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Super Mutant Magic Academy


Summary: Emotionally up and down, socially in and out, self/worldly comprehension and confusion: characteristics of high school teenagers.  Such is the case for Wendy, Marsha, Frances, Gemma, Trevor, Trixie, Cheddar and many others, all students at the Super-Mutant Magic Academy.  These students have their cliques as well as their outsiders, their jocks and their performance artists, their hip teachers and their clueless ones, unrequited love and hidden agendas.  Everything your typical high school would have, except these students aren't just kids, they're mutants.  Some students are humans with special abilities, while others are evolved animals with human characteristics.  Yet despite their mutant status they all still suffer from typical teenage angst and concerns, which are all on full display by Jillian Tamaki.  Each character has their own journey to follow, but unfortunately not every issue gets resolved. 

Reference: Jillian Tamaki (2016). SuperMutant Magic Academy. Drawn & Quarterly. Canada.

Why I Picked It Up: I've enjoyed Jillian's other work, such as Skim and This One Summer, so I was interested in reading her latest creation.  Her characters are always original and her storytelling is unique.  Admittedly, her stories have been too original and unique for some people's tastes, which is why her works are sometimes placed on the Banned Books List.  But, for me her stories are engaging and thought-provoking, very emotional.  I always get drawn into her worlds.

Why I Finished It: Funny panels, amusing characters, and all-too-familiar situations.  Jillian captures teenage life in her characters and in their interactions with each other.  Reading the novel was melancholy, making me long for those high school years and of the angst that often filled my thoughts and life.  The more I read, the more I enjoyed.  Plus, I wanted to know how these kids stories would end. Would unexpressed love be opened up, would self-discovery enlighten certain minds, or would the status quo continue.

Recommendation: As a high school librarian, can easily plug this graphic novel into some of my book talks because I can easily see so many of the students getting into the characters and maybe seeing themselves in some of their situations.  This is a god book to show them that they aren't the only ones with questions and concerns.   Also, I think that any adult wanting to take a trip down memory lane would get a kick out of Tamaki's Academy.  Regardless of whom, this is a book you'd enjoy reading on the living room sofa.

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