This was a cute diverse story. It a mystery that kept me reading until it was finished. I did not take too long to read because I was interested in the story and wanted to know what happened. I kind of wish it was longer but overall I really enjoyed this volume and will definitely be picking up the next one.

A cute, bright and fun story! Goldie is a fun main character that is ready to do whatever it takes to solve the case! Steal a car? Win a race? Run from the cops? Go undercover? That is absolutely no problem for Goldie Vance!
The women play the biggest part in this one, and Goldie, Cheryl and Diane are amazing female characters, all with diverse interests and looks! Will definitely continue this series, and can't wait to see what happens!

*3.5

This was a cute detective story and definitely fun for a younger reader. Goldie was such perky protagonist who was fun follow, and the side characters made the world really enjoyable. However,I have read a few reviews which have highlighted some slightly, let's say dodgy, viewings of the historical context, which is why I don't find myself inclined to rate this any higher.

A fun detective story with some interesting characters, but the historical context seems to have been rose tinted too much.

I really enjoyed reading this quick graphic novel. Goldie's shenanigans were not always the best choices, but they turned out okay in the end. I'm curious to find out where the next installment takes our little detective.

Goldie Vance is a very strong character with a lot of personality. She moves quickly and is always looking for clues to solve the case. I really like how each volume stands on its own while also being a piece to a larger puzzle. Meeting Goldie and her friends, seeing how they interact in real-time, and how her days are spent between her job at the hotel, her friends, and solving crimes was very well done and balanced.

This graphic novel has a very retro feel which is appreciated. I like how the character shines through this lens and things feel timeless in a way. The target audience is middle grade readers but honestly I think most age groups would enjoy Goldie Vance. It feels similar to Archie along with Nancy Drew and many other crime fighting detectives, with even hints of vintage superhero comics.

The colors in these panels are great, bright but fit the overall theme. It’s fun to read with a good balance of dialogue and action. I really like how the world Goldie lives in is being constructed, from her home at her father’s hotel to living with her mother, and seeing what her neighborhood looks like. Goldie is growing, from learning what it takes to be a detective to being reliable at her job as a valet, and even some hints of romance.

Overall I would recommend this graphic novel series to anyone that enjoys a good clean detective story. Goldie is good for middle grade readers but her driving a car, having a job, and the romance is great for young adults and even adult readers. There’s enough going on in the story to keep me reading and I like how the case is stretched over multiple chapters.

This comics series is perfect for anyone who loves Nancy Drew and/or wants a Nancy Drew but with actual diverse representation. Fast paced, colorful art and lots of humor, Goldie Vance is a very fun mystery comic.

RATING: 4 STARS
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)

I loved this one! It is set in the 1960s, the main character is someone of colour, diverse group of characters AND it's a mystery! This is a bit of a spunkier version of Nancy Drew, or a younger Veronica Mars. It also reminds me of the comics I read as a kid, so a bit of nostalgia.

Oh my gosh! This was so cute! I loved it! I love the graphics. I loved the characters. The storyline was just incredible! I can't wait to read more!

I've always been a fan of Nancy Drew mysteries. From those early yellow hardback books I progressed to Harriet the Spy the novel, then the Veronica Mars television show. Girl detectives are, to put it simply, bad ass. Goldie is the latest in a long line of these and she heads a diverse cast of characters in a 50's era mystery full of car racers, surfers, and spies.

Goldie was very enthusiastic in her pursuit of becoming involved in the work of in-house detective at the Crossed Palms Resort. When she gets involved in a simple stolen necklace case, things go from bad to worse as the case escalates to include a kidnapping of a German scientist, Russian agents, and a mystery third party. Using her skills and a lot of luck, Goldie never lets up for a minute.

While I commend Goldie for keeping at her goal, I also have to point out that a lot of what happened was relatively easy. She didn't have to work very hard to find clues or suss out the culprits, such as the person who stole the necklace in the original in-house mystery. She also has somewhat loose ideals in solving her mysteries, such as stealing a car for a drag race (in order to recover the necklace stolen for collateral) and again in order to pursue a suspect.

The artwork was very lovely and vibrant. This was a very diverse cast. Goldie herself is biracial and is a gorgeous character. Her crush is a record store clerk that's adventurous with a neat short hairstyle and cool fashion sense. Many of the secondary characters, like Goldie's friends Rob and Cheryl as well as the members of the Crossed Palms staff and the nearby town, were black. I'd look into Brittney Williams's work again because she did a great job of conveying the 50's era, the beachfront property, even Goldie's mom's job as a mermaid was aesthetically pleasing.

As for what I didn't like...

