and working through grief. I don’t have a lot of desire for virtual reality but I really appreciate show they portrayed the strengths of it especially in the hospital scene. I loved her relationship with Mateo and the whole moon tree storyline… that is real. There was so much truth the pain felt and I thought handled well. Some things seemed a little impossible to happen in such a short time but I overlooked as plot points were worth making. Highly recommend.
May 24, 2024
3.75! Characters are great. I was interested in the story. It had some heavy shit, but it was extremely delicate with it. My main complaint is with the VR stuff. Like, what they are all trying to do is honorable and I know there are people out there doing that kind of stuff with VR. However, when the book starts with the inventor of VR giving his most VR will change the world spin that has ever been spun. Followed by an MLK quote. It really seemed that Wendy Mass was hired as a PR consultant for big VR and this graphic novel is just pro VR propaganda.
But … I’m an adult and also even I think that is silly. So when you get down to it, it’s that this is sweet and charming with a high emotional intelligence.
But … I’m an adult and also even I think that is silly. So when you get down to it, it’s that this is sweet and charming with a high emotional intelligence.
June 9, 2023
“Lo & Behold” is so sweet. I love the exploration of empathy & the potential for technology to be helpful and really improve people’s lives. Addiction & lose of a sibling are explored in very kid appropriate ways that do a great job helping to build empathy the same way the characters’ VR programs are designed to do. All the space & tech themes make this a great choice for a STEM oriented kid, but it was really just great in general.
July 23, 2023
Addie's life is never quite the same after her mother's accident. She spends the following summer miles away together with her professor father and his students who are exploring various usages for virtual reality (VR), one of which is using VR to understand empathy. Addie and Mateo, her neighbor for the summer, test out different aspects of VR, especially how it can be used to help patients young and old at the local hospital. There are some unexpected reveals at the end of the novel which opens it up for discussions of several topics not often in the purview of middle schoolers. With colorful and meaningful illustrations, Lo and Behold shows how VR can be used to help others face trauma and challenges in their lives.
August 3, 2023
Lo and Behold
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) or (8.28/10)
Characters - 8
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 8
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) or (8.28/10)
Characters - 8
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 8
October 16, 2023
Wonderful story! Didn't think this would pack the emotional punch that it did!
February 22, 2024
This is a charming and delightful read. There were a couple of unexpected twists that really caught me by surprise. Wonderful and interesting characters with depth and charm.
July 15, 2024
Deals with a lot!!!
February 19, 2025
Another good book for my elementary BOB club :)
December 12, 2023
*Me running to recommend “Lo & Behold” to my students!
I loved this one!
The characters of Addie & Mateo were so great- and I really liked the friendship that blossoms between them. They both had some hard things they are going through, and were able to connect near the end over them.
I thought the Space and VR themes in the book were really cool, and I was interested in the facts & learned a lot.
The illustrations and colouring are stunning- and these might just be some of my favourite characters. Their expressions and mannerisms brought their emotions & personalities to life!
Recommended for grades 4-7, there are some difficult topics to tackle.
I loved this one!
The characters of Addie & Mateo were so great- and I really liked the friendship that blossoms between them. They both had some hard things they are going through, and were able to connect near the end over them.
I thought the Space and VR themes in the book were really cool, and I was interested in the facts & learned a lot.
The illustrations and colouring are stunning- and these might just be some of my favourite characters. Their expressions and mannerisms brought their emotions & personalities to life!
Recommended for grades 4-7, there are some difficult topics to tackle.
January 31, 2023
LO AND BEHOLD is a love letter to the positive potentials of virtual reality. Authored by Wendy Mass, it's no surprise the story is a middle grade home run. Paired with amazing illustrations by Gabi Mendez, this graphic novel will fly off shelves! LO AND BEHOLD would complement STEM course work about the possibilities for VR technology.
Addie isn't feeling up for friendship or fun or a move across the country to a college campus for her dad's new assignment. He works in virtual reality technology. For most kids, that would make her dad the coolest, but Addie doesn't care. She just wants to learn about super old tortoises and wish that things were like the use to be before her mom's injury.
On campus, Addie meets Mateo. She doesn't want to be friends, but he's persistent. She also learns that VR is really cool. For a while, it's the perfect escape from all the things and feelings she doesn't want to deal with. But no matter how much time you spend in VR, reality is still happening. When Addie finally gives friendship a real shot, she learns that she isn't the only one going through grief and more people than just her need a place to escape and find hope.
