I wasn't sure what this graphic novel would be, but I enjoyed my time reading it. Dana is such a complex character and I loved her journey throughout. I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this graphic novel

Davidson's illustration style for this story reminded me of some classic comic strips, but I'm not sure if I liked that, it made the characters look a little distorted and Brian was too creepy to look at. But it does lean into the horror style that the characters use for their short film.

Dana has no idea how to process things normally but at least she's aware of it, with Lily being a positive constant in her chaotic life where her mother pushes the task of raising her son onto Lily so she can be with her boyfriend, it makes a little sense that Dana would have some less than healthy responses to changes in her life. But I did like the progression of Dana growing and learning what works for her.

The narration style also felt distracting at times even though it was keeping the pace well and explained some character background and connections. I did get lost at times though, even with the clarification of their age, I fully thought Wye was older and couldn't understand how no one raised alarm to Lily liking them. However the age gap was around one to two years, which is less concerning than whatever I mistook it to be.

Dana loves monster and fake wounds makeup. She and her friend Lily have also been filming and posting pranks where they get to show off their film love. Then her plan is that they go to NYU together and stay best friends forever while getting out of their Miami beach town. Just one problem: their latest prank goes viral when Dana pretends to have hit Lily, and they are called into the principal's office.

Their principal is reasonable, despite the fact that they made a false 911 call. She tells them they have to attend a community college film class on the weekend, as a creative outlet. Dana's mother isn't happy because someone needs to watch her little brother Jess, and that Dana could have gotten expelled. Still, it's an opportunity for the girls to learn some filming skills, and to show their town what they can do. As a result, Dana gets involved with a local environmentalist group.

Though I don't live in a beach town, the settings do remind me of Miami Beach, before tourists discovered it. You have this sense of councils that only care about image, and not the reality. Fighting for your right to be seen and to save the environment becomes an uphill battle. And we also get an important reminder: apply for safety schools!

I liked the art color of the book, how everything looks retro, its an amazing work
the story was alright , but i think i was not the audience for this book
I didnt conect with the story

So fun. Reminded me a bit about Daria but with a more modern youth spin. I would recommend this book to others. Very compelling.

This graphic novel follows a teen named Dana in her last year of high school. She and her best friend end up in a weekend college program after getting into trouble, but it just leads to even more trouble in her life. The story shows her journey through the last stages of school adolescence as she discovers what she'll be doing next with her life. Teen drama, friend drama, relationship struggles - all the usual themes and topics are here, along with a message about being active in one's community and speaking up. It's a good graphic novel with solid art.

I thought this would be my cup of tea. It fell super flat. The art is so unique. I wanted to love it.

night and dana is a darkly funny coming of age graphic novel about growing up under the weight of quotidian climate anxiety.

it has highkey daria vibes, which is really fun! dana and her best friend, lily, spend hours being weirdos in a pizza parlor together. they have quirky artsy interests and are on the social sidelines, but find solace in each other, which dana needs because of the extreme alienation she feels from her self-absorbed parents.

all is disrupted when they embark on a summer film project together, and they meet wye, an edgy classmate who lily ends up falling hard for. there are lots of relatable friendship drifts and rifts. typical high school stuff, but with the added burden of worrying about environmental destruction.

dana eventually meets an older witchy activist who teaches her some spells and encourages her to protest. oh, the dream of finding a mentor who empowers you to use your voice!!

i really enjoyed the 90s flavor. it's interesting because the book is set in the modern day, but still has a nostalgic vintage energy to it.

the art style is interesting too. it's vivid and cartoonish (daria vibes, again). it's sometimes so expressive that it's ugly, but in a good way. in the end, dana and her love interest don zombie makeup for a demonstration, and end up fleeing to the woods together and sharing a romantic moment, peeling skin and all. the zombified love story makes some strange sort of sense. it's okay that they look ugly, because they're real.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Incredible coming of age narrative...

Night and Dana is a true middle grade coming of age story that has a message that wholeheartedly delivers. It follows main character Dana Drucker, a high school student with a special talent for crafty special effects makeup to lessen the blow of teenaged boredom. In all of her boredom, she and her best friend, pull a silly prank that lands them in the principal's office with an ultimatum. Either make use of this new mandatory project or no graduation. What might pose as a bummer to other students becomes a journey to self discovery that Dana could hardly have prepared for. It will put Dana and Lily's loyalty and friendship to the test and just as things to begin to collapse around here, Dana begins to create her own path.

