"Things never end, they just change"

This book follows Virginia "Ginny" who just received a letter from her mother for her birthday 8 years after she left her and her family. So as she is thrilled to find out that her mother is still alive and cares about her, Ginny decides to set off on a journey to find her mom.

The first thing that I noticed about this book is that the art style of this graphic novel was very stunning. I loved all of the pink tones in this book and found them very beautiful. I enjoyed all of the characters and how sassy, clever, and fired up that they got. I found that the plot was very fast-paced. However, I feel that it was only fast-paced because of the fact that it is a graphic novel. Throughout this 300 page book, I feel that the characters went undeveloped. Even though I found it very fast-paced and there were a lot of adventures which definitely did contribute to the plot and my enjoyment. I feel that however a lot of the adventures were very similar and felt repetitive.

Overall I gave this book 3/5 stars I found it interesting and fun but the characters definitely could have been more developed. This is the first book in a series so maybe this will happen in future books.

* Thank you net galley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing graphic novel. After an earthquake has destroyed the West Coast, three siblings go off in search of their mother. The world has changed dramatically from the one we know, and there were several things that really surprised me. I loved the fantastical elements that were woven into the world, while still keeping the story grounded in a reality that is believable.

There are enough twists and amazing set pieces in the story to keep you turning pages, but the art ... oh man, the art. Often, I found myself just stopping at the pages that establish locations and drinking in the details. It's top-notch stuff and really makes it stand out amongst other graphic novels.

Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger, but not in a "stopped-right-in-the-middle-of-a-big-plot-point" kind of way ... more in a continuation of the story and the start of something big. I want to see more of the USA post-earthquake, and I want to see what happens with the characters. The sibling interactions, and how they relate to each other and their ultimate goal made me want to get my hands on the next volume RIGHT NOW. Recommended

Thank you Oni Press for the digital galley of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.



Odessa by Jonathan Hill is a post-apocalyptic story about a teenager’s quest for her missing mother. The story follows Virginia Crane, who together with her brothers and father, survived an earthquake, the Big One, eight years ago. On her eighteenth birthday, she received a package from her mother who left and vanished. Because of this, she was now determined to know what happened to her mother, even when it meant living the safety of her home and her family.

I really liked the premise with its the end of the world kind of setting. The pacing, in the beginning, was somewhat slow but picked up after a while. The dangers were that might really come during a post-apocalyptic setting were portrayed realistically. A lot of things happened to the characters because of bad decisions, and they encountered lots of characters during their journey. The violence and death scenes were quite shocking, but I think these things were expected given the nature of this graphic novel.

The art style and the choice for the color palette are unique. The pink, white, and black highlighted the chaos and destruction of what was happening in the story.

Although the characters were all interesting, I was not able to connect to any of them. Virginia was impulsive and selfish most of the time. That’s why it made me so hard to root for her. I think the only character that was complex and a fleshed-out was Four Dollars. I like the younger brothers. I enjoyed their banters and they acted exactly for their age. Moreover, Vietnamese representation was a nice touch, but I think it would have been better if it were more of this rep was instilled in the plot. Also, there was a surprise LGBTQ+ rep!

Overall, Odessa was an interesting read. I didn’t know that this was the first part of a series, and because of the ending, I am curious about what would happen next.

3/5 stars!

Overall, this was a solid read. First of all, I loved the colour palette, the dash of pink was stunning. I really liked the art as well, there was something charming about it. The story was very unique, and isn't something I'd seen before in a graphic novel. I will say, I would've liked a little more information on how the world ended up like that. I know the earthquakes were mentioned, but maybe at the start there could've been a little part actually showing what happened to the world to result in it being so ruined. I really liked the characters, they were cute and had their own little personalities which I liked, however there was something preventing me from actually caring about the characters. I loved the little added touches like the jinx root, that was interesting.

I enjoyed this, it was a good graphic novel.

I'm pretty new to reading graphic novels, so I was really excited to receive this one! I was instantly drawn in by the cover and the synopsis. The art in the book is gorgeous! I love the monochromatic color scheme, and I'm excited to see if the next installment is the same color or if it changes. I wasn't expecting this to be a series as I thought this was a standalone, however I am excited the see where the story goes. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book.

When the book first started I really sympathized with Ginny. I felt that she was very motherly and I understood her need to find something for herself and take a break. My love for Ginny was pretty short lived. As the book went on I felt like she had a horrible attitude, and she treated people horribly. Then towards the end, I found myself liking her again.

Wes and Harry are the best little brothers ever. While I don't have little brothers, I do have little sisters. Wes and Harry are the embodiment of little siblings. They are annoying and constantly pick at each other, but at the end of the day you know they care for Ginny!

