I really enjoyed this graphic novel! This post-apocalyptic adventure follows Ginny and her two younger brothers as they head south into a socially and environmentally ravaged California with the goal of finding their mom.

More than half of the reason I personally love reading graphic novels is to appreciate the art, and Hill did not disappoint. The artwork is very well-done. I loved the two-toned illustration. There were some frames that I had to look at very closely to get what was going on, but overall I enjoyed the visual journey.

I did find some of the plot to be confusing, and I had to re-read some parts to understand where the story was going. For example, the Four Dollars identity reveal was kind of "huh?" and anti-climactic. Overall, this is a fast-paced story full of action and adventure. I am looking forward to the sequel(s)!

I haven't read anything this fast in a while. Odessa is a heartwarming graphic novel about three siblings that travel through a post-apocalyptic America in search of their mother, who left them years ago and was presumed dead. The world is dangerous out there but there is always someone willing to give a helping hand.

Loved the story and relationships developed here, Ginny and her brothers embark on an uncertain journey, leaving their father behind, in an attempt to find their mother even though they don't know where she is. The path is filled with territorial gangs and even monsters but that doesn't stop the siblings in their search. They meet people that are willing to help them, and others that are trying to destroy them, but there is no doubt that what matters here is the journey. There are a few dark themes through the volume, talks about death, murders, cannibalism; although very superficial, it is still mentioned.

I liked the characters, while not all of them are equally developed or explored yet the story has not finished and I can see there is quite a lot to see, so there is still a chance. My favorite so far is probably Four Dollars, he has a lot of internal conflict due to his past and the way the Great Disaster affected his life. He is also funny, ok? I'm still somewhat on the rope with Ginny, she seems to be overly-heroic, but also a little naive when it comes to the harsh reality of how things work and it's sometimes a little too stubborn. Her brothers are still not very developed? Wes does his best to contribute in a way and Harry is the youngest brother, that's pretty much what I can say about him. However, at the end of this volume, he goes through a change and I want to see how that affects him.

The art is amazing, I loved the illustrations of the ruins and the crowds, Jonathan Hill did a great job at portraying the state of the world after the earthquakes destroyed everything. I don't read a lot of graphic novels, a tragedy, but I loved the style and felt that it was very suitable for the story.

3/5 ⭐ Very interesting world and pretty stereotypical sibling relationships and plot points but overall quite enjoyable. Started out a bit slow but the pacing picked up when I got a quarter in the book.

Loved the pink accents of the illustrations but I wasn't huge fan of the actual drawing style itself. Nonetheless, an interesting and enjoyable read; I will definitely look out for the sequel.

SPOILER: also loved the unexpected f/f romance hinted in the novel, a perfect read for Pride Month.

This was a lovely easy to read graphic novel, one of which I needed at that point in my reading schedule of the month. I love the idea behind it and really enjoyed following Viginia and her brothers journey to find their mother.

I enjoyed meeting the people that they discovered upon their journey and the friendships that they built. I also loved the life lessons that were revealed to them along the way!

I really liked the aesthetic in relation to the illustrations and the colour scheme. I found it to be very unique and one which I enjoyed discovering each time I turned the page.

I am very intrigued by the ending and I am really looking forward to finding out what happens next!

ODESSA is a graphic novel about 3 siblings looking for their wayward mother in post-apocalypse America. While the premise alone was enough to make me eagerly request, the plot itself was actually lacking. I really enjoyed the artwork, but the dialogue was stilted and the only truly multi-faceted character was Four Dollars. Ginny, who was supposed to be our fearless MC, came across as very cold and hard-hearted and that never really changes throughout the story. I normally really like Ice Queen characters, but Ginny was just plain mean to the brothers she helped raised and was even worse to her "best friend".

I also wasn't feeling the thrown in diversity. Ginny is supposed to be Vietnamese-American but if it hadn't been stated explicitly on page, I never would have known, and right at the end there's a "Hey, this character is actually LGBT" without any follow-up. The ending made it seem like there's a sequel coming, but I honestly don't know why this book wasn't just shortened and the second book wasn't added in. There was no reason for this one to be 300+ pages long.

This book was just okay. It took a while to get into and was a little confusing at times. When things started to pick up, it got a little bit more interesting and I wondered where we would go next. But when I hit the end, I was upset. I had no clue this was going to be more than one book and it felt like I had read all that for nothing to get resolved and things were left so open ended.

Odessa is a heartwarming story of three children searching for their mother in a post-apocalyptic type world whilst encountering all kinds of dangers. I felt as though the story was good and I did enjoy the story, although it felt really hard to get hooked on this book. I did read it all in one go, but I had to take a short minute or two every few chapters to recompose myself and almost force myself to read more. The art style however is absolutely adorable and I really loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this post-apocalyptic journey through earthquake-ravaged Oregon and California, following siblings Ginny, Wes and Harry as they battle bears, gangs and mysterious roots that turn people into cannibals, as they search for their long-gone mother. Intricate yet stark artwork, in only black, white, and pink, really adds to the dystopian atmosphere, and the side characters like TK and Four Dollar are great too.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been devastated by a large earthquake, Odessa tells the story of a group of siblings who set out to find their mother.

I'm really sad that I didn't enjoy this graphic novel as much as I thought I would. The premise was super interesting and I loved the fact that Virginia and her brothers are Vietnamese American. However, the author doesn't go into their cultural identity and if it wasn't for the plot description, I wouldn't have known they were Asian at all.