It's a graphic novel filled with a variety of themes relating to self discovery and identification and the pressures of school, life at home, and the future ahead with the thoughtfully constructed illustrations to match. I enjoyed it and thank NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the gifted copy.

This was a pretty good novel. It's one of the better coming of age books I've read in a minute. The characters and plot were pretty enjoyable.

A great coming-of-age story about learning and growth, relationship complications, and finding places where you fit. Set in Florida and featuring horror movie magic and climate protests. I loved Dana's character growth, and the ways her relationships with herself and with her friends and family changed over the course of the story.

The art feels like a kind of classic Underground Comix homage. The heavy, drippy ink lines make the facial expressions kind of hard to parse—a laugh of glee and a scream of anger are almost indistinguishable. The horror makeup looks incredible, though—as do all the locations and outfits and random objects.

Night and Dana is an engaging graphic novel about activism, growing up, and finding your niche. Right off the bat, the retro style of the comic really draws the reader in. It feels like you're reading an old school funny page and I loved the color palette of the entire book. It perfectly matched the horror movie plotline.

I also really appreciated that Dana and her friends were given a creative outlet for their extra energy and that the adults in their lives recognized that they needed a way to express themselves. It was refreshing to see them going to a community college class and learning more about potential career paths.

Creative and artsy teens will love this!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t really enjoy this book. The story was all over the place and I couldn’t tell what was going on at times. The friends were mean to one another and it wasn’t fair that only Dana had to apologize. Lily basically ditched her friendship with Dana for Wye once they began dating.

There was too much going for a cohesive ending: the films, Dana’s friendships, her family, the climate protestors, the visiting college boy, NYU and Dana’s future! So much was happening and it all happened SO FAST. I have whiplash! The art style was different though! Very retro-monster movie!

I’ve never read a graphic novel before this one, and I found I really liked it. I used to think that graphic novels were just for kids and teens but I found that I was wrong. This was a really fun read and I think it’s perfect for teens who are struggling with finding themselves. The reader can really put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist Dana and see their lives reflected back. I was assigned to read a YA graphic novel and it seems truly fitting. The author really captures the essence of a teen struggling with identity. This novel captures friendship and growing up very well.

‘Night and Dana’ with story and art by Anya Davidson is a coming of age graphic novel set in a sleepy beach town.

Dana and Lily grew up in the same tourist town in Florida. Their love for horror films and pranks lands them in trouble, but the principal has them join a local film class to divert some of their creative energy. Threats to the local environment shape a student film project, but Dana and Lily find their friendship growing apart. With their final year in school coming to an end, Dana and Lily need to find a way to make up.

I really loved and related to this story of a strange kid growing up in a small town. The story and characters are great and I loved the art.

After a prank at school gets out of hand, Dana and her long-time pal, Lily, are "sentenced" to take a community college class in filmmaking as an outlet for their abundant creativity. There Lily makes a new friend, and soon they're spending all their time together, much to Dana's disappointment.

This is a fine young adult graphic novel about endings, beginnings, and finding your own way in the world. Interesting and involving, this would make a great addition to any library.

Thanks to Net Galley and Graphic Universe for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

**2.25 stars**

I think that this story had a lot of potential with the main character but it feel kind of flat for me. I felt like the development of the relationships between Dana and Lily and Dana and her mom was a little all over the place for me. Dana’s mom’s character development felt really drastic and out of left field.

I did enjoy the art style; I felt like it was unique and different. I think if you like Daria, you would like this at style.

A coming-of-age story about an SFX make-up artist turned activist.

When faced with a choice - expulsion from high school or taking an extra course - Dana and her best friend choose the more fun route. As Dana and her cast of friends begin working on a short film together along with the quirky activist witch from their neighborhood, things go awry in friendship and love and life as they always do for kids in their senior year of high school.

The work has an interesting art style and I loved the color scheme throughout. This story is appropriate for YA/high school audiences and older. This is a relatively quick read with a well-paced, interesting plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I had so much fun reading this book. The color palette is so pretty, the art style is enchanting, the whole concept is amazing. Some parts hit close to home that I start to wonder the many what-ifs.

This is a delightful book, happy that it's such an enjoyable ride!