Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Pages: 256
Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens
Genre: Graphic Novel / Science Fiction
Notes for Parents: Contains some violence.

The Back Cover

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy.
Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta.
As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This graphic novel was developed from a web comic that won the author the Slate Cartoonist Studio Prize in 2012.

What’s good?

Blackheart is a vengeance-seeking villain with a conscience and his new sidekick is Nimona, a teenaged, shapeshifting spitfire with loads of sass and a thirst for blood. What begins as a simple tale of good versus evil quickly matures into a multifaceted story about relationships, stereotypes, perception, and healing the past. Witty dialogue and irreverent storytelling move the adventure-filled plot at a swift pace. The supporting cast, especially Goldenloin the fair-haired knight, and the nefarious Director are well-drawn (figuratively speaking) and strong. The setting is a wonderfully creative fantasy world.
Best Part: The strange mix of medieval society, magic, and modern day technology totally worked for me.

What isn’t good?

I’m not a fan of the drawing style. The characters have sharp features and vacant eyes, and the panels are dominated by muted colors. However, this is really the only thing I didn’t like and with all honesty, I got used to the style by a few chapters in. While the faces lack expression, the artist uses the body language of the characters to speak quite well.
Worst part: None.

Recommendation þþþþo

This story was totally quirky and a whole lot of fun. I was almost turned off by the violence at the very beginning, but was easily drawn in, especially by Nimona and her cheeky personality. Excellent pacing and strong, dialogue-driven plot development made this a quick and easy read. Definitely recommended.

Stevenson, Noelle. Nimona. New York: HarperTeen, 2015.