Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Graphic Universe (2012), Paperback, 128 pages
Description
A deadly virus killed every adult on Earth, leaving only the kids behind. With her parents gone, Lisa is responsible for her little brother, Todd. She has to make sure they stay alive. Many kids are sick or starving, and fierce gangs are stealing and destroying everything they find. Lots of people have given up, but on Grand Avenue, some kids are surviving. Because of Lisa. Lisa figured out how to give the kids on Grand Avenue food, homes, and protection against the gangs. But Tom Logan and his army are determined to take that away and rule the streets themselves. How long can Lisa's group keep fighting them off? They need to find a place to live safely. A strong place. A secret place.
User reviews
LibraryThing member krau0098
I got an eGalley of this graphic novel though NetGalley(dot)com. I have never read the original work by O.T. Nelson so I can't compare to that. This was a very entertaining read though; the art was well done and I really enjoyed it.
Something horrible happened and everyone over the age of twelve
The art throughout this story is very well done. The art is easy to follow, done in beautiful full color and matches the tone of the story well.
I thought the story itself was a bit un-realistic and unbelievable. Especially the way Lisa resolves the competition between her city and the opposing army; I thought this was anti-climatic and unrealistic. The idea of a world where only kids survive is an interesting one though and being that it is kids trying to deal with all of this some of the immature decisions the characters make ends up making more sense than you would think.
Lisa is a complicated character; she does some good and some bad. She is trying hard to help the kids survive but the fact that she wants her city to be a sort of dictatorship really makes you stop and think. The side characters are all fairly interesting as well; I was surprised at the depth of the story and at how many different societal and survival issues it tackles.
Overall this was a very entertaining reading. The illustration and art throughout the story is detailed, colorlful, and beautiful...I really enjoyed it. The story itself has more depth than you would expect and tackles some interesting societal and survival issues. I had some trouble swallowing parts of the plot though; certain parts were just too unbelievable and too unrealistic. The part of the book where Lisa and the enemy army finally resolve their conflict delivered an interesting message but felt completely contrived to me. This book is appropriate for young adult and older. I recommend it for readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction with a touch of a dystopian feel to it.
Something horrible happened and everyone over the age of twelve
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died and turned into dust. Now the kids are left to survive on their own. Lisa decides to claim a building as her own and build a city for kids to come and shelter at. She organizes the city and gets it running to provide food, protection, and shelter for all of the kids that dwell there. When a opposing faction from the city comes and tries to take over Lisa's city, Lisa and her kids find themselves in a lot of trouble.The art throughout this story is very well done. The art is easy to follow, done in beautiful full color and matches the tone of the story well.
I thought the story itself was a bit un-realistic and unbelievable. Especially the way Lisa resolves the competition between her city and the opposing army; I thought this was anti-climatic and unrealistic. The idea of a world where only kids survive is an interesting one though and being that it is kids trying to deal with all of this some of the immature decisions the characters make ends up making more sense than you would think.
Lisa is a complicated character; she does some good and some bad. She is trying hard to help the kids survive but the fact that she wants her city to be a sort of dictatorship really makes you stop and think. The side characters are all fairly interesting as well; I was surprised at the depth of the story and at how many different societal and survival issues it tackles.
Overall this was a very entertaining reading. The illustration and art throughout the story is detailed, colorlful, and beautiful...I really enjoyed it. The story itself has more depth than you would expect and tackles some interesting societal and survival issues. I had some trouble swallowing parts of the plot though; certain parts were just too unbelievable and too unrealistic. The part of the book where Lisa and the enemy army finally resolve their conflict delivered an interesting message but felt completely contrived to me. This book is appropriate for young adult and older. I recommend it for readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction with a touch of a dystopian feel to it.
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LibraryThing member dcaitlyn
Tougher than the boys, smarter than most grownups, Lisa Nelson is a powerful role model. Here, she is beautifully depicted by artist Joelle Jones. Her gangly preteen frame hints of the dangerous onset of adulthood, while her face is both vulnerable and fierce. The images paint a washed out and
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bleak postapocalyptic world where the horrors of living in a world without adults hang over the young protagonist. A world of grey brown and blue, even the children seem to blend in to the scenery with their ragged clothes and grubby faces. It has the excitement and panic of never having to follow a rule again, and yet understanding how necessary order can be. The story is a great tool for teaching their children their own power, and getting them to think about the responsibilities of society beyond "because grown-ups say so" Show Less
LibraryThing member SDPogue
The original The Girl Who Owned a City was written in 1975. This year it has been adapted into graphic novel form. This is an amazing and powerful story of survival.