This graphic novel was honestly just meh. The characters felt dull and unlikable, especially Virginia. She seems so selfish and wishy washy at times, and it made it really hard to root for her. However, I did enjoy Four Dollars and his character development. I also like the lgbt representation within the novel. Even though it's very brief it's still there and I'm hoping Hill will explore this theme more!

I feel like things only picked up for me at the last 30 pages of the book. Everything else just felt so uninteresting and I wasn't really into the plot. However, I do really like the art and the color scheme! Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but nothing truly memorable about it.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this eARC

I am still new to graphic novels so am getting use to the shortness of them. I found this story to be quite engaging and by the characters. I read this in one sitting and was sad when it finished

I like my comics fast paced- like superhero comics. I would say this has a medium pace. At some points it feels long.

I also enjoy likeable protagonists, and I dont understand why the protagonist was grouchy for a majority of the story. However I loved her younger brothers; they were cute and nice and funny! I'd keep reading this series for them.

The post-apocalyptic setting was pretty sweet. It had vibes of Mad Max and The Man in the High Castle but with its own unique elements.

Overall 3.5 stars for this graphic novel. I liked the idea, but felt like it was overly drawn out. This graphic novel didn’t need to be 382 pages. I like a good quest as much as the next person but it seemed like some wasted space on pages and it made the story drag a bit for me. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wow! What a clever story! Odessa takes the concept of the post-apocalyptic wasteland and weaves a fascinating story from it - one that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the world-building that took place and how it was revealed very naturally and I absolutely LOVED the way the fantastical edge to it. Super clever. I thought that Ginny was a really compelling main character and I loved seeing her relationship with her brothers develop. It had the best sort of sibling dynamics. The plot, centered around Ginny's quest to find her mom is really well done and I enjoyed every twist and turn in the story. I also loved the art and thought it did a great job of conveying both the setting and the plot in a really meaningful way. Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel and I absolutely can't wait to see where the story goes beyond this. I'd highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed the art style. There were a lot of great details and I feel helped get me into the mindset of this "destroyed" world. I did not expect the story to be as violent but it felt true to the story. The relationships between the siblings felt honest though Wes and Harry didn't seem that different in age despite one being 14 and the other being around 8?

I didn't anticipate this being a series so a bit bummed to not get the resolution I wanted but interested in reading the next ones to see where the story goes. Also as someone you is half-vietnamese I appreciated the vietnamese rep though I'm not sure I would have known if it hadn't been part of the synopsis.

This has to be recommended as a very good dystopian road trip comic, for the teen and adult audiences. Our plucky heroine, stuck in a remote cabin with her father and two younger brothers, suddenly gets a birthday present in the post from the mother who vanished and turned her back on the family, about the whole time the world went tits up with mahoosive earthquakes. This inspires her to risk all and try and seek out either her mother, or at least her uncle Hank, the only other family she remembers from the good old days. Without giving away any spoilers, she doesn't end up making the journey alone – and at times the "them again – but how?!" response is a bit too great a flaw. But it's a very good journey to witness, with the suitably wrecked western seaboard of the USA peppered by earthquake-damaged landscapes, and even more damaged people. I can see the last few scenes not being to everyone's tastes, but before then this has to be called quality. The black and white and dark pink only artwork is a success in such a counter-intuitive palette, and the artwork and direction are really strong. Also, for all the high drama and heightened circumstances of the piece, it does remain about family and responsibility, and characterisation and dialogue is strong (although you'd have seen a black cloud in a speech balloon above my head for the number of times anger is shown by, er, a black cloud in a speech balloon above someone's head). This is four and a half stars all day from me; it was impressive stuff.

I appreciate the overall story idea, however I had to force myself to follow it. I say it with pity, but unfortunately, it was a boring read.
The book also has some technical problems, such as different font styles all of a sudden, as well as some pixelated pictures.
2/5

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this book for exchange for an honest review.

Odessa takes place after a massive earthquake that ruined and forever changed the Western half of the United States. Ginny, short for Virginia, receives a letter and package from her long-gone mother for her 18th birthday. Deciding to make the long quest to find her, Ginny leaves her brothers, friends, and her father behind as she heads to San Fransico. Along the way, Ginny's group grows and she meets people who will say they will help her on her quest. However, things don't always go as planned.

I'm not totally sure what to think about this. I didn't know this going on but apparently this is only book one of a series so my feeling about the ending partially come from lack of conclusion. I loved the art of this book and greatly enjoyed the colour palette. The book was definitely heart-warming and a wholesome story about a kid looking for her mother. There was also a nice LGBTQ+ surprise.

However, overall, it fell kind of flat. The characters are a little basic, Ginny is the typical big sister who is just "trying to do what is right" when it clearly isn't always right. I really enjoyed Four Dollars, he showed a lot of character development from his stated past and through the novel. The plot itself was ok, it kind of felt like not much had happened in the over 300 pages. Like I said before, maybe if I knew going in this was part of an unfinished series maybe I would felt better about the end but it could maybe have been shorter. I was also left a little shocked about the fantastical elements of the book, it maybe could have been done without.

As of now, I'm torn on if and when the sequel comes out if I will read it.

Odessa is simple yet stunning with a clean black, white, and pink color palette. The worldbuilding was fascinating, the plot engaging, and the characters loveable and distinct. I loved the Vietnamese American rep and the focus on sibling/family relationships. As a first book, Odessa offers a lot of potential for the future, but is also equally satisfying on its own.

Rating: 3.8 stars.

I liked the art style in this graphic novel and I really liked the story as well. It's a story where years after the siblings mom left the oldest gets a package on her birthday and wants to find her mom. It's the journey of going to find her.

Odessa is visually compelling and emotionally rich. I loved the work this graphic novel conveyed in terms of character and storyline.