Book Review: Oh My Gods! (volume 1) by Stephanie Cooke and Insha Fitzpatrick

Oh My Gods!

by Stephanie Cooke (jPB (Series) Cooke)

 

Junior High isn’t easy on anyone, but imagine if you are a Greek god — or even the daughter of Zeus himself. That’s the premise for a new graphic novel series by Stephanie Cooke and Insha Fitzpatrick entitled Oh My Gods! I found this graphic novel to be entertaining, especially for pre- and early teens, and even humorous at times. I also appreciated that illustrator Juliana Moon drew the characters with realistic body shapes.

 

Thirteen-year-old Karen’s mother announces that she is relocating for a new job and Karen finds herself relocating as well, to Greece to live with her dad, Zed. But things at Mt. Olympus Junior High seem a little off. It doesn’t seem like a typical middle school, or else the students seem super committed to the theatrical arts. Honestly, it’s a little surprising that the main character Karen takes so long to pick up on the gag. But eventually it all clicks into place for Karen. The students are actually gods and goddesses of Greek mythology — Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite — and her father, Zed, is really Zeus, the dean and mayor. Through an unfortunate coincidence, just as Karen begins classes, students begin turning to stone. Karen has to clear her name and get to the bottom of things with the help of her new friends; especially when her new friend Pol (Apollo) is turned to stone.

 

Oh My Gods!, the graphic novel (not to be confused with the book Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs), is literally a comic book of Greek Mythology for fourth through sixth graders. And once you polish off this book, you can look for Oh My Gods 2, The Forgotten Maze, in which Karen and her friends look for an online troll in an old minotaur maze.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson or The Magical Reality of Nadia by Bassem Youssef.)

 

( official Oh My Gods! (Book One) page on the official Stephanie Cooke web site )

 

Recommended by Cindy K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

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