Miro, a boy with perhaps too much love of books, and Zia, a girl always ready for adventure, team up to discover the sinister and mystical secret at the heart of their sleepy fishing town. This straightforward, fast-paced mystery sometimes glosses over conversations in order to introduce the next entertaining part of the story, but the target audience is unlikely to mind that Zia and Miro suddenly go somewhere when they're busy saving the day. King's dramatic poses and square jaws recall the golden era of pulp action comics but with a modern feel and diverse cast; the purely black-and-white sections denoting flashbacks are some of the most dynamic art in the whole story. Adults reading along will no doubt enjoy the classic monster references and a cameo by a tiny Loch Ness Monster in a jar. Overall, a diverting tale and an interesting pair of odd-couple kid detectives. Hopefully there will be more opportunities for Miro and Zia to uncover mischief in the future.--Booklist-- "Journal" The murky waters of fishing town Aurora attract a wide variety of marine wildlife unlike anything else in recent history. Though local boy Miro doesn't have much interest in the town, he has taken to selling unwanted items that previous owners left in his family's attic to fund his addiction to rare books. After Miro and classmate Zia spot a local fisherman whose leg is ensnared by cephalopodlike tentacles, they explore Aurora's mysterious history, including the Danforth family patriarch who founded the town's primary employer, his disastrous expedition to the arctic, and the mysterious cabal protecting the secret that keeps Aurora's economy prosperous. Zia, the deuteragonist to Milo's protagonist, drives the story forward with her initiative, rendering Milo and his hazy motivations comparatively less interesting. King's detailed full-color panels can feel more static than sequential, slowing the pace in a story already lacking in emotional motivations, but the aquatic, gothic mystery breathes life into the otherwise mild narrative.--Publishers Weekly-- "Journal" Bookworm Miro and new friend Zia unravel their seaside town's greatest mystery.The story begins when Miro is set upon by bullies upon leaving his favorite bookstore, to be rescued by Zia. Almost immediately, the two new friends stumble upon a mysterious, otherworldly happening that sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to the discovery of the titular enigma and so much more. There is something strange afoot in the town, and a book (and its readers) both imperils and saves the day. While the two kids get support from a community of helpful adults, the real stars of the story are the books that drive the action, as the protagonist expands his life both beyond and deeper into the world of books. The narrative itself swings back and forth from the present to the past, making full use of the flexibility of the graphic-novel format to help the reader navigate everything from historical documents to edge-of-your-seat action sequences. With an array of blended, multilingual, and multiracial families and diverse gender representation, this book is beautifully inclusive. However, women are often peripheral to male action despite their diversity and presence: It's a little disappointing that Zia seems to exist mostly to serve Miro's character development without any character development of her own. Miro has beige skin, and Zia presents White.Villains, magical books, and creatures from the deep combine for a fast-paced, rollicking graphic mystery.--Kirkus Reviews-- "Journal"
