"Scoop: Breaking News" is far less of a book than it should be. This book presents a strong Latinx/Cubana tween heroine who takes an internship in the world's most dysfunctional newsroom in order to shed light on mysterious events that threaten her family. With it's fast pace, witty dialogue and strong X-files vibes this book has a near instant appeal. The addition of some great supporting characters, including a mysterious Alligator-Man, a bratty little brother and lots of zany newsroom characters is also a strong draw. However, this book never entirely takes off, seems incomplete in many places and is often hard to follow.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Mad Cave Studios, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Scoop, v.1
Okay, right off the bat, this comic gave me serious flashbacks. I was a broadcasting major in Orlando, Florida back in the day and had three (non-paid!) internships BEFORE I graduated. They never let ME ride in the traffic chopper! BUT I carried a lot of very heavy mid-80s equipment around Disney World in temperatures and humidity in the high 90s. But this review is not about me! Soooo, moving along.
Sophie Cooper is a brand new news intern at the lowest rated television station in Miami, WMIA Channel 7. The station is in the basement, marketwise, dealing with old technology, bad morale, low ratings, no fuel for the chopper and little respect. She proves her worth right away when she offers to get the news anchor a coffee while he’s on the scene of a murder and she finds out some information from the barista that the other stations missed. The news anchors, Station Manager, Traffic Helicopter Pilot and other journalists are convincingly portrayed as rather self-centered and superficial. (*I* was told as an intern to “not mix with the talent.”) But what is Sophie’s reason for wanting to work at WMIA? Her mom works in the mayor’s office and the school principal tells her she could’ve gotten any number of better placed positions. Does it have something to do with proving her dad’s innocence? He’s stuck at home with an ankle monitor and up on charges of bank fraud, and the media has been camped out at their house for months. Sophie is ready with her “why” speech, which her principal does not buy. (“Save that for your college application.” HA!) Good thing her brilliant 9-year-old brother Kit creates technology that helps her in her investigations! It makes up for the daily slog of bullying and the snide comments she must deal with from the other kids at school; except for Milo, who wants her to be in his film.
Other strange things are happening at the same time: a man disappears in the Everglades, leaving his shoes and his damaged truck behind and the sheriff can’t find any other evidence of his disappearance. Weird sounds and lights have been coming from the swamp, and Sophie’s investigations run her smack into a weird creepy guy with head trauma eyes, whiny station managers, a weird threatening man dressed like the Secret Service and more weirdness in the swamp! (I won’t say more – it'll ruin the surprise.)
Even though the adults in this book are somewhat clueless, news anchor “Ritz” (an incorrigible name dropper) teams up with Sophie to solve the mysteries of what is really going on in the Everglades – he’s sure the big “scoop” will save the station. Sophie learns some hard lessons about the news business too. In her naivete, she keeps hurting the people who help her, all because she will sacrifice anything to prove her dad innocent. But is he?
Author Richard Ashley Hamilton must have been an intern too, because his book is too funny for him not to have been. His writing also betrays his age - “My Datsun wouldn’t start!”; the sprinkling of Hall and Oates songs throughout; and the white patent leather loafers Sophie’s school principal wears. His Cuban American heritage shows too through the Spanish scattered throughout the comic and the beautifully depicted South Florida landscape – the Everglades, Miccosukee Village, Hard Rock Cafe Casino and South Beach are all depicted completely realistically. The depicted characters are multicultural. The only annoying thing about the comic is the numerous loose plot threads that are not resolved. The wrap up of the story seems rushed and is not satisfying. I was left wondering about all the plot points that were not answered. The comic is marked as “V.1”, though, so maybe these will be wrapped up further on.
There are no adult situations in this comic, but the light violence, sharp talking and scary situations make it better for the 14 and older crowd. It looks like a middle reader, but I would put it in Young Adult.

I found this graphic novel to be quite entertaining, with a plot that was reasonably easy to follow and colourful, well drawn illustrations. I'm not sure that the supernatural aspect really fitted with the whole vibe of the story though. The inclusion of the main character's younger brother felt natural and added warmth. There was an occasional use of humour and the introduction of a possible love interest. I can see a lot of scope for future issues if this is to become a series.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

If I were to rate <i>Scoop Vol 1: Breaking News</i> on the characters alone, this might’ve been a four or five star graphic novel. Unfortunately, there were some hiccups with the story overall.

We follow a young girl, Sophie, whose family is dealing with a lot of hardship all stemming from her father’s alledged crime with his job at the bank. After a fight at school results in Sophie needing to volunteer at a dying new station, circumstances lead her on a journey to clear her father’s name.

I think, at its core, there’s a lot of great stuff going on here. I loved the characters, Sophie’s younger brother, Kit, and her mentor, Hal, in particular. The journey was an interesting one and I was certainly invested through the majority of it.

The problem really comes in that the story is very clunky. At times, not enough is really set up or explained. We, as the readers, kind of just have to go with it. The science fiction aspects of it feel like they come out of nowhere, which would be fine if there were more of an explanation in the end. But even that falls a little short—I have zero explanation for the thing in the lake.

Even so, I would definitely return to this world and these characters. Not only am I quite fond of some of them, but I’m also eager to learn more about the others. I am also quite interested in learning more and developing an understanding of the science that builds up the oddness of this world.

Loved the manga-style art in this book! It’s expressive and fits really well with the story.
The story itself was a wild ride (maybe slightly too wild at times), but overall it was an action-filled thrilling read, most teens and YA readers who love graphic novels might enjoy it – especially those who love seeing a strong female main character in their books.

I didn't always understand what was happening but it was a fun ride. It was pretty impressive Sophie was really spunky and I was impressed at how determined she was. She was only in high school but she had no barriers when it came to getting to where she needed to be. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

#ScoopVol1 #NetGalley

Thank you Net Galley and Mad Cave Studios, Maverick for the early copy of this graphic novel.

The first look at the art is fine; nothing really spectacular, but there were some panels where I could not interpret the facial expressions of characters, so I will just rely on the dialogue bubble and interpret it. 

Sophie, as the main character, is relatable. I can understand her thought processes and actions throughout the story, and I loved that her sidekick is her little brother. No one will ever trust more than our own blood. In fact, most of the leads were aided by his technology-adept brother, so that's saying something.

I was laughing out loud when Hal reported wearing a neck brace live. He was really dramatic, and I loved that for him. I can't wait to continue the series.

I would recommend this to all readers of all ages who love solving mysteries with a sci-fi element to them.

Intriguing with great illustrations! I loved Sophie’s spunk and determination to clear her father’s name. The story jumped around a lot, making it difficult to follow at times but it kept my interest and I will be looking for future stories in this series.

I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary

Sophie, our main protagonist, is hired on as an intern for a local news station in Florida. Her family is no stranger to breaking headlines, as her father is currently being investigated for allegations stemming from his most recent position with a bank. During the course of Sophie's tracking of information for a personal case she's working on finds her stumbling upon the supernatural, and how that may have a connection to her own investigation.

It's dialog heavy, and at times the plot made sense, while at other points I was a bit lost as to what was actually happening. It wasn't that the plot jumped around, but the way in which the paranormal element was presented created the confusion. It was as if that variable was just tossed in, and was supposed to tie things together, but it created a hole in the storytelling.

Although I appreciated the content, and the story itself, I felt that the direction taken generated too many questions, and by the end, there weren't many answers.