Member Reviews
A middle grade graphic novel about navigating new friendships and old ones in middle school, all played out in the realms of Dungeons and Dragons. I really liked how diverse the players were in the club, which is a great alternative to how we traditionally see D&D being played (mainly white male players). I thought the book did a great job in showing the stress/anxiety behind the idea of making new friends, while also showing how important it is to include others and branch out in terms of making new friends.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What an absolutely precious book. I’m a sucker for D&D and I loved the little character sheets for all the characters here. The friendships were wonderful and I found myself actually getting a bit invested - even though I’m not the target audience I found myself caring about these kiddos and wanting to read more about them and their lovely little D&D group.
realistic middle school fantasy adventures and this graphic novel has some aspect of emotional-ness through scenes where the characters in the book have to solve and go through the problems they are facing
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
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I am so, so glad to see books about Dungeons and Dragons coming out that allow younger kids to get into the game in an age-appropriate way - like books, Dungeons and Dragons is for everyone. This is a very cute middle grade graphic novel about the social, emotional, and general benefits of roleplaying games and Dungeons and Dragons in general - we can see how the characters use it to navigate their own problems and expand emotionally and socially. The art is so cute and very accessible - which I mention because sometimes Dungeons and Dragons art is needlessly intricate and intimidating for newbies. Overall, this is a lovely, heartfelt story about coming to terms with change and growth while navigating the challenges of *gasp* middle school.
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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This excellent graphic novel bridges the genre gap between realistic middle school school stories and fantasy adventures. The characters are heartfelt and believable. We explore the conundrum of levels of popularity and feeling like an outsider while seeing a realistic look at how games like D&D can bring people together and help you find a place where you belong. Ostertag captures the true potential and draw of D&D more completely than any media I've experienced thus far.
So, I already knew of Molly Knox Ostertag from her graphic novel series Witch Boy which is super popular with my kiddos in my library and I am SURE that when I get this book it will also be just as popular. This story has an encompassing amount of representation in BIPOC representation and breaks gender binary stereotypes. The story concerns friendship, social-emotional learning, forgiveness, and standing up for what is right when needed.
It's always been just Jess and Olivia and that's how Jess likes it. But Olivia wants to try something new, she wants to start a D&D club opening Jess's safe refuge suddenly has the potential of being invaded by the one person in school Jess doesn't want to be around. With also competing against Olivia's other friends for the attention that they solely have Jess is experiencing social ups and downs more than ever before. Bullies, miscommunications, and rumors push the narrative in a way that is relatable and would help a lot of readers with insight into these situations. The story ended in a way that closes the central issue but is still open for sequels.
Story: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Thanks to NetGalley, Molly Knox Ostertag, and Harper Collins Children's Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A super cute, sweet story about friendship! So glad to see BIPOC characters being allowed to engage in "nerdy" hobbies presented in a positive light!!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the Avanced Readers Copy
Loved this comic, so cute. Will be a good read for a middle schooler, especially one that likes D&D. I hope they write a sequel. I found the characters charming and relatable, and the story was filled with the horrors of my own middle school experience, such as bullying, the constant feeling of not fitting in, and being overly protective of the friends you do have.
My kids absolutely loved this book. They are huge D&D fans so this was right up their alley. Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book!
Jess and her best friend Olivia love to play D&D. At middle school, Jess doesn't really have any friends like Olivia, so D&D is her refuge that she closely guards. Olivia on the other hand, wants to open their group up to other players and tries to start a club. When another player joins, Jess struggles to accept him and tries to sabotage him in game which results in her and Olivia having a fight. Will Jess be able to repair things in real life and in game?
This was a super cute middle grades graphic novel. Jess is pretty easy to relate to. You can understand why she doesn't want a new player in the game, especially once you learn the backstory of that new player. Middle school is a hard time. I loved that the book included stat blocks for monster and for characters in the book. It made the connection to D&D much more tangible. I also enjoyed how Jess would transform into her character from the game. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Childrens Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel by was sweet and beautifully illustrated. There was a diverse cast of characters that were all had well thought out arcs. I would recommend this to any student whose into fantasy. It's perfect for late elementary to middle school and has themes of friendship and change. This could get anyone interested in D&D, I don't play, but I'm considering getting into it.
Cute and sweet but not cutesy or saccharine. A good choice for maybe 9-13 age range that likes fantasy and maybe doesn’t love school.
A delight to read! All the charm and thoughtfulness of an aged-down The Last Session, following middle schoolers using D&D to grapple with friendship and self-identity. Jess's treatment of the club's newcomer was a little rough to read, since to the reader he seems largely blameless—but also, ain't that just middle school?
