Grief is different for everyone, however, readers of all ages, who have lost a loved one, will empathize with Pia. She sets off for the summer on a tour of strange tourist attractions, with the final place being a supposed "place of magic". Pia is hoping that the lake will bring back the one thing that will make her family whole again...her little brother Ben. The illustrations were beautiful, with the flashbacks drawn in muted colors, to show the agony the whole family is going through, coping with the loss of Ben. Along the way, Pia connects with an eccentric group of characters, all on the trip for their own reasons. Thanks NetGalley for the e-arc. I can't wait to order this for our library's collection.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Pia, a quiet middle schooler, has plans to travel around the country with her father via bus. But after her father injuries his foot and is laid up right before the trip, Pia takes on the adventure on her own.

This was a beautiful story of family, friendship and overcoming loss. Definitely a deeper story than I expected, and made both myself and my eleven year old cry (good tears!)

This is a bittersweet look at childhood grief through the lens of a sometimes silly group roadtrip. Inbetween kitschy road stops, a reader is reminded that there are many ways to cope.

Welcome Back!

I am so excited to be back and talking about reads to wrap up the year! I had intended for this post to go live last week however, we had a slight pet emergency (everyone is doing great now, but it did take up most of my time last week). But we are back on track now and I am excited to talk about Next Stop! So without further ado, let’s jump in!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Pia’s entire life has been turned upside down when her younger sibling suddenly passes away at the beach. Now Pia and her whole family are different. They moved to a new town, a place where Pia has no friends, Pia’s mom is depressed and kind of blaming Pia for what happened, and Dad is trying to hold everything together. But one thing that is helping to get Pia through, is that she is going on a bus trip very soon. Pia is supposed to go on the trip with her dad however, he now has a broken leg and is on crutches so a bus road trip with multiple stops is not really ideal. But Pia’s dad decides that she can go alone (being looked after by the tour leader who is bringing their kid as well, so maybe Pia can hang out and make a friend along the way). Pia is still excited about the trip but also nervous about going alone. But maybe that is just what Pia needs.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel. Meeting Pia and following her on her solo trip was interesting and amazing. We got to learn about Pia’s life story throughout the trip as well as how she is feeling presently about her world. I felt sorry for Pia’s family and Pia as we walked through the loss of her sibling. But we also got to see Pia making a new friend and kind of regrowing her family in a new way after this trip. I really loved this graphic novel and I can not wait to pick up a copy when it hits shelves on March 19th! (Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions).

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

*****Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Next Stop follows a middle school girl, Pia, as she embarks on a touristy bus trip. Her dad was supposed to go with her, but he breaks his leg and allows her to go along with a family friend. I absolutely loved the illustrations and all the characters that are on the bus tour. The roadside attractions were hilarious, and Pia makes friends with so many people along the way. This graphic novel was truly touching. I would highly recommend this to everyone from middle grade to adult. There’s really something for everyone to enjoy.

I thought that this was one of the most gorgeous, weird and poignant graphic novels. This was one of my last reads of 2023 and it was the perfect read to finish the year. I thought the colors and illustrations were bold, sharp and eyecatching. I was immediately immersed in Pia's story and loved this big cast of misfit characters, with everyone having their own reasons to visit Lake Cessarine. Infused with just the right amount of weird, this is a book I'll be thinking about for a long time to come.

Pia Xing's family has struggled since the drowning death of her younger brother while Pia was supposed to be watching him. Pia's mother is not dealing well, the family has moved, and on top of everything else, the father has broken his leg. He's arranged for a summer bus trip for him and Pia, but with his injury, he arranges for her to go on her own. There are many other people on the trip, including Sam, the operator's daughter, and the sites the group visits are fun. (A chicken shaped hotel, world's smallest corn maze, etc.) Pia hopes that when they get to Cessarine Lake, she will be able to make a wish to bring her brother back, especially after her mother is hospitalized for trying to hurt herself. Will the lake grant her wish, or will the family have to find some other way to recover from their grief?

I liked the illustration style, but parents who are struggling with grief so much that they don't properly parent children who are still alive is my least favorite type of middle grade story. It always feels unrealistic and insulting. Everyone else will probably like this one a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Random House Graphic for this nice ARC. All opinions are my own.

Next Stop tells the brief story of Pia Xing and her summer on a Sunset Tours bus, each stop being wackier and more whimsical than the next, with their last stop being the Cessarine Lake—which is said to hold magical healing properties. Everyone on the bus has their reasons for going to the underground lake. Pia gets to know all of the passengers, all while dealing with her own personal griefs and dreams that she hopes to quench at the lake.

This was a very quick and easy read. It’s a children’s book and I hope when they read it, they take away the overarching themes of forgiveness (especially forgiving one's self) and friendship. The art style was perfect, and I read the author’s note at the end where she said she made her own font using her handwriting. If only everyone had handwriting that was as font-worthy as Debbie Fong.

I liked the story a lot, especially the flashbacks to months past, so we can learn a bit more about Pia’s character and how she used to be. This is a nice portrait on how differently grief and loss impacts a family. In addition, her relationship with her mother and father was especially intriguing. There are tender moments in this book between her and her father that I just loved so much, and to contrast that with the mom scenes. I also love love love her friendships with the passengers, especially Lily and Sam.

