Odessa is set in a post-apocalypse United States, specifically on the west coast. Eight years ago there was a massive earthquake that destroyed everything west of the Mississippi and caused Odessa to leave her family.

Seventeen-year-old Virginia lives with her father and two younger brothers. Just before her birthday, she receives a mysterious package from her long-lost mother, Odessa. This gift prompts Virginia to leave the few comforts of home to set on an epic journey to find her mom. Virginia soon finds out that she is not alone on her journey. This YA graphic novel is filled with twists, turns, and surprises along the way. There's even a bit of magic, monsters, and zombies.

As I neared the end of the book, I was concerned that there might be a quick ending, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Odessa is a first volume and Virginia's story will continue.

Odessa is a graphic novel by Jonathan Hill, set in the near-distant future where earthquakes have destroyed America, leaving a country in ruins. It tells the story of Virginia Crane, and her two younger brothers, who are searching for their missing mother whilst dodging bandits and other creatures.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, as Hill’s art style was easy to read, and his backgrounds of the ruins made the setting very beautiful. Sometimes though, the character of Wesley looks like a stereotype of an Vietnamese child, which was distracting. That might just be a stylistic choice, but it did bring me out of the text a little bit.
There is some queer subtext in the novel, which was lovely! I won’t spoil the characters, but the casual representation meant a lot to me. It seems like this will be followed up in the next instalment of the book, which I will definitely be reading. (Also, their Uncle lives in San Francisco and has a past consuming friendship with the Big Bad? My dude’s, he’s gay.)
There is a science-fiction element to the novel, which I actually enjoyed as someone who doesn’t like science-fiction. The Jinx root was very clever, and I’m glad it repeated throughout the novel, as a help and a hinderance. I also liked the different ways of payment, and Hill’s drawings of the money. They looked futuristic, but beat up over a couple of years.
Overall, I thought some of the plot points were a little obvious, especially with certain characters. However, this is an epic of a novel, so I never felt like I was reading cliché after cliché. I was surprised with how much content is packed into this book, and as mentioned before, I’m so excited to read the next part! It ended at a perfect cliffhanger.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and @onipress for the ARC of Odessa by Jonathan Hill. This dystopian graphic novel is a story about family, but also about some of the strange ways life changes after a world ending event. Out this November!

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Synopsis from the publisher: Eight years ago an earthquake—the Big One—hit along the Cascadia fault line, toppling cities and changing landscapes all up and down the west coast of the United States. Life as we know it changed forever. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, life changed shortly after the earthquake, when her mother left and never came back. Ginny has gotten used to a life without her mother, helping her father take care of her two younger brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a mysterious package arrives for her eighteenth birthday, her life is shaken up yet again. For the first time, Ginny wants something more than to survive. And it might be a selfish desire, but she’s determined to find out what happened to her mother—even if it means leaving her family behind.

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I really loved the story of Odessa, and am very excited that this is book one of a series and not just a one and done. The use of monochromatic coloring in the graphics helped to portray the barren landscape and remains of civilization after an earthquake has changed life for the survivors. This is definitely a story heavy graphic novel. It is not a quick read, but also isn’t one you would want to rush through. This is a great book for fans of stories like The Walking Dead, Scott Westerfeld, and Neil Schusterman.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We follow Harry, Wes and Ginny, three siblings embarking on an adventure across a destroyed United States to find their mother. This was advertised as for fans of Neal Shusterman. It did not live up to that. I enjoyed Wes and 4 Dollars, they were entertaining and good enough characters, and the beginning of a f/f romance was a nice surprise, even though it was just thrown in at the end and then ignored. I hope it if further developed in future volumes. However, I thought it was way too long: it could have been condensed to maybe 200 pages and it would have been better, less drawn out and less boring. The only part that I actually was invested in was the fight scene at the near end. Apart from Wes and 4 Dollars, I didn't care for the other 2/3 of the main trio: Harry and Virginia were annoying, and the side characters were stereotypical. Finally, the ending was surprising, and not in a good way: I didn't know this was part of a series and was annoyed that it ended like that.

The concept of this book really intrigued me and was why I decided to give it on try on Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book, it definitely pulls on your emotions, with the decisions that Ginny has to make throughout the story to protect herself, her brothers and others.

I liked that overall, there is a only the smallest hint of romance, but overall the story is about the love of family and protecting your family at all costs.

The art in this book is lovely, I like how simple the colors are but how the shading helps to portray emotions or important objects in the scene.

Overall, a really good post-apocalypse story. Would recommend.

