Eight years ago an earthquake—the Big One—hit along the Cascadia fault line, toppling cities and changing landscapes all up and down the west coast of the United States. Life as we know it changed forever. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, life changed shortly after the earthquake, when her mother left and never came back.

Ginny has gotten used to a life without her mother, helping her father take care of her two younger brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a mysterious package arrives for her eighteenth birthday, her life is shaken up yet again. For the first time, Ginny wants something more than to survive. And it might be a selfish desire, but she's determined to find out what happened to her mother—even if it means leaving her family behind.- Goodreads

Minor Spoiler...?

Kids sure do mess things up thinking they should know everyone's story.

I loved this graphic novel and finished it in one sitting. The story of kids trying to find their mom after a massive natural disaster destroyed the world as we know it may seem basic but this story is not.

Ginny, Wes and Harry are extremely entitled and if they weren't arguing with each other, they were arguing with other people telling them how right they were. The kids don't just leave to find their mom but they abandon their father to do so and that is just rough (and hypocritical in my eyes).

However, despite my issues with the kids, this story was phenomenal to read both with words and the illustrations. 

The art style is great. Its clear, detailed, original and pink. I liked seeing the lines of the characters because it makes me see envision the illustrator sitting at their desk drawing. It feels personal and I like that. 

The pace of the novel moves really well. They are not constantly at threat but the tension even when they are sleeping is real. You can feel it and see within their body language. I wish there was more clues about their mother because they are running on pretty much nothing. I also wish there was more background about their relationship with their father. I get that all anyone is doing is trying to survive but there had to be some form of relationship at least between Ginny and her father. 

Beyond the fact that Ginny, Wes and Harry were extremely entitled they were also stupid and so many lucky breaks that the ending really surprised me, which by the way I loved. 

I wonder how many volumes this book is going to be and what new characters will be introduced AND if there will be any actual growth. 

Overall, 

4 Pickles

SO GOOD!

Really enjoyed this. Found myself utterly hooked and loved the art style. It was probably aimed at an older reader but it wasn't terrible. Teen maybe?

The post-apocalyptic story has been done, sure, but I liked the search element of it and although there were one or two twists that I saw coming, it was still an enjoyable ride.

Can't wait for the follow up now!

What a ride! The book starts with a simple premise, Ginny, the eldest daughter of a tight-knit, but struggling family, wants to look for her estranged mother. To do this, she has to journey from the northwest to her last known whereabouts in San Francisco. It then dials it up a notch by placing it in a post-apocalyptic setting where the world slowly reveals itself to be more dangerous and strange as the characters venture further south culminating in a truly tragic and bizarre turn of events.

Despite the bizarro setting, the graphic novel is grounded by the relationships the characters have to each other, especially between Ginny and her stowaway younger brothers. They fight like siblings, but have each others' backs in times of crisis. I won't spoil it, but the other characters they meet along the way are just as interesting and read as people doing their best to survive the new normal.

The art is really cool. I loved the black and white with pinks thrown in for effect. It also made some of the more sad or disturbing elements of the plot more bearable, because it wasn't a hyper-realistic style.

I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a graphic novel about a post-apocalypse that's made less bleak by the friends we make along the way.

This was pretty okay for me. I wasn’t as in love with the color scheme of this as I had hoped. It took me a majority of the book to grow attached to the characters (I’m talking about 85%) but by the end I was really curious as to how this would play out. The ending does have me intrigued for how book two will play out and what the title will be. I think if you’re really into post apocalyptic stories you’ll enjoy this, it just took me a bit longer to get into things considering this isn’t my typical genre. There were also quite a few misspellings I noticed throughout the book.

I have been on a graphic novel kick lately – and something about the post – apocalyptic nature of the plot of Odessa–a quest of a teenage girl to cross the post-apocalyptic city to find her mother who left their family before a day long earthquake brought on the end of the world.

I absolutely adored the premise of the end of the world scenario –especially the illustrations (I really hope that the drawings are called illustrations; if not please do let me know) are portrayed realistically and somehow EXACTLY what I had imagined the world to be like if it had actually ended through some natural disaster (is it weird that I think about such things?); so it was actually amazing to see such detailed illustrations as well as the color palette is such the perfect combination that it was a treat to read through this graphic novel.

As for the plot itself – it took a little while for the plot to start and the characters weren’t easy to like – Virginia took off to on a whim to find her mother in a world that is hard to navigate and survive after receiving just one letter from her; one letter after years of silence from her – so it was really hard for me to like or even root for her. Plus, the fact that she is aggressive and rude showing her immaturity in circumstances where she should have been mature leader; didn’t endear me either!

