Nell Starkeeper is back for another adventure in this hilarious graphic novel/diary sequel, told from the perspective of a girl living a very average life with her two dads in the land of Gumbling, a magical enclave of the modern world.
This time, Nell is excited about the upcoming seventh-grade Multi-Disciplinary Wilderness Engagement Adventure, where her class will explore an enchanted forest of gumblecreatures. Her best friends Leabelle, part-fairy Myra, Thumbkin Gil, and centaur Voila are all on her team (though Nell can’t figure out what’s been making Gil so grumpy and distant lately), and her team’s guide is her new crush, Romesh Roy, an expert camper. Nell figures they’ll win the award for best team and beat that of her nemesis, Tony Pfluff.
But Nell gradually becomes disillusioned with Romesh’s leadership style, which values efficiency over feelings. And other crushes among the group are making things awkward. To top it all off, the entire team gets shrunken to Thumbkin size after a wish gone astray. They’re going to have to figure out how to work together and draw on each of their strengths as they confront old fears and new revelations in order to survive—but that’s easier said than done.
As in the first volume, the story hits many typical beats of coming-of-age tales—crushes, self-doubts, and interpersonal changes—but does so in a totally original setting with a dose of humor and an imaginative eye. There are underlying themes, too, about how to ask for and receive help, acknowledge our fears, find our strengths, and handle change, but they’re embedded in such a clever, humorous story that they never feel pedantic. And in addition to Nell’s two dads (who appear only briefly), we meet a new character who is nonbinary and see a romantic relationship develop between two of the existing girl characters.
Once again, author/illustrator Emma Steinkellner has perfectly nailed the blend of relatable, contemporary characters and magical, fairy-tale worldbuilding. There are also entertaining asides, in text and images, about the culture, flora, and fauna of Gumbling and of Nell’s life, but they enhance rather than bog down the overall narrative.
Highly recommended and absolutely delightful. (Side note: The series absolutely deserves to become an animated television series.)
Nell, her Pa, and siblings are White; her Dad has slightly darker skin and could be read as White or Latino. Myra is Black and Gil and Voila are White. Leabelle is Asian.
