Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

Sometimes there is a lot of concerning content packed into a short story… in this case a colorful short graphic novel (a format that inevitably attracts younger readers). In this story doodles come alive. One of the art club kid’s contributions is “Magical Butterfly Boyfriends”. Images show two extremely effeminate young boys in spandex-type tight outfits holding hands. Eventually these two “Butterfly Boyfriends” move in together and “fight evil and ignorance”. Another kid brings in witch-looking characters. Not only is this a dark contribution, the author chooses to use “they pronouns” for them (e.g., referring to a singular character, “They will be once they get their hat back”). The story has an overall dark and sad feel. It feels like a strange, dark, heavy, emotional mess, page after page once it gets going. At one point Drew, the main character, enters into what we can only describe as a deep depression. This is really felt given the graphical format. There is wailing, dark nightmares, scary drawings (see below on the discrepancy between this and the cover image). We hear of witchcraft, black magic, evil bad scary stuff, curses and incantations… and a lot of this is from the “good” team. To this “good” witch character, the kid who controls her says, “Gather up your darkness! Use it! Master it!”. In a museum we see an extremely dark and creepy painting shown. In a made up, illustrated city for this character there is an “Occult Academy” and a mention that no magic is forbidden. The impact and surprise of this is made worse by the fact that a) it is called “a masterpiece” by the author of the "Big Nate" series (another Avoid, see that review) and b) it starts off mostly “cute” at the start of the story where parents often stop reading when quickly trying to vet a book. A few other items: At the start of the book at 3 years old, the main character draws on a wall at an establishment. After the parents apologize, the response comes back “sorry for what, your daughter, she is very talented”. When referencing Van Gogh, her parents ask “Couldn’t you have thought of a happier, well-adjusted artist?” to which she replies, “Are there any?” When meeting a very unkind lady, Drew disrespectfully tells her, “Everythings fine. Geez. What’s your problem?” Later she also blatantly lies to her mother. A character describes their “loud little brother and his dumb toys”. A monster keeps eating other characters. At one point it starts puking them up. “OMG” is used and there is a reference to “demon horns”.