This graphic novel was overly long at more than 300 pages. It did keep me engrossed, though, in the post-apocalyptic world that had destroyed cities and bubbled up criminals and other unwanted characters from underground, literally. But I felt there could have been less space given to the journey that Ginny and the kids took and a little more to life that was before. Ginny's life when her mother was around. Or a little more detail about the big earthquake itself instead of passing references. After all, that was what changed everything.

Nevertheless, an interesting read. There is the hint of a sequel in the end, and I am intrigued to see if that will make the first one whole.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars

<i>Odessa</i> takes place eight years after a serious earthquake that left the west coast of the U.S. utterly destroyed. Virginia “Ginny” has gotten used to living without her mother in this post-apocalyptic world, but when a mysterious package is mailed to Ginny, indicating that her mother might be alive, she sets out on a journey to find her. Just as she’s sneaking out, her two siblings decide to join her, leaving their dad at home as they start their trek through dangerous territory.

I would definitely say that <i>Odessa</i> is entertaining. The kids experience quite a few obstacles on their journey and meet some interesting characters. I also loved the art style and color palette—something about the contrast of the soft pink coloring and the idea of a dystopian land was appealing to me. The font was pretty and easy to read.

However, I did feel like something was missing from <i>Odessa</i>. There was this great dystopian world laid out and it just...wasn’t explored as much as I wanted. There wasn’t much background offered and the depths to which this earthquake affected the area wasn’t delved into as much as it could have been. The pacing was also a bit strange. At some points I felt like things were moving way too fast (especially at the beginning), and at other times I felt like the story was dragging. Furthermore, the ending felt a bit too abrupt. There’s nothing wrong with a cliffhanger, but something about the ending felt too unfinished—like the author decided to quit right there and said “alright, I guess I’ll just make a sequel when I figure out what’s going to happen next.”

Overall, <i>Odessa</i> certainly wasn’t boring, but I felt like it was a bit lackluster considering the fact that the premise had so much potential. I think I would still recommend this to someone who is looking for an easy-to-read graphic novel, but I wouldn’t say it was anything groundbreaking.

This was so good! Wesley is the real hero of this story, though. I stan him forever and a day. I really enjoyed the artwork and storyline, even if the plot was just a tad bit predictable at times. I'm interested to see where it goes from here and just a tad bit peeved that it ended on a cliffhanger!

that was a lot more intense than i expected. the art style is really good, i specially liked the pink theme all over. it feels very cartoon-ish but in a good way.
a lot happens in this. a lot. not only the world is super messed up, but the characters also have a lot of issues and secrets, which keeps things interesting.

Odessa is a slow burn graphic novel about the aftermath of a huge earthquake that literally splits the US in half. It follow the story of Virginia, Ginny, and her quest to find her long lost mother. I loved the artwork and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Overall I liked it. It had ups and downs - started a bit slow to get into and then I disliked the ending. Since this is just the beginning of a series I felt rather let down at the end. I really liked the coloring style throughout and the world building was interesting. A lot of open endings, would be interested to see where it goes in the next one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of dystopian Graphic Novels, so I was excited to pick this one up. Odessa tells a tale of a family's journey through a post-apocalyptic world and the dangers they face.

The artwork in this is simply perfect. I love the single tone colouring used throughout, it evokes just the right mood and fits the linework beautifully. and I adored the set-up and the characters from the very beginning. The plot builds well, and it is nicely paced. It even has a small nod to an LGBTQ+ relationship, so credit for that too.

I do feel there were a couple of issues here too. The story was enjoyable while reading it, but it isn't all that memorable so it doesn't stay with you, and my biggest pet peeve was the ending - there wasn't one. Nowhere on the front does it say this is volume one, so the cliffhanger ending is thoroughly unsatisfying. I'm all for a multi-volume GN series, I love them, it lets us build a complex world and allows for character development - neither of which do I see all that much of here, and for the first volume of a multi-part series, that's a bit of a letdown.

Overall I did enjoy the reading experience, and I do think there is real promise here, but I definitely wanted volume 2 to be available, so I could see that promise fulfilled!

3 stars from me.

(Review published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 16/07/20, to be posted on other third party sites on the date of publication)

Thank you NetGalley for a review copy

When I heard this book was going to be a post major earthquake that tore America apart I was really happy. It did weave a great word but I felt like some parts just fell flat as well. One big thing was I wish there was a map, to just show the divide and how the states looked now so we could get more of a sense of the world. While the story was good I felt annoyed at times with the brothers. There was too much fighting between then, and they also look almost like a second thought with how the pair was drawn. The story seemed to just a lot as well.

Overall I do believe it is a good story for middle school or younger ya fans. I would pick up the second book just to see where the story goes.

This slow-paced graphic novel has beautiful art and coloring, but the story wasn’t my favorite as it took me a long time to get into the story. I’m sure it will appeal to many others though.

