The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci Published by Roaring Brook Press on May 22nd 2012
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192
Goodreads
Every summer the trucks roll in, bringing the carnival and its infinite possibilities to town. This year Tessa and her younger sister Lulu are un-chaperoned and want to be first in line to experience the rides, the food... and the boys. Except this summer, jealousy will invade their relationship for the first time, setting in motion a course of events that can only end in tragedy, putting everyone's love and friendship to the test.
Alternating chapters of prose and comics are interwoven in this extraordinary novel that will break your heart and crack it wide open at the same time.
Short & Sweet: A fantastic dichotomy of a story. The graphic novel portion shows the tale of a girl who has been cursed to be medusa and turns those she loves to stone. The novel portion of the book wraps a bit of a different tale, one of a girl who cannot stand her jealousy for her little sister when she ends up dating the boy of her dreams. Quite an intense novel. I really related to both sisters in this novel and it was hard not to hate Tessa just a little bit as she could not seem to get over the fact that her sister was dating her crush. Definitely a book full of teen angst.
Final Verdict: An interesting read and those who enjoy graphic novels will enjoy this hybrid novel.
Sounds good to me. Trying something new is just what I need to do.