Graphic Novel Review – The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, Veronica Fish (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 96 pages
Publisher: Super Genius
Release Date: August 1, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1629917696
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“16-year-old Wendy Davies crashes her car into a lake on a late summer night in New England with her two younger brothers in the backseat. When she wakes in the hospital, she is told that her youngest brother, Michael, is dead. Wendy ― a once rational teenager – shocks her family by insisting that Michael is alive and in the custody of a mysterious flying boy. Placed in a new school, Wendy negotiates fantasy and reality as students and adults around her resemble characters from Neverland. Given a sketchbook by her therapist, Wendy starts to draw. But is The Wendy Project merely her safe space, or a portal between worlds?”

I picked this up at the library on a whim. I haven’t been reading many graphic novels lately and this looked interesting. It was a well done blend of contemporary, fantasy, and magical realism. I enjoyed it and especially loved the art style.

Wendy is in a horrible car crash while driving and the crash kills one of her brothers…or does it? Wendy and her other brother are convinced that the youngest brother isn’t dead but was taken by a mysterious flying boy. Now Wendy and her brother must figure out if their brother Michael is alive in a different world or dead.

This book is an interesting blend of fantasy and reality. Wendy is obviously undergoing a mental breakdown of sorts and her own confusion makes it hard to tell what’s fantasy and what’s reality. In her moments of fantasy she is convinced that Michael has become a lost boy (there are many Peter Pan references throughout). While the story is fairly melancholy, there are glimpses of hope throughout as well.

Overall this is a unique and creative story that I enjoyed. I really loved the illustration style and how it was put together. I would recommend to those who enjoy fairy tale retellings and stories where fantasy and reality are blurred.