Horn Book Guide Reviews
Avi takes two standard forms, the novel and the comic book, and combines them for a unique reading experience. As Asterel searches for the token that will save the world from freezing, she races against time and the evil Mr. Underton. The fairly complex good-versus-evil plot works well, and the black-and-white drawings are excellent. Although not the format-breaking success that Avi achieved in [cf2]Nothing but the Truth[cf1] (Orchard), the graphic novel is an innovative experiment. Copyright 1998 HornBook Guide Reviews
Horn Book Guide Reviews
As Asterel searches for a token that will save the world from freezing, she races against time and the evil Mr. Underton. The fairly complex good-versus-evil plot works well, and the black-and-white line drawings are expressive--though somewhat crude by today's standards. This edition of the graphic novel by two ALA medalists includes a new introduction by the author.
Kirkus Reviews
Complications abound in a graphic novel related in brief narrative boxes plus dialogue (some of it in both Spanish and English) in hundreds of b&w comic-book frames. Sarah has been told (falsely) that her mother died; Carlos can't understand why an old blind man is so interested in a subway token he's found. The two kids team up and eventually learn the truth: the evil Mr. Underton was blinded by Sarah's mother 11 years ago when he tried to steal the token that's the source of power for the metropolis (N.Y.C.), which will freeze if the token isn't delivered to safekeeping each December 21 by Sarah's mother (and, someday, by Sarah). With neat feats of derring-do but uncharacteristically lumpy plotting and motives (Stubbs hides from his wife for 11 years, fearing she'll hate him--to keep her love, he leaves her?), this isn't quite fish or fowl. Still, robust spirits run appealingly amok until the expected triumph of good. Author (and publisher) get high marks for experimenting with a new genre, though this may not be the book to make it fashionable. A bold venture that will probably entertain the young more than their elders. (Fiction. 10+) Copyright 1999 Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly Reviews
One of the most versatile YA novelists of the day teams up with first-time illustrator Floca to produce first-rate science fiction in comic-book form. After outlining an altered version of New York City's history, the elaborately plotted saga shows how, through courage and cunning, two preteens, Carlos and Estella, and Estella's clairvoyant mother thwart a power-hungry villain and thereby prevent Manhattan from turning to ice. Against backdrops of neon lights, circling pigeons, abandoned subway stations and storefronts, Avi and Floca dynamically convey a timeless tale of good versus evil. Brilliantly parodying the superhero cartoons of old, this myth conceived in the same spirit as Who Was That Masked Man Anyway? is sure to be a hit with reluctant and advanced readers alike. Ages 9-up. (Oct.) Copyright 1993 Cahners Business Information.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
PW selected this comic-book-style novel as a 1993 Best Book of the Year, calling it ``a timeless tale.'' Ages 9-up. (Mar.) Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information.