Scott Westerfeld is a favorite author – an old favorite at this point. I read his YA just after I started blogging (so many years ago omg)! He remains a favorite partly because many of his stories are about girls doing things. The other part is that he writes reliably engaging science fiction (his Leviathan books are so my jam it isn’t even funny). When I found out that he had a graphic novel coming out (with Alex Puvilland illustrating), I couldn’t add it to the to-read list fast enough. Spill Zone is a mysterious, action-packed, creepy-weird story, and it is ELECTRIC.
Nobody's ever really explained the Spill. Was it an angelic visitation? A nanotech accident? A porthole opening from another world? Whatever it was, no one's allowed in the Spill Zone these days except government scientists and hazmat teams. But a few intrepid explorers know how to sneak through the patrols and steer clear of the dangers inside the Zone. Addison Merrick is one such explorer, dedicated to finding out what happened that night, and to unraveling the events that took her parents and left her little sister mute and disconnected from the world.
Addison’s world changed after the Spill. With her parents
gone, her sister altered and mute, and her hometown irrevocably twisted, she
had to rework her life to carry on. Officially, no one is allowed in the
mysterious Spill Zone, and the authorities won’t say what happened there – but Addison
explores it, and she has her own rules for survival. The only constant in the
Zone is that things will get weird. When the terms change, Addison may be ready
– or it might be more than she can handle.
Westerfeld sets up a story with a lot of unknowns (re: how
the Spill happened, what it did to people, why some kids survived), family
tragedy, a sisterly bond, weird, physics-defying phenomena, and art for
survival’s sake. While main character Addison works to unravel some of those
unknowns and keep her family together, there are other actors who have their
own motivations, knowledge based hearsay, and less-than-ethical tactics. Combine
that with a daredevil on a dirt bike, and you have the set-up for a thrilling
graphic novel. And of course, Mr. Westerfeld delivers.
There were two bits of the story in particular that sold me
on Spill Zone. The first was Addy’s initial
trip into the Zone (that we see as readers, anyway), where she does a bit of a
mini-tour with her rules for survival. This scene not only gives the reader the
set-up they need to grasp the scope of the Spill, it also establishes danger,
immediacy, and Addy’s motivations. And to be completely honest, it reminded me
of my favorite part of the film Zombieland.
The second genius scene is one where *spoiler* Addy is
having a one-sided (she thinks) conversation with her little sister, Lexa. Lexa
is having her own telephathic conversation with her creepy and sarcastic doll,
Vespertine. I had accepted the weird and threatening nature of the Spill Zone
at that point, but I hadn’t gotten the sense of wrong Westerfeld was trying to evoke quite yet. That interaction sealed
the deal.*end spoiler*
While the story gets a solid A, the art gets an A++++. No
offense, Mr. Westerfeld, but the art is the BEST PART OF THE BOOK. That’s as it
should be, since pictures are kind of the point with a graphic novel. Alex
Puvilland’s illustrations and Hilary Sycamore’s colors bring the action, the eerie
atmosphere, and the characters to life. I can’t imagine what the book would
have been like in anyone else’s hands. The weirdness of the Zone seems neon,
without actual neon burning the readers’
eyes, and the Zone’s unnatural creatures contrast with those untouched by the Spill
(but not so much that you feel like you’ve left Earth).
Add to the art truly gorgeous book production, and you have
a coffee-table-beautiful piece. I’m not kidding. The interior pages are black,
the cover is blue metallic foil, and even the chapter pages are intricately
detailed. For such an unnerving story, it’s quite pretty in places. To lure the
unsuspecting reader in, I’m sure. :)
In the end, Spill Zone
is beautiful, bizarre, and 100% readable. I can’t wait for book 2 (it’s a
duology, did I mention?).
Recommended for: fans of young adult science fiction, adult
science fiction, dark spec fic, and horror, and anyone who perks up at the
mention of Scott Westerfeld and/or graphic novels.
Fine print: I received a final copy of this book for review consideration from the publisher. I did not accept any compensation for this post.