Lisa and her brother Todd live in a suburb of Chicago. All the adults have died due to a bizarre virus. Children are now forced to
There are gangs in her area and one robs her brother when Lisa is out scavenging. She decides it’s time to bring together her neighbors so they can protect each other. Eventually, the group moves to the high school and together they build a “city”. This is Lisa’s city and she has to defend it. Things get bad and she has to step up as the leader she was meant to be.
O.T. Nelson’s story is a testament to the power children can have. It’s a tale of survival against the most awful odds. I recommend this for children of any age (except those who are sensitive to blood and violence). The violence is minimal but one character does get shot.
Lisa and her brother Todd live in a suburb of Chicago. All the adults have died due to a bizarre virus. Children are now forced to
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fend for themselves. They are weak and hungry. Lisa is different. She spends her time coming up with plans to find food and supplies. It doesn’t take long before the rest of the children start to notice.There are gangs in her area and one robs her brother when Lisa is out scavenging. She decides it’s time to bring together her neighbors so they can protect each other. Eventually, the group moves to the high school and together they build a “city”. This is Lisa’s city and she has to defend it. Things get bad and she has to step up as the leader she was meant to be.
O.T. Nelson’s story is a testament to the power children can have. It’s a tale of survival against the most awful odds. I recommend this for children of any age (except those who are sensitive to blood and violence). The violence is minimal but one character does get shot.
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LibraryThing member MichelleL_15
Characters:
Lisa was a good main character. Sometimes her decisions were really stupid, but I excused them because she's around 10 years old. She's very mature and responsible for her age. I can't remember much about the rest of the characters, but it doesn't really matter since this is Lisa's story
Plot:
The story moves quickly and efficiently which I appreciated. The story itself wasn't that interesting, but I liked seeing how Lisa would solve the problems thrown her way.
Setting:
The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone over the age of 12 died from a plague. There are a lot of settings like this in stories these days where nothing is really explained except that almost everyone died. It was a bit unrealistic that a bunch of kids could survive that long on their own.
Overall:
The story was nothing special. I think the novel of this book would be more interesting to read because it was hard to get to know the characters like this. I would have liked to read more details and explanations about this. I think this book is like The Road for kids with more action and a much faster pace.
Lisa was a good main character. Sometimes her decisions were really stupid, but I excused them because she's around 10 years old. She's very mature and responsible for her age. I can't remember much about the rest of the characters, but it doesn't really matter since this is Lisa's story
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anyways.Plot:
The story moves quickly and efficiently which I appreciated. The story itself wasn't that interesting, but I liked seeing how Lisa would solve the problems thrown her way.
Setting:
The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone over the age of 12 died from a plague. There are a lot of settings like this in stories these days where nothing is really explained except that almost everyone died. It was a bit unrealistic that a bunch of kids could survive that long on their own.
Overall:
The story was nothing special. I think the novel of this book would be more interesting to read because it was hard to get to know the characters like this. I would have liked to read more details and explanations about this. I think this book is like The Road for kids with more action and a much faster pace.
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LibraryThing member thehidingspot
I'm relatively new to the world of graphic novels, having only read one other prior to The Girl Who Owned a City, but I was intrigued by the title and cover of this novel when I stumbled across it in a Chicago bookstore. Like many readers, I've had a recent love affair with all things
First, it seems appropriate to note that I have not read the original version of The Girl Who Owned a City, so I can't say how closely it follows the original text. The graphic adaption, however, doesn't waste time and immediately plunges the reader into the situation at hand. A virus has killed everyone over the age of 12, leaving Lisa, her little brother Todd, and the rest of kids in her neighborhood (and presumably the rest of the world) to fend for themselves. Luckily, it appears the virus has run it's course and the children now nearing the age of 12 are safe. This novel has an interesting vibe and was reminiscent of Michael Grant's Gone series.