Odessa, like last week’s Eden, leaves me in a difficult spot, it’s enjoyable but largely forgettable. It tells the story of an America that’s literally been torn in two by an earthquake, and within that is the story of a family in search of their Mother, though things end in this volume before they find her.

When Virginia Crane turns 18 she receives a parcel from her mother, whom she’s not heard from in a number of years. After reading the enclosed letter and discovering she is still alive, she makes the decision to leave her home and the responsibility of helping her father look after her younger brothers, to trek across a now very dangerous landscape to look for her. Her father is obviously hurt by this, not only has he raised the family alone since his wife left, but he needs her help to watch her younger siblings whilst he scavenges for scrap they can sell in exchange for food. However, he realises he is powerless to stop her and writes her a note saying that her brothers are now of an age that they can start to care for themselves whilst he is away. So, one night, she sneaks away. Unfortunately for her, her brothers have figured out what she’s doing and follow her.

It’s a fairly typical story set in a fairly typical setting as I said, it’s largely forgettable, that’s not a bad thing, not everything is going to always stick with the reader. But it does have a few things going for it, one is its art style, which is almost like a more realistic Gravity Falls (I do so hope that Hill doesn’t find that insulting), played out through a variety of pastel reds. As you can see in the header image, it’s pretty striking. The character of Four Dollars was pretty cool too, I won’t say a lot more other than out of everyone he shows a lot of growth and depth, despite not really appearing in the book until about the halfway point, he certainly felt the most fleshed out amongst the cast we’ve met in the story so far. There’s also a fair amount of representation here, the three siblings are Asian-American and there’s the beginnings of exploring one character who is gay, but unlike a lot of media who are trying to write gay characters, it’s not a character trait, it’s just her sexual orientation, though it does play a huge part in the biggest decision she makes.

Also, being fair to it, I’m totally on board for the journey all of these characters are on, by the end of the volume the core cast had lost someone who they were beginning to become attached to, had a couple of big revelations with others and grown in both their numbers and their maturity to the situations that were presented to them as shown in the way they handle the big confrontation towards the end of the book.

Lackluster. I felt like things were happening to our main characters but not really enough that it propelled the plot. The premise really had be intrigued but it just didn't live up. Not for me.

I feel extremely torn on this book. The relationship between the three kids is so well done, however the pacing seemed all over the pace. Also, I don't know how I feel about this being a start to the series. The art is really nice, though!

I just didn't get on with this graphic novel and I'm not sure why. It's a post apocalyptic story set in west America after the biggest earthquake ever tears that side of America apart. Everything is ruined, society has changed. Ginny, the protagonist lives with her Dad and two brothers. The two brothers were really annoying and were drawn as tiny adults not children. It's Ginny's birthday and she receives a parcel from her mother containing a photograph and a necklace. Suddenly after eight years she decides to travel to the most horrible part of the world to find her mother who might not be there now, leaving behind her father who had loved and protected them. Not only that but her love interest who leaves days behind them, randomly appears on their boat two thirds of the way through the book. How did she know which direction they went? How did she get on their boat? Why did she not say anything?

Thanks you Netgalley and Oni Press for giving me the chance to read this graphic novel, I''m sorry it wasn't for me.

In post-apocalyptic US, a Vietnamese-American teenage girl sets off on a journey to find her mother who disappeared eight years earlier. Ginny just wants to escape from the responsibility of looking after her younger brothers but when they follow her she has to protect them and decide who to trust as they make their way to the ruins of San Francisco. En route they manage to get in between two warring gangs, meet a mysterious man called Four Dollars with a complicated history, and wake something dangerous in the deep.

Jonathan Hill's pink-tinted images are suitably harsh and gritty and his apocalyptic cityscapes are particularly striking. A compelling, poignant story about family and hope in a dangerous world.

Eight years ago, after a massive earthquake, Virginia Crane's mother left and never came back. Ginny had gotten used to a life without her mother, helping her father take care of her two younger brothers, Wes and Harry. But on her eighteenth birthday, when she receives a mysterious package from her mother, her life is shaken up yet again.

She's determined to find out what happened to her mother—even if it means leaving her family behind. What she doesn't expect, is to discover her younger brothers following her despite all her attempts to leave in secret.

The novel then follows the journey of the three siblings, as they search for their missing mother across a ruined America.

This was a quick read. All the main characters were good including Four Dollars. The art and illustrations were good but I felt at times the plot was slightly slow in between.

But I loved the way the novel ended. There are so many unanswered questions- What is the secret of Jinx Root? Is Harry okay? Do they find their mother?. It has already built up my anticipation for the next book in the series!

Thank You to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC!