Member Reviews

This book picks up right where the first one left off with the girls school compromised the girls have to relocate to a new school. The only other place that they can go to is the boys school. Their semester brings about romance, betrayals, and more. I really enjoyed the artwork in this. All the different aliens were so cool to look at! I also liked that there's a recap at the beginning of this, I had forgotten a few details from the first book.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved volume 1 of The School for Extraterrestrial Girls. I wasn't quite as impressed with volume 2. It's kind of like season 1 of The Wilds on Prime being amazing and then for some reason they thought throwing boys in the mix for season 2 would be a good idea. No thanks. The plot was also all over the place. I still really enjoyed Kat but even she felt off at times. I'm not sure I'll pick up volume 3.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fun fantasy adventure, involving teens who attend a high school for extraterrestrial aliens living on Earth. I do suggest reading the first volume before reading this one; things might be a little confusing otherwise. In the first volume, Tara discovered that she was an extraterrestrial alien, living with adults who claimed to be her parents, but were actually her abductors, for reasons not yet explained. After she spontaneously combusted in class, an agent of the government took her to the School for Extraterrestrial Girls, to learn more about who she was and her options for her future. Due to a little mishap with her fire powers, and a lot more that you'll have to read the first volume to get, the school was destroyed and the student body moved to the boys' school while it was rebuilt.

This is where volume #2 picks up, with the female students (or at least female appearing, as extraterrestrial alien races, as the book points out, are not limited to two genders), traveling to the site of the boys' school, where the girls are integrated into classes. Tara's best friend, and first crush, Misako, meets two members of her own species for the first time, and neglects Tara to spend time with them, invoking all the teenage angst that such interactions cause, as Misako and the two boys spend a lot of time, and rule breaking, looking for the resources needed for them to understand their magic powers. Tara and the rest of their group spend their time looking around their new school, and trying to understand where it came from, which alien race built it, why they left, and any other secret they might discover. Both quests have potentially disastrous results.

This volume switches between narrators, mostly Tara and Misako, but occasionally other characters as well. Narrators are indicated by rectangular boxes indicating that a character's thoughts are being presented, and the switch between narrators is indicated by different colored boxes or a different type of script. For Tara and Misako, only the color of the background of the box indicates which one's inner dialogue is being presented, and if readers aren't careful, it's easy to miss the switch, which can make following the story a bit tricky. Still, it's a fun, action-packed story with multiple threads, good character interaction, and the use of extraterrestrials to explore issues related to racism, body dysmorphia, and relationships. Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I got this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I was pretty excited to read this after reading Vol 1, but tbh have very mixed feelings!

I loved the character development of the girls in this one and the way they grow more comforable in their own (multiple) skins and powers, and all the boys we meet briefly. The gang also feels at times more tightly knit here, and I love a good found family! I also really enjoyed the politics of the world we got and the conspiracy stuff, and hope we get more of that in the future!

At times, however, I felt like this was moving super fast or super slow, some characters we meet and then really learn nothing about them at all which makes them a bit insignificant. There is a lot happening and following the many things made it a bit cluttered. Sometimes we also get a changed POV from one page to the next in the text bubbles which was confusing.

Overall a decent comic tho, and do want to see where the story goes!

Was this review helpful?

School for Extraterrestrial Girls, Volume 2, Girls In Flight, written by Jeremy Whitley and illustrated by Jamie Noguchi, is a graphic novel currently scheduled for release on November 28 2023. The extraterrestrial girls are back! With their former school compromised, exposing Tara, Misako, Summer, and Kat, to possible danger from unknown alien forces, they all must relocate to a new hidden school--The School for Extraterrestrial Boys! Located on a hidden island in the arctic north, the new campus has a mysteriously warm summer climate, a beautiful lake, and dozens of sinister mysteries! The girls are staying in what appears to be summer cabins on the lake while going to school in the mysterious castle where the boys stay. This is all under the watchful eye of the boys' headmaster, Headmaster Stokes—an arrogant man with an unknown agenda and an obsession with Tara's people. They may still be in school, but this will be a semester full of blossoming romances, learning to love themselves, and trying to survive the mysteries of both this terrifying island and boys! Romance, magic, and near-death experiences are all part of a regular school day at the School for Extraterrestrial Girls.

Girls In Flight starts with a recap, which honestly I needed. I remembered enjoying the first volume of the story, but the details I was a bit hazy on. I was glad for the little catch up, which I think most readers will agree on. I was glad to read this next chapter of Tara and her circle's adventures and thought it was well planned out and executed. I thought the artwork was well matched to the story, and conveyed a great deal of emotion and action to make the story come alive. There were multiple story lines woven through each other, and it was neat to see threads that I had put to the back of my mind pop up and play an important roll in the story. My only complaint is one I often have with serials like this, and that is I was just feeling like I was deeply invested in the story and had a grasp on all the moving pieces when the volume ended. I am eager to get volume three in my hands.

Was this review helpful?

The School for Extraterrestrial Girls is such a fun and chaotic series – I'm thrilled to see it get a second volume. In truth, I hope this series runs for a long time. It's the sort of series I wish had been around when I was younger because you better believe that mini-me would have been allllll about it.

The artwork perfectly complements the tale, making it as visually compelling as it is entertaining. If you're looking for a unique yet highly entertaining graphic novel series to dive into, consider School for Extraterrestrial Girls.