Addie isn't feeling up for friendship or fun or a move across the country to a college campus for her dad's new assignment. He works in virtual reality technology. For most kids, that would make her dad the coolest, but Addie doesn't care. She just wants to learn about super old tortoises and wish that things were like the use to be before her mom's injury.
On campus, Addie meets Mateo. She doesn't want to be friends, but he's persistent. She also learns that VR is really cool. For a while, it's the perfect escape from all the things and feelings she doesn't want to deal with. But no matter how much time you spend in VR, reality is still happening. When Addie finally gives friendship a real shot, she learns that she isn't the only one going through grief and more people than just her need a place to escape and find hope.
finalists-2023
October 14, 2023Our thanks to Deb Tanner for letting us know about this graphic novel.
https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2023/05...
https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2023/05...
July 16, 2023
Not sure why this is potraying more screen time as a good thing...not the best lesson ever. Maybe teach them to go touch some grass or use their imagination
December 8, 2023
This was sweet.
February 22, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Addie's father works with virtual reality at the university level, so when he is offered a summer job at Spring Haven University, the two travel there. They live in an apartment across the hall from Professor Vargas' family, which includes Mateo, who is Addie's age. Addie's mother is not in the picture, having badly injured her leg and struggled with recuperation. We are not told exactly where she is now, but are given frequent hints that she is alive but not able to be with her family, and it's clear that some consequences of opioid addiction are involved. Addie is interested in tortoises (she was named after one), space, and also in "moon seeds" and the resultant trees that were planted in 1976 after the seeds came back from space. She suspects that one such tree is on campus and is excited about that. She is NOT excited about her dad's VR project, that takes him away from home and leaves her to her own devices for long periods of time, until she tries one of the programs. There are several students and professors working on grants for various kinds of VR experiences, but Addie really likes one that makes her feel like she is not living HER life. Her father has a VR headset at the apartment, and she spends a lot of time in the virtual world, even blowing off Mateo to play instead of hanging out with him. Eventually, she sees that this is not a great plan, and follows Mateo to the hospital to apologize. She has avoided hospitals because of her mom, but realizes that Mateo had a brother who is no longer around, which is why he volunteers. Addie steps in to help kids who don't want to go to chemo, and she and Mateo realize that havin VR available to them might help them deal with the long and boring treatments. She also makes some headway on hunting down the moon tree, gets a surprise involved with that, and makes some peace with her mother's situation. The summer is relatively short, but gives her some lasting connections.
Strengths: I appreciated that while Addie wasn't super excited to move for the summer, she embraced the experience and didn't complain. Her hard working father is realistically portrayed; I think anything at the university level means a lot of time spent away from family. The VR information was interesting, and I liked that it was used for a lot of social situations, like creating empathy or helping children undergo chemotherapy. Mateo and Addie's friendship evolves in a realistic way. Addie's mother's opioid addiction is also very realistic. The illustration style is quite nice and will appeal to graphic novel fans.
Weaknesses: I wish that the addiction had been explained right away instead of being introduced in such a teasing way.
What I really think: Graphic novels really seem to hit their sweet spot when describing trauma, and this has both Mateo's brother's death as well as the issues with Addie's mother, so will go over well with fans of Telgemeier, Libenson, and Scrivan's work. There is enoug story here that it would have made an excellent novel, which I would have preferred, but I will still purchase this for my library.
Addie's father works with virtual reality at the university level, so when he is offered a summer job at Spring Haven University, the two travel there. They live in an apartment across the hall from Professor Vargas' family, which includes Mateo, who is Addie's age. Addie's mother is not in the picture, having badly injured her leg and struggled with recuperation. We are not told exactly where she is now, but are given frequent hints that she is alive but not able to be with her family, and it's clear that some consequences of opioid addiction are involved. Addie is interested in tortoises (she was named after one), space, and also in "moon seeds" and the resultant trees that were planted in 1976 after the seeds came back from space. She suspects that one such tree is on campus and is excited about that. She is NOT excited about her dad's VR project, that takes him away from home and leaves her to her own devices for long periods of time, until she tries one of the programs. There are several students and professors working on grants for various kinds of VR experiences, but Addie really likes one that makes her feel like she is not living HER life. Her father has a VR headset at the apartment, and she spends a lot of time in the virtual world, even blowing off Mateo to play instead of hanging out with him. Eventually, she sees that this is not a great plan, and follows Mateo to the hospital to apologize. She has avoided hospitals because of her mom, but realizes that Mateo had a brother who is no longer around, which is why he volunteers. Addie steps in to help kids who don't want to go to chemo, and she and Mateo realize that havin VR available to them might help them deal with the long and boring treatments. She also makes some headway on hunting down the moon tree, gets a surprise involved with that, and makes some peace with her mother's situation. The summer is relatively short, but gives her some lasting connections.
