cover image Suee and the Shadow, Part 1

Suee and the Shadow, Part 1

Ginger Ly, trans. from the Korean by Kay Lee, illus. by Molly Park. Bhive Comics (www.sueeandtheshadow.com), $2.99 e-book (112p) ASIN B00BIGI1XI

Twelve-year-old Suee Lee’s first days at a new school take some strange turns in this eerie graphic novel from a Korean creative team. Suee isn’t happy about moving to Outskirtsville with her divorced father, and she’s determined to avoid “loser” status by staying as uninvolved as possible—Suee’s detached demeanor, cerebral narration, and the overall look of Park’s artwork are part Emily the Strange, part Daria Morgendorffer. (“Life in grade school. A series of tiresome events,” thinks Suee during a counseling session with her homeroom teacher.) But Suee’s school-day anonymity is threatened when her shadow inexplicably starts talking to her, and she realizes that there’s something fishy about a new after-school class. Park’s polished cartooning sticks to a palette of drab grays, spiked with pale reds, yellows, and blues—it’s very much in keeping with Suee’s outlook on life and a story in which shadows and bullying play key roles. The book ends with a major cliffhanger, but the sequel is already available, and the third and final installment is in the works. Ages 8–12. (BookLife)