Nancy Drew, Girl Detective #13: Doggone Town
I
grew up on Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew books, everyone's favorite
girl detective. She was sassy, smart and adventurous, and I read many,
many Nancy Drew mysteries, even though she was created way back
in the 1930s. Nancy Drew, Girl Detective #13: Doggone Town is
a new take on my old favorite. Writers Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney
have teamed up with artists Sho Murase and Carlos Jose Guzman to recreate
Nancy and her adventures in graphic novel form for a more modern audience.
When Nancy finds a lost dog in her bedroom, she sets out with her boyfriend, Ned, to return it to its owner in the small town of Nevershare. Sounds like a good plan, but things go awry when Nancy and Ned arrive in Nevershare only to find its citizens have completely disappeared...all except for one. Nancy is determined to find out what happened to them, and Doggone Town turns out to be a pretty weird adventure, but an adventure nonetheless.
Reading the graphic novel, I was delighted to find that Nancy's character - even reproduced in a comic form - kept her feisty edge. She talks directly to the reader, basically narrating the novel, and I found her witty and funny. Her playful comments keep the novel from seeming too dark, even though Nancy finds herself in some dangerous situations.
Doggone Town proved to me that Nancy Drew adventures work very well in the graphic novel format. It's fun to read her saucy comments while also following the story in illustrations. It's almost like there are multiple levels of storytelling going on, which adds a very cool effect to the plot. Plus, seeing a villain up close and personal on the page goes a long way to make you realize how evil they really are.
If you already know and love Nancy Drew, this is a must check out! The same goes if you like mysteries and mysterious adventures. And if you've never checked out a graphic novel before, Doggone Town might be a good place to start! It's easy to read and follow, fun to look at, and all around a good adventure - plus, it features one of the best mystery heroines out there!
For more resources on this graphic novel, visit these sites:
- Papercutz: the official publisher's website, including author interviews and animated exerpts
SmartGirl comments:
by secret
weapon, age 12.
She makes me feel like I want to be a detective someday.
by Jessica,
age 11.
I love the pics! It makes u feel like U HAVE to read on! And DUHHH its
fun to hear her part of the story while dealing with reality! The whole
mystery is really fun and scary! It has a personality of every!
