Thanks, NetGalley and publisher, for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book.
This graphic novel follows four diverse teenagers who begin to learn about activism, technology, and how the two go hand-in-hand. It has almost a "Saved By The Bell" meets Black Lives Matter feel--it shows the everyday life of teenagers, while also confronting heavy topics like racism, sexism, and how to combat them. It also shows teenagers that just because they are young doesn't mean they are powerless--anyone at any age can be an activist for change.
That being said, it is far from perfect. My complaints about the book were that, at times, it felt a little rushed. I also felt like it glossed over some pretty major things that impacted the characters' lives. For example, one teenager, Antonio, a Latino boy, experiences his parents constantly fighting and getting divorced. Another character, Christine, a biracial girl, has a mother who is Korean, and a Latino dad who is an undocumented immigrant. And Jon, a white gay boy, is bullied for his sexuality at school. These things were just mentioned in passing, and never came back up, so it felt like it never really addressed or mentioned how deeply these things might impact the characters. Finally, I also think the book could have addressed privilege a little better--there was a prime opportunity with Jon, the only white friend in the group. Even just a passing conversation about how Jon's experience as a white male is very different from is BIPOC friends would have added a lot.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the theme and message of this book. It's a great read for young activists who want to do something to help with wild world we live in, but don't know where to start.

Power On! is an informative Graphic Novel, following a diverse group of teenage friends as they navigate the modern world and familiarise themselves with the injustices in the world. Specifically, within STEM.
This comic was quite interesting to read and I feel like it is perfect for the intended YA audience. I particularly enjoyed the links to find out more information about the topics they were discussing.
However, it is important to note this book focuses a lot on computer science, so if it's not something you're interested in it might be slightly boring to get through.
But over than that, each and every character had a well-thought storyline.
This is a great novel for young teens figuring out their way in life and how they can make an impact on this world.

This was definitely not for me. I found it to be bogged down in facts and google stats. The dialogue was a bit stilted and boring as well. I do think this will be great for middle schoolers interested in computer science or any computing field.

Power On! is an informative narrative following a friend group of four students who all take interest in computer science, but have varying levels of access and education depth on the topic across their individual schools. Upon learning more and discovering the inaccessibility of computer science to diverse audiences despite it’s importance, and the often discriminatory uses of computer programs, the students work together to rally for equitable in-depth computer science education to the school board.

The graphic novel gives the readers a just-below surface level view of the issues the computer-science education and work force faces in regards to accessibility and access, while sprinkling in information touching on other diversity discrimination topics. This being said, I was under the assumption going into the novel that it was a typical story, focusing on the characters and their lives and so on, whereas Power On! is really an informational brochure, with characters and a plot line. I think this will be a useful resource to informing young readers about the importance of tech education, however, if they pick it up looking for a story, they may not finish it, as the storyline itself is not compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIT Press for providing me with an ARC of this title!

This would be a handy resource for a classroom or library. It introduces topics of inequity in STEM/STEAM on a level that should be accessible to most, but it would have been nice to see some of those topics addressed more deeply.