Though I loved how her younger brothers kept her in line; and the Vietnamese + the surprise LGTBQIA+ rep in the storyline had me squealing with joy! All in all; Odessa was a surprising read; and interesting enough that I will be keeping an eye out for the sequel!

This was really good overall! I never know what to say on graphic novel reviews because I finish them so quickly, even though this was longer than average.
The style was cute, the font was readable, the characters were likeable. It felt a little bit slow on the beginning and the ending felt rushed, but nothing too bad. I didn't see the plot twists coming, and it has the right ammount of out-of-page gore for me. The subtle queer rep might've felt like the author was trying too hard at the beginning, but it weaved seamlessly into the story.
I didn't know that this was first in a series when I requested it or started reading, but now I'm waiting for the sequel!

Odessa is beautifully illustrated in black white, and muted pinks, which complement the bleak world that Ginny and her brothers are growing up in. The United States changed drastically after a giant earthquake destroyed land and divided the country. Ginny's mother left but now, years later, she receives a letter and decides to go searching for her mother. Even though she has been responsible for taking care of her dad and brothers, she decides it is worth the risk to travel through the dangerous landscape for the sake of answers. The story centers around the importance of family and protecting one another.

Thank YOU to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Odessa by Jonathan Hill promises an exciting post-apocalyptic tale of three siblings as they search for their mother. However, while there is a tale to be told, it is not quite as exciting as the blurb or synopsis would initially have you believe.

The artwork throughout this graphic novel is sublime and does little to detract from the story at hand with a unique style which is dynamic and enjoyable throughout, creating an easy read which allows for this to be read in one sitting, if the reader so chooses.

However, while the artwork is enjoyable and the concept of the tale is intriguing, there is very little depth to the story which may come down to the fact that this is to be continued, with further volumes perhaps exploring more of a story. The main characters seem rather flat, though the minor characters do make up for this, with Four Dollars being a particularly enjoyable read.

This is an easy read, but not one which will leave a particularly long-lasting effect on the reader. Bonus points are given for the inclusion of queer representation, but even this is not expanded upon or developed well enough to warrant an extra star.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novelS. The characters are well-developed and the plot engaging. Definitely a favourite graphic novel and will look forward to more in this series.

This tells the story of Virginia and her siblings who decide to try to find their mother who left 8 years ago. The world has changed after a big earthquake so this also has dystopian themes as well.

I highly recommend this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me a copy of this book!
This book was very good and a fast read. While I enjoyed it, nothing about it stayed with me. It was interesting and fun to read but there was nothing that jumped out at me and took ahold of me. I would definitely want to read the next volumes though.
This review will also be posted on Goodreads.

Odessa takes place after the "Big One" hits the Pacific NW - and follows three kids as they search for their mother who left them 8 years prior. This is a dystopia and a kind of Western, that is told in pink and white gradient colors, and with descriptive art. This is pretty long graphic novel, but is only part of the story - and I didn't feel connected to the characters or the story in the end to want to read more. The lead character, Virginia (Ginny for short) seems to create situations that unapologetically put people she cares about at risk, and her anger is a driving force. These are understandable traits in a challenging world that is now rules by gangs and has mysterious monsters, but I never felt like her motives felt justified or that I could have empathy for her as a character. I do think the story was easy to follow through the dialogue and the art, and that for someone looking for a darker, grittier post-apocalyptic tale, this could be a good read.

Odessa is set in a post-apocalypse United States, specifically on the west coast. Eight years ago there was a massive earthquake that destroyed everything west of the Mississippi and caused Odessa to leave her family.

Seventeen-year-old Virginia lives with her father and two younger brothers. Just before her birthday, she receives a mysterious package from her long-lost mother, Odessa. This gift prompts Virginia to leave the few comforts of home to set on an epic journey to find her mom. Virginia soon finds out that she is not alone on her journey. This YA graphic novel is filled with twists, turns, and surprises along the way. There's even a bit of magic, monsters, and zombies.

As I neared the end of the book, I was concerned that there might be a quick ending, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Odessa is a first volume and Virginia's story will continue.

Odessa is a graphic novel by Jonathan Hill, set in the near-distant future where earthquakes have destroyed America, leaving a country in ruins. It tells the story of Virginia Crane, and her two younger brothers, who are searching for their missing mother whilst dodging bandits and other creatures.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, as Hill’s art style was easy to read, and his backgrounds of the ruins made the setting very beautiful. Sometimes though, the character of Wesley looks like a stereotype of an Vietnamese child, which was distracting. That might just be a stylistic choice, but it did bring me out of the text a little bit.
There is some queer subtext in the novel, which was lovely! I won’t spoil the characters, but the casual representation meant a lot to me. It seems like this will be followed up in the next instalment of the book, which I will definitely be reading. (Also, their Uncle lives in San Francisco and has a past consuming friendship with the Big Bad? My dude’s, he’s gay.)
There is a science-fiction element to the novel, which I actually enjoyed as someone who doesn’t like science-fiction. The Jinx root was very clever, and I’m glad it repeated throughout the novel, as a help and a hinderance. I also liked the different ways of payment, and Hill’s drawings of the money. They looked futuristic, but beat up over a couple of years.
Overall, I thought some of the plot points were a little obvious, especially with certain characters. However, this is an epic of a novel, so I never felt like I was reading cliché after cliché. I was surprised with how much content is packed into this book, and as mentioned before, I’m so excited to read the next part! It ended at a perfect cliffhanger.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

