Charisma's Turn is my first introduction to Monique Couvson's work -- but what an introduction it is. Vivid imagery, realistic depictions, honest conversations -- all in visual and verbal form. The book is eye-catching and thought-provoking; a text for young adult and older readers to enjoy, with questions to ask and topics to discuss along the way.

This book is so important. It beautifully brings together an environmental issue and the internal battle of learning to find time for the things that matter to you. It does so it a light enough manner for the intended audience.

Charisma is a young girl having a tough time at school finding her place and her voice. Her angry outbursts lead some to believe that she’s just out of control and not a good student. The school counselor sees her outbursts as misdirected passion and believes Charisma has hidden leadership abilities. Through her participation in an after school club Charisma is able channel her love and concern for her little brother, who has asthma, and her growing knowledge of environmental justice into a project that would bring greater awareness of environmental issues to people in her community. This a great story to show youth how to use there voice for change, as well as teaching the adults in there lives not to count them out or minimize their concerns.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. The representation is amazing. We rarely see POC characters represented when it comes to environmental activism. It was fast paced, I loved how her teachers helped navigate her feelings, and channel it towards a cause she cares about.

Charisma is a black girl dealing with struggles at home, school and seemingly everywhere she goes. But it’s not along before these struggles amount to more and she has to deal with bigger things than ever before.
This compelling graphic novel following Charisma included beautiful art work and a meaningful story that also has a lot of representation for black girls.

This book is a thoughtful and celebratory ode to Black girlhood. I appreciate how Dr. Couvson put Black girls’ lived experiences in conversation with Black women authors, thinkers, and school staff. I highly recommend folks purchase this book to add depth to their understanding of how we might honor and hold space for Black girls’ full brilliance.

This was a lovely little book that focused on lots of really important topics like racism, environmental racism, the importance of community and the way kids deal with the labels that are put on them. The comic book format was the perfect way to share this story. I’m taking one star off merely because the art-style wasn’t my favorite, but otherwise I really enjoyed this book. I think this would be a great read for kids who read middle grade books.

This book is a graphic novel and it is suitable for kids. You can go through it quickly.

It follows the life of Charisma who’s always in trouble at school until the counselor sat her down and sort of encouraged her to read more books by black authors and join after class activities to keep out of trouble and channel her anger into something useful.

This book explores the topic of asthma and I think it did a very good job of explaining how a person can get asthma and the ways to reduce chances of asthma in a way that young ones can understand and the writing is easy to understand too. You can read this book to a 3 year old and they’ll love it, they’ll also love the graphics.

This book also highlights the importance of educators who listen to their students and take time to make their students’ lives better.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel. It was refreshing to see a storyline that strives to find the potential and positive attributes in our "problem" children. I loved how suspension was not the answer for these fighting teenagers and they were given a safe space to work through their feelings and channel their energy into a positive outlet. Seeing our main character go through such a dynamic change and watching her bask in glow of positivity coming from her parents, teachers, and peers was heartwarming.

The artwork was breathtaking. I loved the stylistic choices and emotion that was construed through the art. This is such an important book, with the rage running through the veins of our students today. There are fights on campuses almost daily. This book shows that there are alternatives to fighting. There are ways to work through your feelings and channel that energy into something useful.

Charisma's Turn is a well-crafted and thoughtful graphic novel. Couvson's writing brings to life the personalities of Charisma and her friends and family, and Amanda Jones's colorful art enhances the story.

Charisma, a Black high school student, can’t find her place at school. She often lets her anger cause her to fight anyone who pisses her off, which of course, gets her into trouble. Her guidance counselor encourages her to try and channel the anger into something productive, and in the process, Charisma learns how to advocate for herself and her community.

The book is marketed to YA but struggles to find its audience. The bulb says it's for “teens, parents, educators, [and] librarians,” but I think it might work better just to choose an audience. I still found it to be a worthwhile read to learn about empowering Black girls.

This is a short, succinct look at why students need to be listened to and not just written off. The author creates a true to life protagonist who is and wants to be more than she appears to some around her, while also diving into prevalent social issues without feeling too heavy handed. The almost collage-like illustrations work well for a story about how we need to work together to make things right.

