As an older sister myself, I was hoping to like Virginia more, but perhaps because I also have two younger siblings, I felt critical and even annoyed with many of her decisions. The biggest being her first decision to go look for a mother who never contacted them for years (esp. in hindsight). I did really like her younger brother since he seemed pretty clever and while I couldn't help but think "that's how you know Harry isn't a Mexican kid" when he wandered off, I did also like him because he was generally endearing. But none of this was enough for me to feel much more than a wondering curiosity of what the end of their journey would look like. I likely won't be picking up future volumes

"Odessa" by Jonathan Hill unfolds a poignant and visually stunning narrative, exploring the aftermath of a seismic event and the emotional tremors it leaves on a family. With a captivating mix of mystery, family dynamics, and evocative illustrations, the graphic novel immerses readers in a world transformed by both natural disaster and personal upheaval.

The synopsis introduces us to Virginia Crane, or Ginny, who navigates life in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake that reshapes the West Coast. The story delicately balances the external changes brought by the seismic event with the internal upheaval caused by the disappearance of Ginny's mother. The familial bonds, particularly those with her two younger brothers, Wes and Harry, form the emotional core of the narrative.

Hill's illustrations are a triumph, capturing the desolation of a ruined America with a palette that shifts from muted tones to bursts of color, mirroring the characters' emotional journey. The attention to detail in depicting the landscape and the characters' expressions adds depth to the storytelling. The sequential art is both evocative and immersive, enhancing the reader's connection to the characters and the world they traverse.

The exploration of Ginny's quest to find her missing mother is a compelling thread that weaves through the graphic novel, infusing it with mystery and a sense of urgency. The narrative unfolds gradually, unveiling layers of Ginny's character and her relationships. The pacing, however, may feel a touch slow for readers seeking a brisker narrative.

One of the strengths of "Odessa" lies in its thematic richness, touching on resilience, familial bonds, and the quest for identity. The graphic novel seamlessly integrates cultural elements into the narrative, offering a nuanced portrayal of Ginny's Vietnamese-American heritage without overshadowing the overarching story.

While the narrative and artistry are commendable, some readers might find the ending a bit open-ended, leaving certain questions unanswered. The ambiguity may resonate with those who appreciate leaving room for interpretation, but it might leave others yearning for a more conclusive resolution.

In conclusion, "Odessa" is a visual and emotional triumph that navigates the complexities of family, loss, and resilience. Jonathan Hill's masterful storytelling and evocative illustrations make this graphic novel a worthwhile read for fans of the genre. Despite a slower pace and an open-ended conclusion, the richness of the themes and the depth of the characters make "Odessa" a compelling addition to the graphic novel landscape. 🌟📚🎨

I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic setting and how smart and determined the kids are... I also was not expecting for that massive creature to pop out of the water. That was an interesting surprise.

A wildly colourful and addictive fantasty story. I really enjoyed the artwork and can't wait to read more in this series when it comes out! Jonathan Hill is an author on my radar now!

After waiting forever to finally read it, I recently read this graphic novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The artwork inside of it was amazing and the story was easy to follow. I really enjoyed all of the characters and I didn't want it to end!

3 Stars: I liked it

Thoughts: As someone who lives in San Francisco and thinks about The Big One on a semi-regular basis, I was interested in what this story had in store. I was curious about how the author thought things might go when (not if) The Big One hits. I wish this story had stayed closer to fiction than science fiction because this is something that will happen, and without the science fiction elements, it will be devastating and terrifying to live through.

Overall, I found this story to be compelling enough to finish but not so much that I think I would want to pick up the next book.

What I liked: The entire comic is done in black, white, and pink. I’ve heard before that pink is supposed to be a calming, non-threatening color. So to use that color in a graphic novel about a dystopian setting where, more often than not, the characters are in some kind of danger gives the story an eerie, unsettling feeling. It really worked in the story’s favor.

I also liked Ginny as a main character. When her mother left her family, Ginny became a mother somewhat to her siblings and a partner to her father. I think it made a lot of sense that as Ginny is reaching maturity and she’s been put in an adult’s role for so long that when she gets to this point in her life, she desperately just wants her mom.