We follow Harry, Wes and Ginny, three siblings embarking on an adventure across a destroyed United States to find their mother. This was advertised as for fans of Neal Shusterman. It did not live up to that. I enjoyed Wes and 4 Dollars, they were entertaining and good enough characters, and the beginning of a f/f romance was a nice surprise, even though it was just thrown in at the end and then ignored. I hope it if further developed in future volumes. However, I thought it was way too long: it could have been condensed to maybe 200 pages and it would have been better, less drawn out and less boring. The only part that I actually was invested in was the fight scene at the near end. Apart from Wes and 4 Dollars, I didn't care for the other 2/3 of the main trio: Harry and Virginia were annoying, and the side characters were stereotypical. Finally, the ending was surprising, and not in a good way: I didn't know this was part of a series and was annoyed that it ended like that.

The concept of this book really intrigued me and was why I decided to give it on try on Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book, it definitely pulls on your emotions, with the decisions that Ginny has to make throughout the story to protect herself, her brothers and others.

I liked that overall, there is a only the smallest hint of romance, but overall the story is about the love of family and protecting your family at all costs.

The art in this book is lovely, I like how simple the colors are but how the shading helps to portray emotions or important objects in the scene.

Overall, a really good post-apocalypse story. Would recommend.

This graphic novel was overly long at more than 300 pages. It did keep me engrossed, though, in the post-apocalyptic world that had destroyed cities and bubbled up criminals and other unwanted characters from underground, literally. But I felt there could have been less space given to the journey that Ginny and the kids took and a little more to life that was before. Ginny's life when her mother was around. Or a little more detail about the big earthquake itself instead of passing references. After all, that was what changed everything.

Nevertheless, an interesting read. There is the hint of a sequel in the end, and I am intrigued to see if that will make the first one whole.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars

<i>Odessa</i> takes place eight years after a serious earthquake that left the west coast of the U.S. utterly destroyed. Virginia “Ginny” has gotten used to living without her mother in this post-apocalyptic world, but when a mysterious package is mailed to Ginny, indicating that her mother might be alive, she sets out on a journey to find her. Just as she’s sneaking out, her two siblings decide to join her, leaving their dad at home as they start their trek through dangerous territory.

I would definitely say that <i>Odessa</i> is entertaining. The kids experience quite a few obstacles on their journey and meet some interesting characters. I also loved the art style and color palette—something about the contrast of the soft pink coloring and the idea of a dystopian land was appealing to me. The font was pretty and easy to read.

However, I did feel like something was missing from <i>Odessa</i>. There was this great dystopian world laid out and it just...wasn’t explored as much as I wanted. There wasn’t much background offered and the depths to which this earthquake affected the area wasn’t delved into as much as it could have been. The pacing was also a bit strange. At some points I felt like things were moving way too fast (especially at the beginning), and at other times I felt like the story was dragging. Furthermore, the ending felt a bit too abrupt. There’s nothing wrong with a cliffhanger, but something about the ending felt too unfinished—like the author decided to quit right there and said “alright, I guess I’ll just make a sequel when I figure out what’s going to happen next.”

Overall, <i>Odessa</i> certainly wasn’t boring, but I felt like it was a bit lackluster considering the fact that the premise had so much potential. I think I would still recommend this to someone who is looking for an easy-to-read graphic novel, but I wouldn’t say it was anything groundbreaking.

This was so good! Wesley is the real hero of this story, though. I stan him forever and a day. I really enjoyed the artwork and storyline, even if the plot was just a tad bit predictable at times. I'm interested to see where it goes from here and just a tad bit peeved that it ended on a cliffhanger!

that was a lot more intense than i expected. the art style is really good, i specially liked the pink theme all over. it feels very cartoon-ish but in a good way.
a lot happens in this. a lot. not only the world is super messed up, but the characters also have a lot of issues and secrets, which keeps things interesting.

Odessa is a slow burn graphic novel about the aftermath of a huge earthquake that literally splits the US in half. It follow the story of Virginia, Ginny, and her quest to find her long lost mother. I loved the artwork and I can't wait to see what happens next!