Thank you to NetGalley, The New Press, Monique Couvson, and Amanda Jones for the opportunity to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

"Charisma's Turn" is a poignant and thought-provoking book that explores the challenges faced by Black high school students in today's society. The story follows Charisma as she navigates the mounting pressures from her family and school. When her frustrations with her family intersect with a conflict at school, Charisma is faced with a difficult choice that could change the trajectory of her future. She really needs to stop getting into trouble, but she isn't quite sure just how to go about that route to change her life course.

Joining a group and finding an interest in pollution in Black communities, Charisma finds something truly important to her and relatable to her family. As an educator myself, I appreciate that the book highlights the importance of supportive educators and community members who can help Black girls reach their full potential. "Charisma's Turn" is an empowering story that shows how Black girls can overcome obstacles and achieve greatness when they have the right people in their corner, someone to give them opportunities and drive them to take hold of their futures.

The book features stunning artwork by Amanda Jones that brings Charisma's story to life, and a foreword by poet, artist, and arts educator Susan Arauz Barnes. "Charisma's Turn" is a must-read for teens, parents, educators, and librarians who want to better understand the experiences of Black girls in America and how they can impact the lives of these teens as role models.

This book follows a girl named charisma who is struggling .for her age she has a lot of weight on her shoulders and sometimes her emotions will cause her to lash out on people because she doesn’t have really anyone she can truly talk to who can understand what she is going through. I liked how the author showed that their should be a diversity of books when it comes to the education system. The justice system aspect of the book was amazing I loved how they talked about many different aspects of racism. also liked the fact the book showed a counselor who actually cares about the students and doesn’t just call home. I also loved the fact that I learned something new my brother has asthma and I learned more about how my brother being black lead to him being more affected by asthma just based off the racism when it comes to oil companies and companies that produce toxins into the air. Overall i really enjoyed this book i just felt like the book could of been a little longer I feel like the ending was a little rushed

What a great little graphic novel. Very impactful and a quick read. The story follows Charisma who keeps getting into trouble at school until a counselor sees her potential and introduces her to the works of Toni Morrison and helps her get involved in environmental racism activism.

I thought this was a great way to show what harm punishment and suspensions are doing to kids and what actually listening and helping can look like.

I really enjoyed the art and the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC.

Absolutely loved this book. What a wonderful way to reach multiple audiences. I can see recommending this to fellow educators to gain perspective into what their students are thinking and feeling, recommending to students to show them an inspirational story of a student like them, and community members for just a great story about a struggling young woman who finds her voice.

An interesting yet short graphic novel covering one teen girls journey as she learns to deal with her feelings and emotions in healthy and constructive ways in high school. A quick and easy read for struggling MS and HS students.

This story follows Charisma, a high school student who learns to use her passions for an activism. She starts out the story getting in trouble at school, but when a staff member begins to mentor her and give her a chance, Charisma begins to believe in herself too.

I love the messages of this book. It has a lot to teach not only teens, but also adults who work with kids. Supporting kids takes getting to know them beyond the exterior they present to help guide them towards healthy outlets and discovering their passions.

The one thing that held me back from giving this book a five star was the art. While I loved elements of it like the dream sequences and the characterization of Mecca, overall I felt the art had an unfinished quality to it. It is hard to describe why it didn’t connect with me, but I think the story still shines.

I enjoyed the diversity throughout this book! Charisma is a young black woman struggling with issues at home and in school. All she needed was someone to listen and believe in her. Middle-grade readers need to see more books like this that represent people of all colors and situations. This book portrays a trusting relationship between student and teacher and covers issues like the importance of communication, family bonds, environmental pollution, and more.

I wish Charisma's family life was expanded more so the reader could better understand her and how her home life affects her school life. There were a few conversations that didn't flow easily due to word choices. The art style wasn't consistent (some pages had more detail than others), but I think the author might have done this intentionally to guide the reader to focus more on the story.

I liked the art style and thought the story was great. Environmental racism is something that needs to be discussed more. I also liked that this graphic novel brought up the way in which students fall into the roles that are expected of them. However, a lot happened in a short period of time. I would have liked to see more of Charisma developing leadership skills instead of being told she developed them.

This is an overall good story about a troubled girl who finds her purpose. A good read for teachers and students alike. The art style wasn’t my favorite. I will be adding this to my classroom library. It seems good for 4th-8th graders.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, the illustrator, and the publisher for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.