"Ink Girls" by Marieke Nijkamp captivates readers with the enthralling tale of Cinzia, a printer's apprentice, and her mentor Mestra Aronne. As Aronne's attempt to expose government corruption leads to her capture, Cinzia navigates a web of deceit to find those behind the proof. The narrative takes an unexpected turn with the introduction of Elena, a nobleman's daughter, adding depth to the story.

The illustrations in "Ink Girls" by Sylvia Bi are a visual feast. Bi's art complements Nijkamp's words with perfection. The captivating blend of storytelling and stunning visuals makes "Ink Girls" a must-read graphic novel, showcasing the power of collaboration between author and illustrator. Don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this visually enchanting and narratively compelling work.

Ink Girls is a beautiful middle grade graphic novel. The illustrations are perfect and the story shares so many important messages. Ink Girls reminds readers to stand up for truth and justice and to use your voice. Recommended for all middle grade collections.

“It isn't telling the truth that's harmful. It's not listening.”

Eleven-year-old Cinzia is a printer’s apprentice. Her and Mestra Aronne are arrested for printing an unflattering truth about the corrupt Lord Magistrate. Cin soon finds allies in young Contessina Elena, pirate Carlotta, and hijabi Aneeqah; together they fight to free Mestra while also investigating the Magistrate’s corruption to restore trust throughout Siannerra.

I’m a sucker for strong female friendships and found family, so I really enjoyed this one. The girls were diverse and each had a very distinctive personality, and they were relatable in many ways.

It’s disappointing to find out that the city you love isn’t what you think it is, but no voice is too small to speak out for what is right. The text felt very relevant to the ongoing problems in the world. Vulnerable people are exploited for others to gain wealth and power, women are underestimated, and many people fear spreading the truth because it makes them uncomfortable.

The artwork was colorful and vibrant, and really brought the Italian Renaissance-inspired setting to life! I really appreciated the author’s note and how it provided historical context of journalism during the time period.

I am going to need a sequel to see what adventure these girls go on next.

Rep: Cinzia walks with a cane, Elena is neurodivergent, Aneeqah wears hijab, Carlotta is queer, all the girls are Brown but there are no labels used

Also, there is the cutest cat named Dante!

Hello Again,

I am still working towards my goal of getting all of my completed reads or DNF’d reads reviewed by the end of the year (while still reading new books, but those may be counted in 2024). Today we are going to talk about an E-ARC for an upcoming graphic novel I am very excited about (thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). I have read and reviewed novels by this author before but never a graphic novel so I am very excited to chat about this author’s newest work!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Cinzia is living in a big city working as an apprentice for a printer. This printer makes a newsletter or newspaper about the city and what is happening. This time when they are preparing to print the newsletter, Cinzia learns that they are going to be printing some not-so-favorable things about the ruling family but they are all true and verified by sources. She decides to discuss this with the person she is apprenticing for and they both know that this story will lead to trouble but decide telling the truth is worth the risk. This risk of truth leads them both to being escorted by guards to the palace, Cinzia is able to escape into the palace and then the city but the guards are looking for her and she only has a short amount of time to try to prove what they wrote was true and save the person she apprentices for from death.

I really enjoyed this story. I am not sure if the author has written other graphic novels but I know they have written several other novels and I enjoyed them as well. (I think I still maybe have one or two to read from their back catalog). This graphic novel tells a story of censorship, friendship, and how coming together can truly make a difference not just to one person but to multiple people in a community. I am definitely planning to pick up a copy to add to my shelves!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I'm often looking for graphic novels that are appropriate for middle grade readers, while also providing rich vocabulary, character development, and clear thematic elements, and Nijkamp's Ink Girls does just that. The illustrations are stunning (and what initially made me request the book), but the story of a young printer's apprentice and her quest for truth in a corrupt city is also quite compelling. I think there are definitely potential curricular opportunities here, and this is a graphic novel I would happily recommend to my students, particularly those looking for strong female protagonists.

Thank you to NetGalley for my e-ARC of this book!

A lovely story about standing up for the truth even if its puts you in trouble. In a imaginary city in Italy a ink printer's apprentice and her friends go on a quest to tell the truth. It was a good novel.

This exciting graphic novel is about a young printer's apprentice who is thrust into a political conflict because of things that her mentor prints. It has strong themes of telling the truth, the power of the press, speaking out even when it's difficult, and friendship. The graphic novel format will make this more accessible to middle grade readers.

I liked the premise of this graphic novel, but I don’t think it will appeal to my students. The names and some vocabulary will throw them off, and I’m not sure they will relate to how the storyline is presented.

5 stars = Outstandting

A fantastic middle grade graphic novel! The artwork is gorgeous. And the story and characters are inspiring. Includes themes like friendship, community, and speaking truth to power. This would make a fantastic choice for a classroom book group, and would be a great addition to graphic novel collections. Fifth and sixth grade feels like the sweet spot for this, although there will be older and young readers who will fall in love with this as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a cool read. I didn't realize going into this book that it was meant for an upper elementary/lower middle school audience (8-12 years), but to be honest, it doesn't feel like it's meant for younger readers necessarily. As an adult and a high school teacher, I enjoyed so much about this book and had something to learn too!

