After so long, I have finally read something I can rate with 5 stars, without any remorse. This story is extraordinary and intelligent. As description says, Alex is superstitious girl, who doesn't want to celebrate her 13th birthday (of course, 13, bad number, nah), but her mother wants her to. So Alex in angrily mood just steps on a crack - aaand there goes mother's back. How to change that? Easy. With a little help of a kind leprechaun and few others. Storyline is interesting, mysterious, funny. In one moment close to end it is predictible, but the way it was all described and actions of the characters were totally bandages for that, so you won’t see that as a flaw. I liked those murderous trees and the imps in Slugwood forest, I liked that it was a little scary though childish. Art is nice and strange, I can’t wait to see other work by Louie Joyce. I enjoyed every little bit of this comics.

Alex, a twelve going on thirteen-year-old girl, lives her life by the painstaking rules of every superstition. She uses her encyclopaedia level knowledge of all things good and bad luck through everything, even her own thirteenth birthday is amiss (since thirteen is an unlucky number). The one time she chooses not to follow these rules, it breaks her mother’s back... really. “Step on a crack, break your mothers back” is a bit of a corny situation to occur seriously in a story, but it turned out a little funny and manages to bypass any major cringe by jumping right into the seriousness of Alex’s situation. The adventure she must embark on, to save her mother, takes her into another world.

The subversion's and world are unique and interesting, though light on detail. The relationship between Alex and her family is sweet, believable and at times heart-warming. Alex herself is a brave, determined little girl, easy to like. I liked the art itself, gritty and dark toned. The main idea you go away with is a nice reminder for young audiences about the power in taking control of your own narrative, owning the cards you’ve been dealt and pushing through difficulties until you get to where you need to be. An important and empowering one for Alex in the end.

I enjoyed it though at times it felt rushed, jumping from one situation to the next with little breaks. I would recommend this for the younger range of YA readers who are after a fast-paced adventure story with some interesting little twists and surprises.

Superstitious Alex Mills goes to great lengths to avoid bad luck - never walking under ladders, picking up pennies, carrying good luck charms - but none of her caution can stop the loss of her dad in a freak accident, nor the spill her mom takes onto the ground. Alex is hardly surprised when she discovers a real live leprechaun having sprung the toy surprise in her breakfast cereal, and she's more than happy to go on a quest with him, to Haphaven, in an attempt to restore her family's luck -- but nothing there goes quite like she imagined.

A really wonderful graphic novel for young adults about the importance of taking matters into their own hands.

The main character is a teenage girl named Alex, who has become increasingly superstitious when her father passes away. She is superstition to the point where she does not want to celebrate her 13th birthday since 13 is an unlucky number. After arguing with her mother she decides to step on a crack to break her mothers back... and it actually happened. Not going to lie, I laughed when Alex rushed in her house and her mom was on the floor.

So the rest of the time we see Alex doing whatever it takes to save her mother and that includes fighting bad guys in a magical place that is hiding a pretty bad secret. Really fun read with refreshing dialogue that actually made me chuckle a few times. Although, this could have been spread out to 2 graphic novels so that way the pace didn't seem to rush.

Also, was not a fan of the artwork.