Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I wasn't a big fan of the art and I thought that the way that the kids were talking didn't sound natural. I could tell what the author was doing and the plot was pretty straightforward, making the topic and book easily digestible for readers.

Overall, a great graphic novel that I think upper elementary and middle school students will enjoy. It had a good message, and there was some great character growth for Nansi. This is a really cool take on the African trickster story, and there was lots of culture included in many different ways.
My main qualm with this is that while I appreciated the attempt for writing out grandma Junie's accent, it was hard to decipher, and I think it will be an obstacle for some readers. I thought the illustrations were well done, the text was all readable, and overall this is a great middle-grade graphic novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Nansi is a track star and trickster. She's got raw talent, but even naturals need training. When she doesn't win a race, it's not her lack of preparation she thinks needs changing, but her shoes. The winning runner had $$$ shoes that Nansi MUST have. It's the only way she'll win for sure. She'll do anything to get them, even some trickery. When that leads to problems, Nansi has to learn that it's not the shoes that make a runner.

I found this middle-grade graphic novel to be a fun and humorous read. I especially liked how the dialogue was written to reflect realistic Jamaican dialect and the use of more cartoonish illustrations to represent thoughts and dreams.

A great book for competitive kids. Nansi is a teenage who runs track and is very good at it and very competitive! But once another girl beats her in a race she's sure it's because of her expensive shoes, not because she was so sure of herself she skipped training.

As a kid I love reading and I loved sports competitions but never found any books about it so this was an amazing find and would be a great add to a school library. The drawings are nice and I particularly liked the little cute comic style that appeared when Nansi was dreaming or daydreaming.

The grandma and her friend speak a different language/dialect (Jamaican?) and it isn't translated so some readers like me will miss some of the discussions. The font is easily readable for me reading on a tablet. The pictures on my copy were pixellated behind the vector text but I imagine it's because it's an advanced reader copy and not a final edition.

Way Off Track by Carl Brundtland and Claudia Dávila is about Nansi, a seventh-grade girl of Jamaican descent who loves track. When she starts underperforming, she decides the new shoes her main competitor has are her way to get back on track.

This story was hilariously amazing. I loved Nansi’s relationship and interactions with her family and friends, specifically her relationship with her siblings were very relatable to me. I also loved how different real-life elements were conveyed very realistically. The mean girls in the graphic novel sounded exactly how I found them in middle school, not like they’re usually over dramatically represented in the media. I also enjoyed how realistic everyone's talking was, slang never felt forced or out of place. I loved the different approaches used to convey the story as well. Specifically, I liked the use of chibi-style art when recounting a story or when we see her dreaming. I also liked how the grandma’s accent was specifically written out, it’s not something I’ve seen in a book before but it's good and needed representation.

This book was a lovely surprise and super fun to read, and I can’t wait to see what else Nansi gets up to in her track and middle school career!

Although the story has merit and there are a number of good moments in the book, overall, it fell a bit flat which is why I wasn't able to bump it up to a 4 star graphic novel read. The illustrations are nice, although there was something a little off proportion wise throughout. But my main reason for not liking this is because Nansi was unlikeable. She wants to be the fastest in school, having been the fastest before, but doesn't really want to work hard to improve or even practice. She fixates on the shoes as a way to improve her time and beat her rival, and this drives her for most of the book. She ignores the advice of those around her and takes advantage of her grandmother's friend who gives her a job, and somehow it all works out. Sure, she gets some punishment, but it feels almost like a slap on the wrist for deceiving everyone. I get that they knew something was up, but it still feels so wrong. As does the fact that her brother seems to be forgiven for his part in the deception. Add to that the way that she treats her friends and her family, and I had a really hard time rooting for her to succeed. And I'm not sure that the lessons she learns will resonate because she doesn't seem to get that she did a lot wrong.

That being said, there is a story here, and the way that some of the cultural elements are incorporated into the graphic novel and the story are interesting and fun. I liked the grandmother's accent, although it was definitely a challenge to read as it was presented phonetically.

All in all, this was entertaining. Not sure I would pick up the next book in the series, but maybe it will get stronger as the authors hit their stride (pun intended).

The importance of hard work and humility gets well-depicted in this short weekend charm of a read. Fantastic artwork all around as well.

This story explores the valuable lesson of humility and the importance of hard work. Nansi, initially overconfident and arrogant, faces a humbling defeat in a race. This setback leads her to believe that acquiring the 'best' shoes is the solution to her problems, which then causes her to engage in some less-than-ideal scheming.

However, Nansi ultimately learns that natural talent alone is not all that is needed for success. True achievement requires dedication, preparation, and a focus on one's own progress – a valuable lesson applicable to all aspects of life.

While I appreciate the attempt to portray Granny's accent through her dialogue, I found it somewhat challenging to decipher at times. This may pose a significant obstacle for younger readers. Despite this minor concern, the illustrations are fantastic and beautifully complement the narrative.

Furthermore, the book deserves praise for featuring a diverse cast of characters, including a POC protagonist, which promotes inclusivity and representation.

I'm thrilled there may be more Nansi books. Her family, friends, and enemy were all delightful characters. I enjoyed living in her fast world for a bit.

The first in a new MG graphic novel series by CB & CD.
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Nansi loves being the fastest runner around, but when she loses her first race ever to Tania, Nansi is convinced it’s because she has the newest running shoes. Determined to beat Tania in the next big race, Nansi gets a part time job to save up for the shoes. Things are going great until Nansi gets an offer to work with college track coaches to improve at the same time as her part time job. Can she be at two places at once?
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This was an adorable new voice in the genre that is going to be a hit! Incorporating Jamaican culture with the West African trickster, Anansi, made this title unique and made Nansi a character to root for! This book is out May 6!

Nansi is so sure that she can keep winning every race she ever runs, that she stops training. And then her nemesis, Tania, beats her. Nansi is sure it is because of the $300 track shoes, and so, rather than, well, training more, she decides she has to get a job to earn money to buy the shoes.

A cute quick story about going down the wrong path, and not figuring things out.

I enjoyed seeing where Nansi’s brain went, as she tries to figure out how, to finally, train, but also keep her job. The drawings are fun. And the story is as quick as a race.

The only issue I had was her grandmother’s Jamaican accent, that I had to read aloud to understand what she was saying. On one had that was kind of cool, because it gave you a sense of where she was from, but it slowed down the story for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 6th of May 2025.