May 15, 2023
Grades 7-10 Two-hundred years after ecological collapse, humanity is divided into those on the surface--those living in PERCH compounds, delving for natural resources to grow food in the wasteland--and the rebel "sewerfolk" underground. Since her scientist parents died years ago on a mining expedition, 16-year-old Sarah "Cricket" Higashi has struggled to believe in PERCH's mission, and she's right to suspect them of villainy. After Cricket learns her parents are alive, she seeks them out in the world of tunnels and sewers deep beneath the surface. She runs afoul of PERCH soldiers, rival gangs, bounty hunters, and even alligators but luckily finds allies, too. Flood's dystopian underground is a colorful patchwork of punk and western aesthetics, populated with humans and mutants that range from terrifying to goofy. Cute but hot-headed Cricket, dressed in yellow sanitation overalls and wielding a pipe like a sword, fits in perfectly. The kinetic illustrations and variety of page layouts, while crowded, capture the story's fast-paced action. This first volume is a solid beginning for the raucous adventures to come.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
April 1, 2023
Two hundred years after a worldwide eco-catastrophe, a teenager descends into the vast labyrinth of deep sewers and tunnels beneath a ruined city in search of her parents. Flood kicks off this series opener by pitching 16-year-old Sarah "Cricket" Higashi, daughter of two long-missing scientists, deep into the sodden, rubble-strewn bowels of the earth, where she battles foes ranging from evil mining company PERCH's armed corporate goons to (inevitably) alligators and falls in with a cast of rough, tough subterranean fugitives and mutants. These characters are reminiscent of the Star Wars and Mad Max universes, not to mention Howard the Duck, as humanoid but mallard-headed hybrid Bill takes her under his wing just in time for a rousing climactic clash. Wielding a length of iron bed frame and making good use of her kendo master's lessons, Cricket fits readily into this wretched hive of subterranean scum and villainy as she begins her journey into darkness and danger. In addition to Cricket's Japanese heritage, diversity in the cast is cued through names and physical appearance. The dynamic illustrations, executed in rich, vibrant colors and laid out in interestingly varied panels, are captivating and dramatic. This volume closes on a cliffhanger that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment. A strong start featuring both a memorable dystopian setting and an intrepid hero ready to take names and bash heads. (Graphic dystopian. 12-16)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
May 1, 2023
Gr 9 Up-Sarah "Cricket" Higashi is in big trouble. The administrators of PERCH, the post-climate apocalyptic phosphorus mining town that has always been her home, are running out of patience with her refusal to work any of the array of abusive jobs they force her into. Now Mathis, her childhood teacher, has reappeared mysteriously out of the depths after years, infected with a horrifying fungus and spouting dangerous facts-including the idea that Cricket's parents, who she was always told died in a mining accident when she was a child, may in fact still be alive in a secret subterranean society. Daring and headstrong Cricket promptly sneaks her way into the mines, where she discovers the underground world Mathis told her about, populated with a surprising array of denizens, from cyborgs and gangsters to animal/human mutants called Hybrids. Luckily, Cricket falls in with a crowd who not only have heard of her notorious parents but are also willing to go to war with the powerful mining corporation on her family's behalf. Moody, angular, and dynamic illustrations help bring this rip-roaring story to life. With a diverse cast of characters, a fast-paced, action-packed plot, and an enticing cliff-hanger, this is a promising start to a series that will have readers clamoring for more. VERDICT A surefire recommendation for comics readers on the hunt for all things post-apocalypse; high adventure; and grungy, industrial sci-fi.-Darla Salva Cruz
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