 | Ditching Saskia Author: Moore, John | |
| Price: $16.39 | ||
Summary:
Living with his grandfather and struggling in a new high school, Damian decides to summon his mother’s ghost so he can talk things out – but he blows it and summons Saskia, a scruffy, annoying kid. Trying to settle into his new life, Damian doesn’t need her hanging around trying to ‘help’ him with his crush – but Saskia’s suffering too, and everything they’re both hiding deep down might be just what they both need to get some peace. In graphic novel format.
Reviews:
Booklist (+) (10/15/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 10/15/2024 *Starred Review* Being the new kid in high school is hard enough, but Damian’s also dealing with the loss of his parents: his mom died when he was just four; his dad’s new family kicked him out, so he’s living with his grandparents. Although he’s found one kind friend, he’s still convinced “everyone hates [him].” Desperate to talk to a mother he barely remembers, he buys a precious, exorbitant “spirit flower” which has the power to summon the dead. He heads to the memorial he’s always been told is his mother’s and confesses, “I’m totally lost.” The voice that answers, however, isn’t who he expected: nine-year-old Saskia turns out to be a precociously obnoxious, tenaciously bothersome presence. She’s also a local legend who was “found in the woods, starved and with pneumonia.” She didn’t survive and left behind a mystery. Back at school, news of Damian’s would-be spiritual encounter suddenly makes him “the man of the hour,” but all sorts of misunderstandings and deceptions about what happened out there start multiplying. Despite their initial clashes, Damian and Saskia will need each other to admit and exorcise their truths. British author/playwright Moore provides a poignant, heartfelt tale of grief, loss, and hopeful healing. In exquisitely expressive black-gray-white swirling panels—with only the spirit flower highlighted in vibrant orange—Neetols transforms Moore’s narrative into visual magic. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
