Written and Illustrated by Kayla Miller
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 192
SRP: $24.99
Poor Olive. Even though Olive is one of the most popular students in her class, she is all alone. There’s a big talent show coming up and all of the other students have partners. Just not her!
Feeling like the odd person out, Olive is stressing out big time. Even though she clicks with everyone, she just doesn’t fit into a clique. (See that clever play on words?) Will Olive come up with an act before the talent show starts? Even more important, will Olive find her way in the fifth grade?
For a first time work, Kayla Miller does a very good job. Her freshness shows at times, especially at the beginning. Just as Olive is trying to find her voice in the fifth grade, I think Kayla Miller was struggling at first to give her characters their voice. The cadence was a bit off. Certain words, like the name of Olive’s brother were repeated ad nauseum at first. But by end of the second act when Olive has a sleepover at her aunt’s, things really fall into place.
I love how Kayla Miller solved Olive’s talent show dilemma. It was very clever. I would have liked to have seen more of her performance during the school event than some of the extra scenes between Olive and a group of friends that have their feelings hurt by Olive’s ultimate decision for her act. However, the kinda open-ended finale was pretty cool. It had an very artsy feel to it that left me quite satisfied.
Miller’s art style was superb. It’s super clean and she uses such thick inks. I love thick inks! It’s a key element that almost all of my favorite all-time artists use in their portfolio of work. But, I will have to say, I was fooled at first by this book.
When I saw this book for the very first time, I thought it was a new graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier (Smile)! Miller and Telgemeier have such a similar look in their artwork. Is it possible for two artists to be creative twins? Even though the cover threw me for a loop, I would advise Kayla Miller to not change a thing about it! It’s really that good.
This book is recommended for readers of ages 10-12. However, there’s nothing offensive or alarming that should give a parent or guardian pause if one 9 and under might want to read this book. Though there are some bigger words and concepts that might require an adults help.
Click is the beginning of a new series of graphic novels. Olive and Kayla Miller will return in April of this year with Camp. I wonder if the title is going to be a unique play on words as Click was with the homonym Clique. If so, I think we’ve discovered Kayla Miller’s motif for the Olive series and it fits in perfectly!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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