The family dynamic with Ginny’s family also felt very real and relatable. Ginny’s father, who is doing his best as a single parent, feels frustrated about his kids longing for their mom. As someone who had divorced parents growing up I really felt for Ginny’s Dad when he says, “I know you all miss her and you want her to come back, but I’m still here!” because it felt like something I’ve heard my own parents say.

I wanted to put that I found the younger siblings to be annoying in the “What I Didn’t Like” section, but I’m putting it in this section because that’s how I think the author intended the reader to feel. As an adult with adult siblings, I forget how annoyed I was with my own siblings when I was growing up. Those feelings went away for the most part around the time that I was Ginny’s age. So Ginny feeling the way she does at this point makes a lot of sense to me.

What I didn’t like: I felt like the pacing was off. It felt like the story took a while to start and when it finally did it felt like things were moving really quickly.
The world building also felt a little random at times. About 50% of the way through, aside from jinx root, there doesn’t seem to be any otherworldly changes to the world as we know it. In the later half of the book, there were a lot of science fiction elements introduced that felt a bit forced.

I didn’t expect to cry so much from reading a graphic novel but holy I cried so much. This was a beautiful capturing story, the art style and color was absolutely amazing. The story was so good I was hooked from the start and couldn’t wait to see what happened. I can’t wait to continue this series asap

This was a fantastic graphic novel. I couldn’t put it down!

The illustrations were gorgeous and so detailed. This book was fast paced and really fun to read.

This graphic novel was beautiful! The art was so well-drawn. However, the story itself was not something that resonated with me deeply. I found that the the MC and her siblings didn't get the character growth I wanted or expected and the cliffhanger at the end wasn't my favourite. I would be interested to see what the next volume would be like but I am not chomping at the bit.

I went into this book never having read a graphic novel before. Therefor I didn’t quite know what to expect, or rather I would like it o not. I have come to the conclusion that graphic novels just probably aren’t for me, and because of that I find it difficult to judge this book, as the issue clearly Lise with me and not with the work.

I don’t know how I feel about this one (rating wise). It’s not bad, by any means. A teenager leaves home in search of her mom, especially after she gets a present on her 18th birthday. Her siblings tag along, which to me seems just sad.

Idk, this one wasn’t for me, but I would still recommend it.

Odessa by Jonathan Hill is the journey of three siblings across a ruined America to find their mother.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is not my favorite genre, but I still wanted to give this one a shot.

Eight years ago an earthquake hit along the Cascadia fault line, toppling cities and changing landscapes all up and down the west coast of the United States. Life as we know it changed forever. But for Virginia “Ginny” Crane, life changed shortly after the earthquake, when her mother left and never came back. And now she has the desire to risk everything to go find her.

What I liked: Asian-American characters, the two-tone color scheme and art style, how the siblings stuck together and their mission

What I didn’t like: not enough character development (especially Ginny), the ending (for the most part)

Overall, I think this one was just meh. It kept my interest enough to keep reading, but I didn’t feel very attached to the story.

LGBTQIA+ rep: queer MC

CW: kidnapping, cannibalism, hangings, references to graphic violence, torture, murder, gang violence, absent parents, references to child death, natural disasters (earthquake)

A really good start to a series, though I wish I knew it was a part 1 before reading...especially for a 300+ page volume, I was expecting a full story - so I think some problems balanced out due to this *not* being a full story.
This was thoughtful story based on character movement and some plot movement rather than development of either (yet!).

I really liked the art style and colour palette of black and pink. I thought the atmosphere of the graphic novel was really well displayed to the reader, it definitely had post-apocalyptic and creepy vibes~

Odessa is an eye-opener book. It traverse the world of loss, trust, and building up again. This powerful book got me on the edge of my sit. The lesson intertwined with the story shows of strengths and sacrifices. Odessa is one of the best read of my year. It knocks me up showing how to appreciate whatever is given to you.

I ordered this a while ago because I still wanted to read it. I wanted to read it, first because it's Oni Press and I haven't read a bad book published by them before. And it's about a natural disaster, as a biologist I love those (well love them, I don't want them to happen). It wasn't really what I was expecting to be honest, there's only one character that gets the character development that I thought everyone would get. Some things felt repetitive and the story ends on a cliffhanger, which I'm always sad about but I understand, because it's a series. I did really love the art and I am looking forward to the next installment, even if it's just because I want to know how the story ends.

