While this is an improvement over a lot of the newer graphic novels we have been reviewing lately (like a lot of the adult biographies in graphic novel format), we do still think the content is a bit more serious and deeper than we would like for the inevitable younger graphic novel audience. This is not a book for the youngest of readers.
The book begins right in the middle of a traumatic scene, where a large ship is sinking and a man is trapped. One man tries desperately to save him, while two others attempt to stop him, believing there is no hope. The man ultimately drowns and dies as the ship plummets to the depths. Keep in mind… this is all illustrated and in a form where young small children will inevitably pick it up right next to InvestiGators and other similar light titles. The remainder of the book is comparatively a bit lighter, but still not matching this youngest audience that will be drawn to the pretty pictures and light format. Don’t want to overstate this, but we also want to make sure parents understand the “feel” of the book as compared to their younger readers.
A few other items to be aware of:
The main character, a younger teenage girl, says, “I’m so screwed”. Later she threatens to run away when she doesn’t get her way and, in an unfortunate message to kids, it works.
A flashback of one of the small sea creatures shows his dad being eaten by a huge sea creature right in front of him.
There are a few somewhat subtle, somewhat not-so-subtle shots at what most readers will see as SeaWorld (the place in the book is called Aqualand) and places like it. We see a trainer saying, “Orcas are highly intelligent creatures, but when she doesn’t behave, we ignore her until she cooperates”. Several animals are shown scared or not doing well at all. When one sea creature who seems miserable in captivity communicates with another we read, “what do you know of my pain?” to which the reply comes, “I can see it in your eyes”. There is a similar shot at humans, “humans dump things into the oceans when they don’t want them anymore”.