Odessa follows the story of Ginny and her two younger brothers in a post apocalyptic USA, where an earthquake has devastated the country. After receiving a birthday gift from her mother who has left them, Ginny decides to go on a journey to find her mother, and get the answers she's been looking for.

It's a story of survival and family, heartbreaking at times with it's wholesome moments showing through too.

The three tones in this graphic novel startled me at first as this is the first graphic novel I've read that only uses three colours (white, black and pink), but it was beautiful, and it ended up being one of my favourite things about this.

The story was interesting, albeit a little slow at some points, but I found myself getting attached to our main characters, and rooting for them the whole way.

This is the first in a series, and I'd definitely be interested to see where the next part of the story goes.

Closer to a 3.5 than a 3.

The file is too big to download so I can't even read it to review it - great job guys. Why not test these things out before you put them on the site? This is just a waste of everyone's time.

A post-apocalyptic graphic novel! This unusual and highly readable book serves up a "Walking Dead"-meets-"The Road" feel. I enjoyed the world-building, however the set up for Ginny leaving was a bit unbelievable. There's not enough character background provided to help the reader understand why she would abandon her father and brothers to set off on a dangerous hunt for her long-lost mother. Overall, however, once I bought into the story, I was hooked.

First of all, I read this in one sitting. While that happens often in graphic novels, I found it too gripping to even pause.
Odessa is the mom everyone is searching for, and in this fictional account that happens 8 years after a disaster, many questions remain. Perhaps if this plot was a novel, we'd have more explanations, but as far as the visuals ad the storytelling is concerned, this is a concrete, packed-with-thrill graphic novel.

I did like the villains and the heroes and such. I liked the characters a lot!

I really liked the use of colour in this graphic novel. The two tone art was interesting and added a lot of depth to the drawings, and I think I find two-tone less distracting than full colour art. The linework really stood out to me, and the monochromatic nature of the art made me see more of the jagged post-apocalyptic landscape and really added to the mood of the book in places.

I liked the three main characters a lot. Ginny, Wes and Harry had a very realistic sibling relationship and seemed appropriately aged, though the younger ones switched between childlike immaturity and moments of forced responsibility - which I think makes sense for the setting of this graphic novel and was well done. The setting was well-developed and well-explained without the use of exposition. I managed to predict a could of the twists in this story, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable, and this was an easy and interesting read. It didn't shy away from the dark moments that post-apocalypse stories call for and I'm nervous and excited to find out what happens to the siblings and Maya next.

I found the digital format a little hard to read and blurry in places but that may just be an issue with my eARC. I'd definitely be interested in seeing this one in paperback because I think that would make the art really stand out. Definitely looking forward to the rest of this story, and to seeing more of Jonathan Hill's work.

"Odessa" is the first long chapter in a sumptuously-drawn post-apocalyptic tale following the journey of teenager Virginia Crane as she searches for her missing mother in a broken West Coast landscape that is stranger than it first appears. Jonathan Hill has created a beautiful and fully-realized world here, drawn in a soft black-white-and-pink palette; he is equally at home crafting scenes of urban chaos and moments of bucolic natural beauty. His character designs have strong elements of iconic cartoon design, but the look Hill has created is quite unique. Despite their cartoonish feel, Hill's characters retain a surprising sense of realism; the reader gets the sense that every line is important to the full expression of Hill's protagonists, their allies, and their many enemies. The small panels (Hill favors a tight 9-panel grid) are full of details that build the world, provide subtle characterization, and foreshadow upcoming plot points in a concise manner (it is no surprise that Hill teaches comics at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, his sequential beats are just about textbook perfect). Action is always clear, grounded, and propulsive, even as the story moves ever further from realism.

The plot and dialogue is perhaps a bit less polished than the artwork and visual storytelling (this is Hill's first outing as a writer), but overall the story is still compelling. The main characters are a trio of siblings, and there is some fun "you can't pick your family" style chemistry between them. "Odessa" clocks in at over 300 dense pages, much of it full of expansive stretches of dialogue as the protagonist Ginny, her brothers, and various other characters bicker, barter, and belittle each other. A bit too much space is given to explanations of the politics, history, and mechanics of the post-apocalyptic world, much of which could have been cut; Hill's lush backgrounds and unique character designs are more than capable of showing the obvious richness of his creation.