I was really excited for this book because I'm a sucker for covers and I loved the colors on this one. Reading through the book, I really likes the art style and the continued use of pink, black and grey. It was just really pretty to look at. I was also really intrigued by the apocalyptic world and how people were surviving. However as I started reading and the kids' plan to leave became more apparent, I became a little worried. I know we don't know why the mom left but for all the kids to disappear at once is just heartbreaking, I know it drives the plot but they have no idea why she left, what if they make all this effort to get there and she didn't want them. I skipped ahead to at least see them find her only to be met with a "to be continued". I skimmed a lot of the book and it looks like they have a lot of crazy adventures which is great for a graphic novel but I'm not going to invest all this time when there's no end in sight. I did really love the characters, the kids are full of gumption and so smart, it just seems like they have a lot of trouble for something that was totally avoidable.

Reading comics is a relatively new thing for me. It was only during lockdown, when I had the attention span of a fig, that I discovered the joy and page-turning wonder of graphic novels. Joe Hill's Locke & Key and The Walking Dead were my gateway series but I soon began to discover a theme with the graphic novels I was reading: they are pure art. A lot of work goes into the art, colour and expressions and the experience can often be deeper than normal novels.

I realise I'm probably the last person on earth to discover this.

Jonathan Hill's Odessa piqued my interest given my obsession with post-apocalyptic landscapes.

"Eight years ago an earthquake - the Big One - hit along the Cascadia fault line, toppling cities and changing landscapes all up and down the west coast of the United States"

Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane and her two younger brothers have grown up in this landscape, a strange new world based on bartering and luck. The earthquake unearthed primordial species from deep below the earth's surface, resulting in entirely new systems of fauna and flora. All of the strange new plants, creatures and bugs that emerged after the Big One are part of this world that the Crane kids have grown up in.

Ginny, Wes and Harry are used to not having a mom around. She disappeared so many years ago that only Ginny can remember her and their father has brought them up alone. When a strange package arrives from her mother on Ginny's 18th birthday, she sets off across the post-apocalyptic wasteland towards what used to be California. Little does she realise that her two younger brothers have followed her.

In a journey filled with peril, betrayals and deceit, Ginny, Wes and Harry travel across the crumbling remains of America in search of their mother. They meet strangers and long-lost relatives along the way, some of whom they can trust and some of whom they definitely can't.

Will they be successful? Only time will tell because Odessa ends on a heck of a cliffhanger!

I enjoyed Odessa a lot. The art work was simple but powerfully portrayed the desolate and crumbling landscape through which the kids travel. I enjoyed the story too, especially the idea of new plants and bugs being unearthed by the Big One. I'm definitely looking forward to the next graphic novel in the series but there is no news on a release date yet. Hill has mentioned just how much work a graphic novel is - and he is doing both art and story - so hopefully that process is going well.

I give Odessa an excellent four out of five stars and recommend to post-apocalyptic graphic novel lovers.

What an adventure!

I don’t read graphic novels or comic books enough! I loved the atmosphere Jonathan Hill gives you to navigate through.. His drawings are very interesting and gives you a sort of apocalyptic feels.

I found the storyline a little basic, not a lot happens throughout many pages. None of the characters are massively interesting or touching. They’re all a bit grumpy and bickering.

However, I’m looking forward to read more of it and see how it develops and if it develops!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a review copy of this book. The opinions below are my own.

Odessa is set in a post apocalyptic world which has been ravaged by earthquakes. This story follows Virginia and her two brothers as they go on a journey to find their mother who left home several years ago. Virginia receives a gift on her birthday from her mother which prompts her to undertake this journey.

I like the color palette for this graphic novel. The pink background works surprisingly well with blank and white. The art style is also good and it suits the post apocalyptic era. However, the pacing is so slow and the length of the book is kind of big for a graphic novel. It would have been better if it was around 200 pages. There were too many coincidences in the story and some were quite unbelievable.

The characters were flat and irritating and pretty much nothing interesting happens for a long time except for the last part which isn't enough to salvage the book. I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book because I was really looking forward to reading a graphic novel after a long time.

This is not my typical genre for reading and I wanted to give it a try after attending a publishing webinar that discussed parts of Odessa. Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea but I know some of my teens would enjoy it at my library.