There was something that I didn't realize upon my first reading of Goldie Vance. Upon reflection, in regards to certain characters, their backstories, and their paths in the book, that having figured it out now rubs me the wrong way.

Ludwig is a German scientist that was meant to have come to work for NASA. A Russian agent is trying to kidnap him, but is foiled by Dr. Carthage, a third party who wants his help to get to Mars and start a new "government" where there is no government out in space. Post-WWII German scientists being recruited to work for US and Russian government positions in the space race, regardless of their affiliation with the Nazi party, was something very real that happen. Whether or not Ludwig was in fact a Nazi is not revealed, but odds are likely that historically he would have been because more than 1,600 scientists, engineers, and technicians were employed after the war. His getting away at the end of Goldie Vance without any repercussions, along with the stink of that project (Operation Paperclip) gave me an unsettled feeling after reading this book.

Even if I were to ignore the unsettled feeling of Ludwig's past, I'm not sure I would continue reading this series personally. I wasn't thrilled with the action of it. I didn't feel any kind of tension because, as I mentioned previously, it felt like things fell into place much too easily for Goldie. It felt like the effort she was putting into her work was unnecessary and, while her friendships were nice, they weren't enough to support the whole work.

Goldie Vance is a great new story in the vein of Nancy Drew, but even cuter. I love the artwork, but I also think that Goldie's infectious desire to do good is absolutely great. I will be reading the next volume!

When you think of Girl Power, you probably think of someone who’s spunky, curious, and totally amazing, right? Well that’s Goldie Vance in a nutshell. She’s a bi-racial teen detective who’s not afraid to take it a little too far or break the rules for the sake of a case. The story is a fast-paced mystery adventure with tons of soul and retro-inspired art. We’ve been loving this series for awhile now, so recommending the collectable volume is a no-brainer for us.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. Marigold 'Goldie' Vance is a spunky girl ready to help do the right thing, even if it means doing a little bad. She wants to be a detective for the hotel her father works at. Her parents are divorced but she's a well-adjusted teen who has a close friend who also works at the hotel.The friend's a young lady who wants to be an astronaut which I also love. Also, books representing black people and African-Americans in a positive light is always appreciated. And you get to meet a variety of diverse characters, each with their own part to play. When the surprising mystery of a stolen necklace turns into a shocking kidnapping, Goldie is on the case. But when her sleuthing gets not only her but her father in hot water. Can she undo her mistakes and still find the victim in time? You'll have to read the book to find out and I highly recommend it. I think from pre-teens upwards will enjoy this read and it works for both boys and girls.

This graphic novel was a fun read. I'd like to read more of this series.

A very fun book for tweens and up. The art and style is fantastic. The plot feels contrived, but overall a fun, fast-paced book.

Love. Goldie Vance is a feisty 16-year-old amateur detective whose character is clearly inspired by Nancy Drew: #1-64. The art is bright and clearly drawn in large panels, making it easy and fun to read.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Lumberjanes or The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

Oh, guys, Goldie Vance! It looks delightful from the front cover, which is why I requested it from Netgalley. Then you open it and it gets sweeter and more adorable and DELIGHTFUL than I can describe to you.

In this version of Cold War Florida, Goldie's father manages a hotel. Goldie works as a valet and solves mysteries as the hotel detective's unofficial sidekick. Her best friend works at the front desk and dreams of being an astronaut.

This is a 1950-something that should have been, where people of different races live and work together, where Goldie has a crush on a girl and it's all in stride, where a brown girl aspires to be an astronaut and is working hard toward that goal. It's what the good old days should have looked like.

But it's not good just because it makes you feel good. It's good because it's the best kind of detective story, with complicated heists, evil Russians, first dates, stolen jewels, car chases...everything you could want. It's got a simplicity that's kid-friendly, but it's a breath of fresh air and a glorious romp.

Next volume's out soon; I can't wait. You guys really need to read this one!

A really fun, and engaging mystery comic. Boom strikes again!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It's going to be such a hit with my mystery fans, Lumberjanes readers, and so many other teens at my library. I can't wait to share this title!

A weird one – tries to be a drama concerning a teenaged hotel detective's daughter muscling in on her father's job, but despite the bright, modern colouring seems to be set in the distant years of the Cold War. Not horrendous, but not great.

The charmingly retro-yet-intersectional adventures of a young hotel detective. Like the last comic I read, Cannibal, this is set in a gorgeously realised Florida, but it's a very different vision of the coast, as light and cute as you'd expect from the artist of the current Hellcat run. I wasn't sure about the way the resolution left one major plot strand dangling, but otherwise a joy.

(Netgalley ARC)