Again, it is a children’s book, so the ending was a little let's-tie-it-up-in-a-nice-bow, but honestly it was kind of healing in a way.

If her debut novel is any indication, Debbie Fong is an author to watch. "Next Stop" follows the physical (on a bus tour) and emotional (recovering from guilt and grief over her brother's death) journey of 12 year old Pia. Fong skillfully blends the the two plot strands, pulling readers deeper into the story - and empathizing with Pia- as her journeys progress. Pia makes a friend on the bus, Sam, who helps her feel less alone and realize there's still laughter and fun in the world. Pia's catharsis feels genuine, not idealized and the novel ends on a hopeful note. Don't know if I'm reading into this, but in some illustrations Pia's mouth is drawn, and in some she has no mouth on her face. Is Fong suggesting Pia feels she has no voice in that moment? In some panels, it's not evident what Pia is thinking or feeling; perhaps more detail might help. Overall, an original and memorable story that will resonate with young readers, will order for my library.

Next Stop by Debbie Fong touched upon several challenging topics, including loss of a sibling, guilt, and mental health in a very appropriate manner for middle grade readers.

Pia, our main character, is on a bus tour across the country, visiting odd and unique tourist attractions with the end of the trip focused on a mysterious lake. Pia is on her own after an injury sidelines her father - she travels under the watch of the tour guide, a family friend and creates new relationships with her fellow travelers all while trying to come to terms with the death of her younger brother.

The story reads quickly with flashbacks filling in the background of the story. The artwork really makes this story. It was fun, colorful and brought the characters and olot to life.

Overall, I found this to be a touching story that young readers will relate too.

While the different roadside attractions are amusing, this graphic novel is too tonally inconsistent to make the story of Pia and her family impactful.

After tragedy strikes her family, Pia goes alone on a bus tour which leads to helping her face her grief and anxiety around the tragedy and her parents’ reaction to it. This graphic novel is unlike any other I’ve read–the author does a fabulous job of balancing touching on the tough subjects of loss, grief, and blame as well as mental illness while also taking Pia and the reader on a bus tour that is beautiful and enjoyable. It truly shows the balance of life after tragedy strikes.

There's nothing wrong with this graphic novel, but there wasn't a lot to keep me interested. It just didn't work for me, though I think it would be popular for it's target audience.

A short graphic novel fiction story that follows Pia, a pre-teen solo-traveler on a bus trip to a lake that is reputed to have (and indeed does have) magical properties. Pia's interest in the lake is associated with a family tragedy that has resulted in significant harm to Pia, her mother, and her father. While the trauma is more or less resolved by the end of the story, the resolution seems somehow unsatisfying.

This graphic novel was very enjoyable. I can't wait to see readers fall in love with it and enjoy it as much as I have.

Pia's family is still reeling from the death of her younger brother. In an effort to get away, Pia and her dad are set to go on a road trip, but at the last minute, Pia's father has to cancel to care for Pia's depressed mother. Pia then goes on the adventure along, with an old family friend and her daughter as company. A story of grief, forgiveness, and allowing yourself to open back up again.

While the target audience of this graphic novel is definitely middle grades readers, it will speak to people of all ages. It is a moving story told through beautiful art and prose. The way the colors are dull and muted in the flashbacks really emphasizes how Pia is feeling despite the vibrant beauty all around her. You can feel the emotions jumping off the page as she learns to live with her grief and move forward with life looking different than before. The background characters tell their own stories of diversity, physical and mental health, age, family, friendship, and more. I cannot recommend this one enough. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this story so very much and cannot wait to purchase this title for my library. Next Stop follows Pia through a bus tour filled with unique roadside attractions, new friendships, and a magical lake that will hopefully heal her family. Debbie did a wonderful job balancing the fun and whimsical aspects of a road trip (in a child's perspective) with Pia's guilt and grief. The story is divided into different parts (three or four, I believe) and within each part, there is flashback scene weeks or months before the road trip to help us understand what led Pia to this bus tour as well as what happened with her younger brother. In these scenes, we also see how the relationship between Pia and her mother declines over time. It's a really nuanced, delicate situation and Debbie portrays Pia's mom is a very real yet compassionate manner. I can't recommend this book enough - I laughed, cried, and really, really hoped Pia would find what she was looking for for herself and for family.

I was expecting a coming of age story in a travel setting, and was pleasantly suprised to find the depth of complex feelings surrounding the accidental loss of a sibling. In this story, Pia's family is freshly grieving the loss of her brother and all are handling it differently. The author realistically explores pain, magical thinking, and ultimately, forgiveness in a lighthanded manner.

This was a beautiful read, and I enjoyed it very much!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Random House Graphic for letting me read an advanced reader copy of this book!

Pia's life is turned upside down when her family, driven by grief in the loss of her younger brother, uproot their life and move to a new town. In an effort to find peace and take her mind off of things, Pia travels with a family friend and a bus load of strangers on a road trip full of wacky roadside attractions. Their final destination is a lake renowned for it's magical properties.

This book is fantastic. It demonstrates wonderfully how grief manifests differently for people, and how healing is not a linear progress. The artwork is phenomenal, and does a great job depicting the different feelings and emotions each character feels. The writing is absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed the friendship depicted in this graphic novel, and the impact that loss can have on family dynamics. I can't wait to see more readers enjoying this title; it's a must read! I'm looking forward to ordering it for our middle grade collection.