Was this review helpful?

Another fantastic entry from Jeremy Whitley, one of my favorite writers in comics, and attractive art by Jamie Noguchi. Recommended for school and classroom libraries and for readers who enjoy science fiction with strong female leads.

Was this review helpful?

This book feels like a perfect match for older tweens and younger teens.
Although it is a graphic novel and graphic novels usually feel like easy reads, this one goes a little bit deeper, it has all the real-life issues teens face, not just magic powers and made-up things. Yet, it still reads lightly and is a fast-paced page-turner of a graphic novel, with beautiful art. I hope there is book three in the series!

Was this review helpful?

After their last school is compromised, friends Tara, Misako, Summer and Kat and their whole school have to relocate to The School for Extraterrestrial Boys, located on a mysterious hidden island built by aliens and used as a secret camp. This semester brings burgeoning romances, betrayals and hidden agendas all around.

This graphic novel was delightful to read as the characters explore a new environment and new feelings amidst their established friend group. There’s elements of longing for familial/ancestral connection, learning new skills (magic!) and finding out who you are and what you’re capable of.

I think we can all relate to the experience of getting to know yourself as you grow up and figuring out what’s important to you as you move through romantic and platonic relationships, explore the world and navigate causing and experiencing harm.

I loved the illustrations and the variety in not only how the different aliens looked but also what they’re going through individually and collectively as well as how they related to themselves and each other. Lots of mystery and unanswered questions left, so eager to check out the next installment of The School for Extraterrestrial Girls!

My thanks to Papercutz and NetGalley for the gifted DRC of “School for Extraterrestrial Girls #2: Girls in Flight”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Was this review helpful?

Having enjoyed the first School for Extraterrestrial Girls, I was eager to read #2 as well. I still enjoyed the artwork, I find it refreshing and the use to shadow to be really well done. I also enjoyed the storylines this time as well. These may be teens with powers, but they are still teens with body issues, love interests, and the hardship of figuring out where they belong in the world. Overall a great second edition in the graphic series and as always I appreciated the summary from the first novel.

Was this review helpful?

I asked to read this ARC and started reading this series because because the Princeless graphic novels are delightfully. Pretty much any original comic this guy wants to write I’ll try based on the strength on the strength of Princeless alone. I think this series is a close second for me with the Pirate princess books third and the Dog Knight a close fourth. If you need to find a fantasy or sci-fi graphic novel for a kid that you can enjoy too try this author.

Was this review helpful?

This was not quite as interesting as the first volume, but I liked it alright. A little too much focus on dating for me, but I enjoyed the climax. Hopefully it does not take too long for the next one to come out.

Was this review helpful?

School for Extraterrestrial Girls #2 was a fun ride with some bumpy turns. The characters are likeable and the situations and level of peril seem age appropriate for a reader 12 or older. One of the main characters has a crush on her best friend and roommate who just so happens be a member of a race who is her sworn enemy. But, they don't make adult problems their issues until said issues come knocking on their dorm-step. There are only two concerns I have with this title.

One, the main character is supposed to Black or at least Black presenting (she's really an alien and the Black body projected around her own is a cover). Although I appreciate the scene where she's wearing a silk bonnet to sleep (accurate), we generally don't wear our hair in an electrified, jumbled mess when it's in its natural state. Now I know this is probably a callout to her own natural state as a flame weilding alien, but as fellow Black person, I just found it annoying since everyone else's hair seemed to mimic their own unique personalities, not alluding to their alien origins.

Second, the presence of actual magic. I was under the impression that the extraterrestrials were people not of Earth but apparently it just meant people not of our established world. One of the characters is Fairy who uses actual spells to get things done. This confused me because I thought that she was alien who possessed powers that would appear to be magic but really wasn't. I was wrong.

All in all, the writing was fun and the art was on point. If you don't like your sci-fi and fantasy titles to touch on the same plate, this comic is not for you. But if you enjoy a healthy does of Fairy dust on your Men in Black meets Sweet Valley High in the Artic-esque YA drama,this is the book you're looking for.

Was this review helpful?

After the School for Extraterrestrial Girls is partially destroyed, the girls must spend the next semester at the School for Extraterrestrial Boys. Tara is a bit creeped out by the boys' headmaster. Misako finds two boy fairies. Tara must also determine if her feelings for Misako are those of a friend or something more. The School for Extraterrestrial Boys has some surprises in store, and not all of them are good.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, what a quirky cast of characters! There were so many deep topics that were addressed in this book. There was a budding relationship between Tara and Misako with all the implications behind that, especially with how the first book played out. There was Summer's body image struggles. Tara's self confidence issues in regards to her alien form and powers. Misako's yearning to belong even though she is the last of her kind... or is she? Honestly, though, my favorite character was Kat!

Even with all the deeper topics the book was exciting and interesting as the girls interacted with each other as well as with the boys. The topics were addressed in a way that flowed well with the story and didn't detract from the action. The recap of the first book was quick, concise, and told you exactly what you needed to move on into this book. Overall, very well done.

Was this review helpful?

cute middle school read. The extraterrestrial girls, find romance, and have shenanigans at the school for extraterrestrial boys. Our girls find out a lot about themselves in the process. My favorite character continues to be Kat. I love that she's nosy and wants to know all the drama as long as it isn't happening to her.

Was this review helpful?