The tone varies quite a bit as well: Pitched as a young adult GN, on the one hand "Odessa" is a grounded, near-future post-apocalyptic story that frequently feels like it is about the become a very serious and very scary tale in the vein of the graphic novel "The Land of the Sons" by Gipi or the video game "The Last of Us"; at other moments it feels like a fantastical and light-hearted romp that is more in line with the films ""The Goonies" or "Home Alone." This makes the stakes difficult to ascertain or understand at times: "Odessa" begins as what is essentially an impulsive decision to leave a safe and comfortable home and quickly turns into a violent tale where characters are frequently injured and die and quite young children are frequently placed in mortal danger. The characters frequently make flagrantly dangerous or foolish decisions, which can make for a frustrating read (bad judgement isn't limited to the kids; parents and adults are near-universally absent or criminally negligent, a theme which may or may not be explored more closely). While this can feel realistic at times, at other moments I had the strong urge to round up the wayward adventurers and send them marching back to the safety of home.

Future chapters of the story (this volume ends with a clear "To be continued...") might clarify the narrative arc, and despite some criticisms I am definitely looking forward to future installments in the journey of Ginny, Wes, Harry, et al. Jonathan Hill has created an expansive, rich, and compelling world and filled it with fun characters, now he's just got to stick the landing. I've got every faith that this talented and meticulous cartoonist will succeed.

I read this in one sitting! I'm not usually a fan of graphic novel but this was compared to Neal Shusterman and Scott Westerfeld so I knew I had to request this immediately. I really enjoyed this, it was heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. I thought the drawings were nicely done (even though it was 3 colors only) and I love the cover. I also enjoy the end of the world settings. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I love Oni Press as a publishing company as I am a big fan of Scott Pilgrim, so I was excited to read this.

Virginia has been taking care of her brothers since her mom left them 8 years ago and then receives a package on her 18th birthday from her mom. She decides to leave home and search for her mother. The book started off slow for me. I really wanted background on why the world was the way it was, but it immediately started on the main character, Virginia's, journey and that threw me off a bit. I loved the minor characters in this story such as TK and Four Dollars as they not only gave context to the background of the story, but they aided in character development for Virginia. At times I got frustrated by the decisions that Virginia makes, but I had to remind myself that she's only 18 with her mind set on finding her mother. By the end of the story, you'll be rooting for the characters on their journey!

Excited for the next one!

I have found that it is harder for me to connect with characters in graphic novels, but that was not the case with Odessa. Jonathan Hill crafts enjoyable and engaging characters that instantly grab the reader's heart and interest. The story itself was engaging and easy to follow and the art style complimented the writing and story pretty well. OVerall, this was a solid graphic novel.

Odessa is an amazing Graphic novel with beautiful cartoon line. This novel is about the adventure of siblings. When old sister gets the necklace and letter from their mum, who left their family 8 years ago, Ginny decides to find her. Their living in California, after a big earthquake, which change the world and the people. There's a gang war on the streets, but they are still moving forward despite the many losses.
I really like this book. It was funny and amusing. I appreciate showing the characters of the main figures and their problems. Also I liked theme od end world.
I recommend it, it's worth reading.

A graphic novel with a fun post-apocalyptic/western vibe. Hill's art creates a mood and a lot of emotion, even in this three-color format. The story... worked less well for me. There's some confusing worldbuilding -- contradictory dates and so forth. A lot of the dialogue is just bickering, which somewhat tracks, as three of the main characters are siblings, but it's not a dynamic I enjoy over a long period. The biggest frustration for me, however, was that the whole purpose behind the quest -- Ginny deciding she wants to find her mother -- never feels meaningful enough to warrant the cost. (At least not in <i>this</i> volume: yup, this is secretly part 1/?) Quite a bodycount racks up around these kids, and in service to stakes that do not feel justified.

This review feels complainy. That may be unfair: this book was fine! It's diverse, queer, and there are some imaginative pieces. I just didn't love it.

Didn't quite like this.

Got this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wasn't too into this one. Thought the story was quite boring and couldn't really get into it. I had to take little breaks form this in between so I wouldn't get too bored sadly. I did like some of the characters however I thought the lack of the in depth of the story was sad. I just wished for so much more when I read the blurb.

Sorry but a 2 star from me.