Recent Reads: Allergic: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Allergic: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd 

Illustrations by Michelle Mee Nutter 

Publisher: Graphix
Publication Date:  March 2, 2021

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel featuring a girl with severe allergies who just wants to find the perfect pet!

At home, Maggie is the odd one out. Her parents are preoccupied with getting ready for a new baby, and her younger brothers are twins and always in their own world. Maggie loves animals and thinks a new puppy to call her own is the answer, but when she goes to select one on her birthday, she breaks out in hives and rashes. She's severely allergic to anything with fur!

Can Maggie outsmart her allergies and find the perfect pet? With illustrations by Michelle Mee Nutter, Megan Wagner Lloyd uses inspiration from her own experiences with allergies to tell a heartfelt story of family, friendship, and finding a place to belong.

Review: 

I really appreciated this book, as someone that has had allergies her whole life, I can say that this one hit very close to home for me. It is written for a middle grade audience but it encompasses a lot of feelings about having allergies and how you feel like you ruin things for others and can't really be a kid. 

Maggie is a little girl who just realized he has allergies. She is already feeling ignored in her household and was supposed to get a dog, so it was a real blow. This graphic novel follows her from learning about the allergies to the testing and even the treatment options. It was well informed and well done in a way that portrays the symptoms and experience well. The story is great, heartfelt, brave, and inspirational. 

The graphic novel format is great for this type of book, the illustrations really help to tell the story and show Maggie's sadness and frustration with her diagnosis. The images were also bright and appealing and I think that a middle grade audience will really enjoy them.

This book is a heartfelt coming-of-age story that perfectly encompasses the frustration and demanding nature of allergies and I think that even if your kids do not have allergies, it is a great way to learn about them so that they can be empathetic toward those that might/do.