I enjoyed the positive message of standing up for the truth, even when it's difficult. It feels really timely. It's not shared in a way that felt preachy, but it feels important. I'd love to share this with my students!

I'm torn by this book. I feel like the story was good but it would have been a better novel than a graphic novel. I felt like I was missing significant events in the backstories of the characters. I also didn't care for the drawing style. It seemed reminiscent of The Emperor's New Groove movie and the angular drawings weren't appealing to me.

I'm not sure if this book would be read in my junior high library. I felt like the story was confusing, the characters weren't explained well, and the story was lacking. Again, if this was a full length novel, I feel like it would have been great but there were parts that left me confused and I had to go back to see if I'd missed something.

"Ink Girls" is about truth. A young printer's apprentice is tasked with saving her maestra when she is captured by the town's guards. The illustrations are beautiful and detailed.

I did not like this story because the message was too front and centered, and the story fell beneath the weeds. I would not recommend this story to most people. I do think young readers who lean towards the serious and want a level story may like this.

I appreciated the lessons of truth, friendship, and trust but the story felt one-dimensional to me.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this title.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-arc of this book.

This has such gorgeous illustrations and a fun and powerful story about the people taking back from a corrupt leader and using the power of words to spread the truth.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little too focused on the revolutionary aspects at times to the point where I felt the characters suffered a bit. I did like it a lot overall though.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a free review!

Ink Girls was a fun and interesting read. It had a great plot that was intriguing with high stakes.

I enjoyed the whole girlpower movement going on throughout the book. Girls supporting girls is my jam. I’m forever grateful we are moving out of the era of the media where girls are pitted against each other!

The messages and how they translated to our current world were immaculate and spot on. Corruption and complacency in the ruling body really hit close to home!

My only complaint (which is vaguely petty) is how these at most sixteen-year-olds were talking like straight-up poets and founding fathers. I can suspend my belief pretty far but a couple of lines definitely made me raise a brow.

In conclusion, I am picky and this book was great! It had amazing diversity, lovely friendships, and an intriguing plot. I would definitely hand this book to my hypothetical daughter when she gets old enough. (Which says a lot because I am very hypothetically choosy about what content my hypothetical daughter consumes).

Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp and Sylvia Bi is a beautiful story about the strength of what young girls can do when they put their minds to it. When Cinzia's Maestra is taken away for publishing the truth about the royal family, she must try to prove that her Maetra is innocent and the ruling family is corrupt. Cinzia teams up with the royal daughter Elena to help bring power to the people of the city and free the Maestra, The visuals by Sylvia Bi are fun and beautiful to look at and the author seamlessly integrates both disabilities (use of a mobility aid and autism) and well and a diverse cast of characters into the story. This graphic novel is a fun read for middle-grade readers as well as adults!

This graphic novel was everything. I loved every second of it. The art was beautiful, the characters well-rounded, and the story was engaging. This graphic novel showed the true power of the press, how dangerous it can be to tell the truth, and why it's always important to do so. It was a story about activism, found family, and friendship. I would have loved this so much as a young person, and would have drawn inspiration from it. I also really loved the educational bit at the very end, which gave some context for the world the authors created. It was a beautiful book, and I know kids will love it.

Ink Girls was a delight to read.

I will keep this review as spoiler free as possible. Ink Girls is a graphic novel about hope and friendship and standing up for what’s right, even when it puts you in danger. The art is beautiful and fits the story. The pacing and characters are well done. Very relatable and believable. I found this to be a very impactful read that should be on everyone’s shelf, young and old.

I enjoyed this a lot, but I also felt like the pacing was a bit off for me. Sections of the narrative were a bit frustrating, and the ending resolved a bit too quickly and neatly. That said, it did resolve in the way I'd hoped it would, and the characters were all very lovely. I enjoyed the art, and was delighted to see a protagonist with a mobility aid. So rare, especially in fantasy!

"Not the easy thing but the right thing"

This graphic novel was everything and seriously may be one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. I am so thankful I got an earc of Ink Girls from Netgalley and got to experience this story early. This story focuses on the importance of journalism and truth, political control and corruption, strength in solidarity, and that young girls can do anything they set their minds to. This story features a diverse cast of characters both racially and socioeconomically. Disability representation (cane user) and neurodivergent rep is also prevalent! There's even some casual queer representation in the town and background of the story. This story is truly great for all ages and really reminds people that we have the power and we might not be able to do it a single person, but together we can make change.

Y'all seriously go read this book!

With vivid illustrations and a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, Ink Girls tells an impactful story about how standing up for the truth can enact change. Cinzia is determined to help her mestra after publishing a story about corrupt politicians leads to her arrest. With the help of the principessa's daughter and a new friend, Cinzia is determined to track down proof of her mestra's claims. The friendship between the main characters is authentic and heartwarming, and the story itself showed a great model for how youth can make a difference.