Four dollars was by far my favorite character in the book. I think he definitely had the most development and backstory of all the characters. He is just a fantastic addition to this book!

Since this is the first book in a series, I would have liked a little more world building. While we saw some of the new order of life, I definitely wanted to see more. So hopefully we get more of that in the next addition. I also really liked that we had Asian/American representation, and LGBTQ+ representation. Overall I really liked this book, and I'm excited to see where the series goes!

“Odessa” by Jonathan Hill follows the Vietnamese-American Crane siblings as they journey across a dystopian America in the attempt to locate their mother, who left the family long ago. The earthquake-ravaged country has become overrun with gangs and scavengers, and it is in this landscape that the Crane siblings struggle for survival in the hopes of repairing their damaged family. The book hosts an interesting array of curious characters and rich environments, each of which is deftly illustrated. The narrative bears a hefty amount of backstory and I’m curious to find out how all the world building and character development will pay off in (SPOILER) the next volume.

Hmm, I picked this book up not really knowing much about the plot. Basically, it is about a girl and her two younger brothers searching for their mother in a dystopian world. Earthquakes have ridden America and now gangs run everything (depending on where you live).

What I liked: The plot was intriguing and I got an adventure type vibe while reading it (if that makes sense). It reminded me why I liked adventure stories. The relationship between the siblings was realistic.

What I didn't like: Personally, I was not a fan of the art style and the font was hard to read at times. It was a little slow.

Overall, it was enjoyable and definitely worth borrowing from the library.

Sadly I was unable to download onto my kindle due to formatting issues. The concept sounds amazing and I will keep an eye out for the physical copy in future!

Ehhhhh. This graphic novel just didn't do it for me. The premise of a journey through a post-apocalyptic world sounded fab, like a huge adventurous undertaking to follow along with (call me a mythology nerd but I literally thought "Odessa" was a play on the Odyssey...it's not). But it sadly ended up being a fairly mundane trek, full of handy conveniences of adults coming to save the day. Apparently the characters are sifting through a dangerous world of gang wars, but I didn't believe the motives behind any of the villain people besides them being overly angry about petty inconveniences. Sure, they could just be bad guys, but I like my bad guys to be believable.

While the art style really wasn't my thing, I will say it suits the rough-and-tumble style of the post-apocalyptic world. Also, bonus point for the beginnings of a F/F relationship.

Other than that, I'd have to say this was a complete miss for me. The characters were kind of annoying to follow, with them bickering throughout 80% of the book. There were some heartwarming moments thrown in, and I suppose you could say it's an authentic depiction of siblings, but the extent in which they were shown bickering vs actual progression of the story didn't balance out enough. It also felt far too long . This graphic novel is actually just the beginning of a series, meaning it acts largely as a set up for future plot lines. That being said, it's over 300 pages long, and I definitely felt that drag. Especially when the first half was so drawn out compared to the random - and seemingly unquestioned - events in the last chapter.

So...yeah. Not a fan I'm afraid.

I wasn’t sure what I expected when I started this, but I absolutely loved it!
I made it my goal to read more graphic novels this year and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. It’s a dystopia set in America after is it destroyed by an earthquake. It immediately grips your attention from the start with the mystery of their mother, why she left and why did she send the gift? They then begin their journey to find their missing mother.

I loved the unexpected LGBT themes & the end left you asking so many questions, once again! Will Harry be okay? Do they find their mother? I’m so excited for volume 2! I want more!

Odessa is well-written and well-illustrated take on one family's journey about a decade after a world-ending earthquake hits the West coast of the US. We follow Virginia and her brothers on an expedition to California to find their mom in Part I of this saga.

I am interested to see how the characters grow in the future, as much of this volume was focused on establishing backstory, world-building, and pushing the plot forward but has limited character-building.

Unable to download on my kindle :( was looking very forward to reading this one! Will most likely purchase a copy when it is released!

It was easy to relate to and root for the characters in the book as the youngsters made their way across a ravaged and war-torn landscape looking for their mom. The plot was easy enough to follow with enough twists and turns to keep me interested. I’m looking forward to the continuation of the story in the next book.

Odessa follows the story of Ginny and her two brothers as they travel across a torn-up America in the wake of natural disasters. The artwork and the simple colours of this graphic novel really lend to the end of the world feel of the story and emphasise the emotional turmoil that is taking place within the characters instead of focusing heavily on the backdrop.

Hill's characters are diverse and nuanced and that sense of what family means to each of us is felt on every page. He balances the emotional struggles with the physical and builds an extremely complex imagining of life after a serious natural disaster destroys the world as we know it. He also expertly blends the expected tropes of a dystopian storyline with new mythologies and fantasy elements.

