Readers of the Hilo series will love that Gina gets featured in her own books. Winick’s graphic panels are bold, bright and appealing to the target audience of grades 2-5. Recommended for libraries serving that age group but be sure to have all the Hilo books; fortunately, these do not need to be read in order.

My students LOVE the Hilo series. Hilo #7: Gina - The Girl Who Broke the World is such a delight. It's adventurous and fun with great themes of friendship and persistence.

Hilo is one of my 7 year old son's favorite series. And I was so excited that HE wanted to read to me for this book! (Usually, he gets me to read since he is a little reluctant.) He gave this book (and the whole series) two thumbs up! Can't wait for the next one.

Hilo is a huge hit in my library (and presumably in most other libraries as well). Gina takes the reigns somewhat in this volume however and it's so much fun to see her try to fix things that happened in the previous volume. I still think Winick's heads are weird as all get out, but the art is otherwise excellent and the colors are fabulous as well. Highly suggest for all middle grade graphic novel collections.

Outstanding! I have adored the Hilo series from the first book - science fiction/fantasy, humor, action, awesome characters. And each book seems to get better and better. This was fantastic! I loved the focus on Gina. There's a nice summary of what happened in the earlier books as a refresher for those who have read them. I think it's enough for new readers to understand some of the emotions of this story (although it's spoiler-y for those who have missed the early books), but I think kids will enjoy it more if they can read the books in order.

There's a lovely emotional thread to this as the kids grieve their losses from the first story arc. At the same time, though, there are tons of laughs and plenty of action for this new challenge. And I am here for every bit of it. The only downside is that I read this 3 months before the book released, which means my wait for book 8 (in 2022) is even LONGER than it would be if I had read this right now. This has a serious cliffhanger.

Series fans should not miss this one. (TW: grief and loss)

Who doesn’t love Judd Winick? My wife remembers him from the Real World, and I remember him from when he brought Jason Todd back to life. But he’s now a superstar in our house because of Hilo. Our 8 year old daughter was introduced to Hilo by the Story Pirates podcast, and after she devoured the first book, we had to rush to the library for the next 5! It involves a kid from outer space who lands on Earth and his two human friends having adventures. Book 7 focuses on one of his human friends, Gina.

My 8 year old read it and this is her review: “The book was great! I loved it so much that I couldn’t stop reading it. I was so sad when I finished the book because it meant I would have to wait another year to read the next one.” Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved Hilo Book 7. It’s funny and action packed. I know my students won’t be able to put it down. This book is a great addition to the series, perfect for turning reluctant readers into enthusiastic readers.

Does the world really need more of Hilo and friends? Probably not. But that doesn't negate the fact that this new spinoff is filled with the same hysterical humor and massive suspense that made the original series such a treat. This story, now told from the point of view of the practical, magical Gina, is not quite as entertaining as its predecessors (Hilo, by far the funniest character, is relegated to a slightly smaller role, but he still provides most of the laughs). The plotting was a little uneven with characters grieving the loss of a character from the last book, but the story ultimately provides closure to that particular storyline. As always, the illustrations provide most of the laughs. This book ends on a major cliffhanger that will leave readers begging for the sequel. 8 to 12.

Since defeating, Razorwark Hilo and DJ are trying to adjust to life without Izzy as well as helping HiLo to adjust to living with DJ’s family. Gina is trying to come to terms with the loss if Izzy while learning to master her magical powers. When a large group of violent creatures start to show up, Gina worries they might be after the Nestors, a group of tiny creatures waiting to go back home through a portal. Will the trio be able to protect the Nestors and defeat the new creatures? Will they ever come to terms with the loss of their friend? Will Gina learn to master her powers? The characters are likable, engaging, and true to the other novels in the series. The addition of Hilo trying to be human adds a fun, humorous element to the story. The illustrations are vivid, delightful, and colorful. Fans of the other books in the HILo series will want to pick this one up. Recommended for libraries were HiLo books are popular.

This was yet another solid addition to the Hilo series. Great humor. Great story. Great character development. It was an adventurous ride. Winick has not disappointed me and he will not disappoint the kids who have been waiting for this book.

For Libraries: If your library is anything like mine, you have had kids waiting for this one for a year. And if you don't have the Hilo books yet, you need to get them right away!

Another one to add to the classroom library. It was nice to see Gina as the main character in this book. In this book, the kids are trying to move on after losing one of their own, Izzy. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, but I was able to follow along and enjoy it. It made me want to read the other books. I will definitely add this to my classroom library. I enjoyed the different emotions that this book deals with.

This is the seventh book in the Hilo series, and I have not read any of the previous books. It included a great "previously on..." section, so I understood who the characters were and what the major plot points of previous books were. I loved all of these characters. I was laughing so much while reading this. This book focused on Gina instead of Hilo, though he was included in the book. Gina is upset over the death of their friend Izzy from the previous book, and is now hesitant to use her magic at all because she doesn't want to lose anymore of her friends. The problem is, magical creatures are showing up looking for The Nestors, and Gina is the only one that can see them. Trying to do the right thing and protect her friends, Gina ends up changing the world completely, and we won't know what happens until Book 8 comes out in 2022. I loved this book, and any middle grader would have fun reading this.

