Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I checked Resistance:  Book 1 out on my daughter’s library card quite a while ago; I thought it might interest her without being too much for a girl who just turned 9 1/2.  It took me a long time to get around to looking at it, of course–doesn’t it always?–but I finally picked it up a few days ago and finished it tonight.  And…

I am ambivalent.

On the one hand, it was interesting, and it wasn’t too much for a going-on-ten-year-old.  The introduction and author’s note did an excellent job of explaining France’s situation during WWII, and the body of the book certainly kept my interest.  On the other hand, the plot seemed slightly contrived, and I didn’t care for the art.  Of course, I will say that fiction about WWII in Europe is always iffy with me because I’ve read a great deal of non-fiction from the time; I doubt the book’s intended audience would have an issue with the plot.  I have no idea how that audience would feel about the art, either, come to think of it.  My problem with it had to do with the characters’ facial expressions–I didn’t feel they expressed nuances of emotion with impressive accuracy.  (Mostly, they just seemed to look either grumpy or surprised, and (in my opinion!) a bit on the ugly side.)

Bottom line?  It absolutely held my attention, but I didn’t love it; since graphic novels aren’t my thing, however, I hesitate to deliver a strong verdict either way.  I’m afraid it’s up to you when it comes to this one.