I'm excited to see more of Ginny's story, as well as more of the mythology and the much-changed American landscape.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book but I was extremely surprised.

Thanks to the author and publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was so disappointed by this one! I really wanted to like this because it sounded so much fun. The only thing I really liked was the bond between the siblings. The story was a bit bland in my opinion and sometimes quite predictable. It was however a very quick read, so that's a plus. Not my favorite, but if you usually like these sorts of stories, you might enjoy this one as well.

Odessa by Jonathan Hill follows the Vietnamese-American Crane siblings as they travel across an unrecognizable U.S.A. to try and find the mother who left them years ago.
Eight years ago an earthquake hit and changed the landscape of the west coast and in the shake up, things that were buried or never seen before started to show up. Gang wars are rampant as groups try to claim territory for themselves and beat back competition, a root, never before seen has caused people to mutate when ingested and that’s only what we know.
On Virginia’s eighteenth birthday she gets a package from the mother that left and decides she wants something just for herself, answers and to see her mom again. Traveling across a strange unknown world Virginia is incredibly naive and will have her world shook up as she learns what has become of the world post earthquake as she travels far and wide to find her mother.
***
3.5 - stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is slow and meandering at the beginning. While I liked Virginia and felt for her a lot of her choices were just kinda... naive and not well thought out. Harry and Wes, her two younger siblings, follow Virginia when they suspect she’s going to leave without them and while it’s sweet and heartwarming in one way I’m also going, for the love of all, send them back to your father, they’re too young for this 😂 am I getting too old that I think this way?
The art style was a pretty simple straightforward style, and worked wonderfully, I thought, for this story. The limited color palette was striking, but I feel like the pink-ish color started to give me a headache after awhile. Maybe a different color would have been easier to handle, but still just as striking.
I’m intrigued enough to want to stick with this for a second volume and see what comes of the Crane siblings and if they will find their mother or just more danger, or both. The answer is very likely both.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Odessa was an okay graphic novel that follows three siblings navigating a post-apocalyptic world in search for a mother that left them and their father eight years before.

I really enjoyed the colour palette, and the art style was all right. But I felt that the plot was dragged out a bit too far, it could have easily been under 200 pages and probably would have been a better, more concise story. Instead, this one felt messy and very tropey, all the while, being extremely text heavy. I wasn't very engaged in the plot or invested in the characters. Finding the motivation to continue reading was a bit difficult. But if you like post-apocalyptic graphic novels this one might be right up your alley!

Thank you so much for the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-galley in exchange of my honest review!

In particular, this was by far the most weird-setting graphic novel I have ever read! The story about these siblings in some ways were really touching and all in all showed me how important to take care of each other, your family and how much curiousity a kid can have!
At some point the novel was pretty intense, and a bit violent for my taste, but I recommend to those who love action paced graphic novels. Also, that "to be continued..." ending is seriously giving me all the anticipation for the sequel!

Post-apocalyptic fiction is all the rage in these mid-apocalyptic days, at least Odessa's apocalypse is something different to your usual fare - the west of the US has been devastated by earthquakes (think The Big One times a hundred), the East Coast supposedly was unaffected but did plonk a huge big wall in the middle of the country so as to easier forget about those West Coast losers.

Society in the west has crumbled and turned into what you'd normally expect in this genre - small semi-self-sustaining settlements, raiders raiding everything that can be raised, big cities built on urban ruins full of danger, etc.

Ginny lives in such a settlement with her dad and her two smaller brothers. Their mother, Odessa, left them years ago, for some unknown reason. Then the mom sends a letter and a photo to Ginny for her birthday, and Ginny decides to try and find her. She leaves against the wishes of her father, and she's barely left the town before discovering her little brothers have followed her.

The book is over 300 pages long, yet only one character really gets developed - and it's not Ginny or either of her brothers. So many pages, and I still would have a hard time telling you what actually happens. A lot of the obstacles feel repetitive, and there's time wasted on plot choices that make me wonder what the point of them is, storywise. Some characters exhibit plot driven stupidity, which is always a shame.

To top it all off, the book ends on a stonking big cliffhanger, something which isn't indicated anywhere beforehand (say, on the cover). It's fine to tell a story in several volumes, but then give some indication, or at least fullfil a complete story arc in this volume.

I did like the art, although it works better for characters and less so for landscapes, where it can be a bit too crude. The black-white-pink colour template works well, but does become slightly headache inducing.

It's a weird one - I'd say wait for there to be a second volume, but then if you don't get the first volume, that would probably erase the chance of a second volume appearing.