I admit I am new to Judd Winick’s Hilo series, but my 12-year-old daughter has been a big fan since the beginning and convinced me to try this out.

And I’m glad I did. Although this is book7 in the series, my daughter quickly got me up to date and the book easily lets the reader dive right in.

This story is about Gina – someone who reluctantly has magic powers and wants nothing more than to grieve for her lost friend. Unfortunately, life doesn’t care what one wants, and the situation she finds herself in needs her (along with her friends) to save the planet.

Hilo and the rest of the gang provide moral support as well as comic relief, but it’s Gina who needs to step up and take control.

The story, the dilemma, the interactions between the characters – all make for an interesting, fun and breezy read. But Mr. Winnick really excels at injecting humor – both in the situations and the non sequiturs from Hilo himself. My only complaint is that the next book isn’t due until spring, 2022, which is especially annoying since this story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. But I’ve already downloaded the rest of the series from my library.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Random House Children's via NetGalley. Thank you!

E ARC provided by Edelweiss

Gina and her friends Hilo and DJ are trying to find their way forward since they defeated Razorwark but lost Izzy in All the Pieces Fit (#6). Hilo is reveling in being human (pooping and mangoes are both awesome!), DJ is helping Hilo adjust to living with his family, and Gina can see magical creatures and has some powers. When a number of large, violent magical creatures start to show up, Gina is worried that they are all looking for creatures called Nestors, who can magnify the magic around them. When she locates two of them, Bek and Cho, the group knows that they have to keep the tiny, vulnerable creatures safe until they can go through a portal back to their world. Hilo manages to hack into the computer and send Gina's twin older sisters to a cheerleading competition with their parents, so the group figures they will have a quiet day... until DJ's older brother Dexter comes over to babysit the group. He's working on a term paper and wants them to sit in the next room so he can see them. Luckily, they are able to distract him with a video game, and are on their way to get Bek and Cho off to their realm. When more creatures come looking for them, it's up to Gina and her friends to keep them safe. Is that really in the best interest of the world, though? We'll find out what happens in book eight, Gina- The Big Secret (Spring 2022).
Strengths: I thought that the first Hilo book was rather brilliant, and the mix of funny aliens stomping all over everything is balanced by some fairly philosophical threads about death, fitting in, and friendship. Having magic is always fun, and Gina uses hers wisely. I was very confused by All the Pieces Fit (#6), so I was glad that this one was easier to follow. It's fun to see Gina as the main character. Of course, the main fun of this one is Hilo's exuberance about being human. He's VERY excited about tights!
Weaknesses: Gina is very sad about missing Izzy, which is understandable but slows down the story in parts.
What I really think: I think that books 3, 4, and 5 were checked out last March and never returned. It's just going to depend on how the pandemic is going whether I buy this one or not. If you are in an elementary school and haven't investigated this graphic novel series, you really need to.

The Hilo Books are in demand at home and in the library. The art works well with the stories and kids who love Dog Man, Captain Underpants, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid often love these graphic novels.

Gina doesn't like how her life changed after Izzy died. Hilo is different and Gina doesn't want magic anymore. When Earth is invaded by magical beings looking for The Nestor, she is forced to confront her fears and use magic to save her friends, family, and world.

I love the diversity of the characters and how human they are. Huge emphasis on social-emotional themes along with a fantastic story. Gina and her gang solve one problem and end up causing an even bigger one which won't be solved until the next installment. The only problem is it will be another year before we have that book in our hands.

A great addition to a graphic novel collection in school and public libraries.

Please note I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

I adored this! I haven't read read a Hilo book since book 2, but Winick does a good job of catching the reader up so it didn't feel like I was missing things.

I got the first book as an ARC at bookcon and was excited when I learned that one of the main characters name was Gina! So of course I had to request this one knowing she became the main character!

These books are filled with magic and adventure and I love them! Planning to go back and read the books I've missed and I can't wait for book 8!

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hilo is definitely one of our most popular graphic novel series and one of the main reasons I started getting into it was the fact it was written by Judd Winnick in that I am a fan of his graphic novels and remember him from MTV's The Real World. His brilliance shines through again with HILO Book 7 and this time it's Gina's turn to fight the magical beasts. I know because of this fact, a lot of our young readers will gravitate towards this book compared to the rest in the series because it is a female protagonist. Also, the personality of Gina everyone can relate to but most importantly, the artwork as always is pure brilliance! I can't wait to announce the release of this book and I know our young readers will be beyond excited!

We will consider adding this title to our JGraphic Novel collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Judd Winick once delivers a book that is entertaining, visually appealing, and humorous. Hilo is a fantastic and well-crafted character, and I love the way Winick has expanded this universe. What I love even more is the possibility of grabbing young readers with a series like this. Well worth the read, and definitely worth sharing with a wide audience.

I was a little worried about how this was going to go after the cliffhanger of the last book. I Shouldn’t have doubted. This is wonderful and emotional. I can’t wait to introduce new fans to the series with this and to share this new one with the fans.

My daughter (12 years old) has read and loved all of the previous Hilo books. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on this one. She sat down to read it and couldn’t stop till she had finished it. Here is her review: It was AMAZING! It was very funny and I love the art work. It had a crazy twist at the end that I liked. It left me wanting more so now I can’t wait for the next book. This is a really good series and I think everyone should give it a try. You will love it!