Strengths: I appreciated that while Addie wasn't super excited to move for the summer, she embraced the experience and didn't complain. Her hard working father is realistically portrayed; I think anything at the university level means a lot of time spent away from family. The VR information was interesting, and I liked that it was used for a lot of social situations, like creating empathy or helping children undergo chemotherapy. Mateo and Addie's friendship evolves in a realistic way. Addie's mother's opioid addiction is also very realistic. The illustration style is quite nice and will appeal to graphic novel fans.
Weaknesses: I wish that the addiction had been explained right away instead of being introduced in such a teasing way.
What I really think: Graphic novels really seem to hit their sweet spot when describing trauma, and this has both Mateo's brother's death as well as the issues with Addie's mother, so will go over well with fans of Telgemeier, Libenson, and Scrivan's work. There is enoug story here that it would have made an excellent novel, which I would have preferred, but I will still purchase this for my library.
April 18, 2023
“Mom’s early wish for me came true. I see wonder everywhere now. I’d just forgotten to look for it.”
Twelve-year-old Addie has grown up seeing the possibilities and wonder in life. That’s easy to do when you’re named after a 250-year-old tortoise, but ever since her life was flipped upside down, she’s had trouble seeing anything but darkness. When her dad’s summer job involving virtual reality moves them across the country, Addie doesn’t really want to do anything but work on her picture book about her namesake. But the summer has other plans, and soon Addie meets her neighbor Mateo and is caught up in an exciting project. Virtual reality has never seemed that interesting to her before, but with the help of a VR headset, she’s suddenly fighting ghosts, playing paintball, cooking omelets, and seeing the world in entirely new ways. And when she and Mateo combine forces on an idea literally out of this world, Addie realizes that she’s actually having…fun. But will there be enough time for them to finish what they’re working on? Or will the summer come to an end before they can?
Like Addie, I’ve never had much interest in virtual reality before. It seems really fascinating, but I’ve always preferred to escape into books instead. But after reading this graphic novel, I want to get my hands on a VR headset and start exploring right away! LO AND BEHOLD is a fun middle grade graphic novel with an emotional core that really hits home. Since Wendy Mass is one of my favorite authors, I knew the story would be phenomenal, and I was not disappointed. But what I didn’t expect was to be blown away by Gabi Mendez’s graphics and Cai Tse’s colors! All of the elements work so well together, creating a literal masterpiece. With friendship, cool technology, and a brilliant twist I absolutely didn’t see coming, what’s not to love?
Content Warnings: Addiction, death of a loved one, mentioned car accident, hospitalization, blood, mentioned bullying, needles
(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
Twelve-year-old Addie has grown up seeing the possibilities and wonder in life. That’s easy to do when you’re named after a 250-year-old tortoise, but ever since her life was flipped upside down, she’s had trouble seeing anything but darkness. When her dad’s summer job involving virtual reality moves them across the country, Addie doesn’t really want to do anything but work on her picture book about her namesake. But the summer has other plans, and soon Addie meets her neighbor Mateo and is caught up in an exciting project. Virtual reality has never seemed that interesting to her before, but with the help of a VR headset, she’s suddenly fighting ghosts, playing paintball, cooking omelets, and seeing the world in entirely new ways. And when she and Mateo combine forces on an idea literally out of this world, Addie realizes that she’s actually having…fun. But will there be enough time for them to finish what they’re working on? Or will the summer come to an end before they can?
Like Addie, I’ve never had much interest in virtual reality before. It seems really fascinating, but I’ve always preferred to escape into books instead. But after reading this graphic novel, I want to get my hands on a VR headset and start exploring right away! LO AND BEHOLD is a fun middle grade graphic novel with an emotional core that really hits home. Since Wendy Mass is one of my favorite authors, I knew the story would be phenomenal, and I was not disappointed. But what I didn’t expect was to be blown away by Gabi Mendez’s graphics and Cai Tse’s colors! All of the elements work so well together, creating a literal masterpiece. With friendship, cool technology, and a brilliant twist I absolutely didn’t see coming, what’s not to love?
Content Warnings: Addiction, death of a loved one, mentioned car accident, hospitalization, blood, mentioned bullying, needles
(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
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