Admittedly, there were lots of details and threads that I would have loved to see explored further in a graphic novel closer to 300 pages, rather than this title's 200. As usual with this format of storytelling, my main complaint is that there isn't enough of it! But I genuinely loved what was there, and I'd easily recommend this for any young reader looking for a TTRPG spin on the now-classic middle grade realistic fiction graphic novel.
Veteran graphic novel author Molly Knox Ostertag returns with a delightful middle grade comic about Dungeons and Dragons.
I am an avid Dungeons and Dragons player and I can tell the creators of this comic are too, with how they incorporate how a player's character can inspire them to do and be better in the real world, and in how a Dungeons and Dragons game can both build friendships and create conflict.
The transitions from the fantastical world to the middle school were clear and beautiful, and the character designs were striking and instantly endearing.
With as popular as both D&D and children's graphic novels are, this title is a must-have for my children's collection, and I'm sure many others. I hope this becomes a long-running series!
If this graphic novel was a D&D character and the campaign was for my heart, it rolled a nat 20 to charm me. Will there be more? I need more!
Best friends Jess and Olivia love playing Dungeons and Dragons with each other. Jess roleplays as Sit Corius, a solo-adventurer trying to find his sister. Olivia serves as the Dungeon Master. Having always played as a pair, their friendship and campaign will be challenged when Olivia wants to bring on more adventurers.
Alternating between the D&D campaign and the dungeon of middle school, this graphic novel has crossover appeal to realistic and fantasy readers. The art by Xanthe Bouma is PERFECT! I love the character stats incorporated into the D&D and real world environments.
D&D: Dungeon Club - Roll Call is a classic middle grade story about a friendship that's tested, standing up for yourself and others, and communicating clearly. In-depth knowledge of D&D is not a prerequisite for loving this book.
PLEASE MAKE MORE! I'll be recommending this to my middle graders at the library for sure. I love Molly Knox Ostertag's stuff, and this is no exception. The illustration and color palettes? Top notch. The diverse cast of characters? A+. Parallels of middle school drama and dungeon crawling perils? Yes. Friendship? Hell yeah. Nuance (mostly)? Yiss. There's a lot to love here.
This was super sweet and cute! I loved the artwork and the switching from real life to the game characters. It felt easy to read and keep track of both storylines in this! I hope there are more books in this series!
Miigweetch to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/HarperAlley for the DRC.
I’m a fan of author Molly Knox Ostertag’s other works, so I came into this book with big expectations. It did not disappoint! The story centers on the friendship between two 8th graders, Jess and Liv, and their love for the game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Liv wants to start a D&D club at school to recruit players to their campaign, however Jess is reluctant. When known nerd Tyler joins the club, things get messy fast!
This was an excellent middle grade novel about navigating bullies, social relationships, and other complicated situations/feelings. I LOVED that Jess is Diné and overall the cast of characters is very diverse. Jess is being raised by her dad after her mom abandoned their family when Jess was three years old, and I thought the story did a nice job of exploring this situation and Jess’s reaction to it.
The art was excellent and fit the story well. I liked the fantasy sequences when the kids are acting out their D&D campaign. Everything is clean, bright, and easy to look at. There’s a logical flow to the panels and even people who don’t normally read graphic novels can easily follow along. Fans of ND Stevenson and the Lumberjanes series should enjoy this book. I recommend this to anyone who likes wholesome stories about friendship, as well as D&D lovers.
What a delight! My students and I have loved The Witch Boy series, also by Ostertag, and this is similarly delightful. This story uplifts students in all their interests, however "nerdy" or "uncool," while also encouraging them to be creative, brave, kind, and loyal. Kids will love the excitement of the D&D part of the story, as well as the relatability of Jess navigating the minefield that is 8th grade (looking at her classmates as if they were D&D monsters to be encountered!).
Last year, we had a strong contingent of 6th and 7th graders who LOVE D&D. They even played a dice-free, word based knockoff called Trolls and Treachery during every lunch and break! I know that these kids (and others - graphic novels are big hits at our school) will be thrilled to get their hands on this book! I will definitely be putting it on our list to be purchased for our library!
With D&D increasing in popularity, it’s great to have a segue for a younger audience in an easier to digest format than just character sheets and stats (but I love that they show stats throughout for certain beasts along the way). This story doesn’t just focus on D&D but on friendships in a delicate and ever difficult time in one’s life - Middle School. It’s about growing up, making friends, and gaining courage through changing times. A delightful read that will definitely be ordered.