Review - Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up (Sunny #1)
by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Date: 2015
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Reading level: MG
Book type: graphic novel
Pages: 224
Format: e-book
Source: library

Sunny Lewin has been packed off to Florida to live with her grandfather for the summer. At first she thought Florida might be fun -- it is the home of Disney World, after all. But the place where Gramps lives is no amusement park. It's full of... old people. Really old people.

Luckily, Sunny isn't the only kid around. She meets Buzz, a boy who is completely obsessed with comic books, and soon they're having adventures of their own: facing off against golfball-eating alligators, runaway cats, and mysteriously disappearing neighbors. But the question remains -- why is Sunny down in Florida in the first place? The answer lies in a family secret that won't be secret to Sunny much longer...

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Well, that was underwhelming.

After reading the note at the back, I understand the message the authors were trying to get across. Unfortunately, that message was wrapped up in a disjointed, boring story that didn't really engage me at all. I wasn't all that impressed by the illustrations, either; maybe they just weren't my style.

Overall, I don't know if I'd recommend this book. There've got to be better ones out there with a similar message. For this age group, entertainment is important; if kids don't want to read (or finish) a book, the message will probably be lost on them.

Plot: 1/5
Characters: 2/5
Pace: 2/5
Writing & Editing: 3/5
Illustration: 2/5
Originality: 1/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall Rating: 1.86 out of 5 ladybugs