I was interested to see how certain issues would be resolved, but many of them ended up being glossed over or ignored completely. At one point, a boy ends up with a badly burned face, but, all things considered, he recovers quite easily. Seeing as none of the characters are over the age of 12, I was a bit distracted by this. At the same time, I could see reading this novel at a younger age and not seeing this as a huge issue. I think I would probably be more interested in the big events (and shocked of the burn) to pay much attention to details like that, but I can't necessarily say this would be true of all younger readers.
Even though the premise of The Girl Who Owned a City is pretty far-fetched, it definitely sends a message of empowerment to younger readers. Each of the main characters has a specific focus (agriculture, military, medicine, etc) and important function as the children try to build themselves a community.
I didn't necessarily everything in this novel to be all that realistic, but the voices of the characters rung true. Lisa is a savvy and strong heroine, but she's often childish. She's being forced to grow up and take care of her brother (and many of the kids in community), but she routinely falls back into selfish behavior, claiming things, like the city, as "her's." The kids are being faced with a difficult reality, but they're still kids... they play, they joke, they fight. This aspect of the novel felt very realistic to me.
The characters looked a tad bit old, but other than that, I loved the illustrations. I'm unsure how the characters were described in the original novel, but I loved the diversity of the kids involved. A wide range personalities, ages, and cultures are represented. The placement of the panels and the color choices accurately reflected the novel's tone as it progressed, giving the reader an overall impression of the events, even before reading the text. The facial expressions - particularly the eyes - of the characters were all fantastically depicted and conveyed a wealth of emotion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Sure, the plot was slightly lacking in detail at times, but I'm fairly certain this was the fault of the original text, rather than a result of adaption into graphic narrative. In my opinion, the story conveyed through the images themselves more than makes up for the sometimes weak plot.
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post-apocalyptic and this graphic adaptation of O.T. Nelson's novel by the same title appeared to fit into that category nicely.First, it seems appropriate to note that I have not read the original version of The Girl Who Owned a City, so I can't say how closely it follows the original text. The graphic adaption, however, doesn't waste time and immediately plunges the reader into the situation at hand. A virus has killed everyone over the age of 12, leaving Lisa, her little brother Todd, and the rest of kids in her neighborhood (and presumably the rest of the world) to fend for themselves. Luckily, it appears the virus has run it's course and the children now nearing the age of 12 are safe. This novel has an interesting vibe and was reminiscent of Michael Grant's Gone series.
I was interested to see how certain issues would be resolved, but many of them ended up being glossed over or ignored completely. At one point, a boy ends up with a badly burned face, but, all things considered, he recovers quite easily. Seeing as none of the characters are over the age of 12, I was a bit distracted by this. At the same time, I could see reading this novel at a younger age and not seeing this as a huge issue. I think I would probably be more interested in the big events (and shocked of the burn) to pay much attention to details like that, but I can't necessarily say this would be true of all younger readers.
Even though the premise of The Girl Who Owned a City is pretty far-fetched, it definitely sends a message of empowerment to younger readers. Each of the main characters has a specific focus (agriculture, military, medicine, etc) and important function as the children try to build themselves a community.
I didn't necessarily everything in this novel to be all that realistic, but the voices of the characters rung true. Lisa is a savvy and strong heroine, but she's often childish. She's being forced to grow up and take care of her brother (and many of the kids in community), but she routinely falls back into selfish behavior, claiming things, like the city, as "her's." The kids are being faced with a difficult reality, but they're still kids... they play, they joke, they fight. This aspect of the novel felt very realistic to me.
The characters looked a tad bit old, but other than that, I loved the illustrations. I'm unsure how the characters were described in the original novel, but I loved the diversity of the kids involved. A wide range personalities, ages, and cultures are represented. The placement of the panels and the color choices accurately reflected the novel's tone as it progressed, giving the reader an overall impression of the events, even before reading the text. The facial expressions - particularly the eyes - of the characters were all fantastically depicted and conveyed a wealth of emotion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Sure, the plot was slightly lacking in detail at times, but I'm fairly certain this was the fault of the original text, rather than a result of adaption into graphic narrative. In my opinion, the story conveyed through the images themselves more than makes up for the sometimes weak plot.
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LibraryThing member GirlsonFire
I remember reading the book this graphic novel was based on back in 1977 when the paperback came out. I was fascinated with the story- it made me wonder what it would be like to survive with no adults. I think this graphic novel is well done, although it doesn't have room for as many details as the
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original book. The art work is really good! Fans of post-apocalyptic literature should like this book.It's like a younger version of the Gone series by Michael Grant. I wish there was a sequel! Show Less
LibraryThing member akmargie
I liked the twist on post-apocalyptic story. I also found the art very strong.
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
Adults die from a virus and kids are left to fend for themselves. Good story and art.
LibraryThing member librarybrandy
Graphic novel adaptation of the 1975 novel that somehow didn't cross my radar last year. A little slow-moving but still engrossing; lots of war planning and strategy.
Really great artwork that adds a great tone to the story; the color work is fantastic.
Really great artwork that adds a great tone to the story; the color work is fantastic.
LibraryThing member pussreboots
Not sure how it compares to the original novel.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Lisa is taking care of her brother Tod in a world where everyone over the age of 12 was killed by a virus. Lisa is smart and tough and works hard to make sure that her and Todd have enough. Unfortunately she keeps having run ins with Logan and the Chidester gang. Lisa brings all the kids in the
Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
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neighborhood together and after a minor set back brings decides they need to create a fortified city.Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Lisa is taking care of her brother Tod in a world where everyone over the age of 12 was killed by a virus. Lisa is smart and tough and works hard to make sure that her and Todd have enough. Unfortunately she keeps having run ins with Logan and the Chidester gang. Lisa brings all the kids in the
Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
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neighborhood together and after a minor set back brings decides they need to create a fortified city.Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Lisa is taking care of her brother Tod in a world where everyone over the age of 12 was killed by a virus. Lisa is smart and tough and works hard to make sure that her and Todd have enough. Unfortunately she keeps having run ins with Logan and the Chidester gang. Lisa brings all the kids in the
Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
Show More
neighborhood together and after a minor set back brings decides they need to create a fortified city.Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Lisa is taking care of her brother Tod in a world where everyone over the age of 12 was killed by a virus. Lisa is smart and tough and works hard to make sure that her and Todd have enough. Unfortunately she keeps having run ins with Logan and the Chidester gang. Lisa brings all the kids in the
Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
Show More
neighborhood together and after a minor set back brings decides they need to create a fortified city.Lisa is a very interesting character. She feels ownership of the group she creates and wrestles with whether that behavior is correct on her part. She also has to deal with her setbacks.
This book is very violent and there are parts of it that are tough. Kids stealing from other kids, kids hurting others to defend themselves and kids using guns on each other. The visual of this is tough but I think it's realistic and that teens will appreciate the honesty of it. There are no dead kid bodies but there is the idea of them and I appreciate that the illustrator didn't go for the gore factor but still dealt with it. A great graphic novel with a strong, young female protagonist.
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LibraryThing member roniweb
I found this in the kid's graphic novel section on sunday. Post-apocalyptic story where only those under 12 survive. Hell yeah!
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I had no idea this was based on a book from the 1970s when i started. it fits right into the current zombie &
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I had no idea this was based on a book from the 1970s when i started. it fits right into the current zombie &
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apocalypse mania, but suitable for the teen set without being dumbed down. I do think my 8yo daughter can handle this book, but I would encourage parents to read it first. The premise is that a virus has killed off everyone over 12, including parents, and now kids have to fend for themselves. Some violence, but **SPOILER** no one dies. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
This audiobook is based on a galley, which in turn was based on a novel from the 70’s that is older than I am. It’s a short listen at only a little over an hour, but since it was translated from a graphic novel it felt like too much of the story was missing. No real chance at character
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development, and some action sequences are bereft. Like the translator had no idea how to translate the pictures to words. The story itself was okay, but nothing fantastic. Turning a school into a city in a dystopian world where everyone over the age of 12 has died in a pandemic hits a little close to home right now. Is this a stand out, not by any chance. There have been too many better books built around the same concept. Show Less
Language
Physical description
128 p.; 8.4 inches
ISBN
0006