Blog Tour: Review - Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

Source: From First Second Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

I'm so excited to be a part of the Mighty Jack and the Goblin King blog tour. 
The tour is for the second book in a graphic novel duo that began with Mighty Jack. I was thrilled to be given the chance to read them both back to back! So here is a review for Mighty Jack as well as Mighty Jack and the Goblin King!! 
Enjoy the tour!

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
Series: Mighty Jack #1
Publisher:  First Second
Publication Date:  October 13, 2016

 

Format:  Paperback
Rating:


 



Synopsis: 

Jack might be the only kid in the world who's dreading summer. But he's got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It's a lot of responsibility, and it's boring, too, because Maddy doesn't talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk—to tell Jack to trade their mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds.

It's the best mistake Jack has ever made.

In Mighty Jack, what starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.

I was SO pleasantly surprised and excited to find out that this series is Graphic Novels! If you weren't aware, graphic novels are a great way to get the younger population and reluctant readers to read - they are captivating and easy to read. I love them, they are also an excellent thing to read if you fall into a reading slump.

Anyway - Mighty Jack is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and it is wonderfully imaginative and action-packed. In the first issue Jack and his sister get seeds and plant a garden. This wouldn't be a huge deal normally but this garden is different and the plants take over a bit. The story follows them as they get the seeds, plant the garden and find out that it is a bit off.

I loved this book SO much and I am SO glad I had book two in hand to read it. The first one did such a good job setting up this crazy garden and the relationship between Jack and his sister. It was all so much fun. I flew through it and loved the bright, detailed illustration throughout.

I highly recommend this series...

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

Series: Mighty Jack #2

Publisher:  First Second
Publication Date:  September 5, 2017

 

Format:  Paperback

Rating:

 

Synopsis: 

Like a bolt from the blue, Jack's little sister Maddy is gone―carried into another realm by an ogre.
When Jack and Lilly follow Maddy’s captor through the portal, they are ready for anything . . . except what they find waiting for them in the floating crossroads between worlds. Even the power of their magic plants may not be enough to get them back to earth alive.
Alone and injured, Jack and Lilly must each face their own monsters―as well as giants who grind the bones of human children to feed their “beast” and a fearsome goblin king in the sewers down below.
But when Jack finds himself in a tough spot, help comes from the most unlikely person: the goblin king!
Ben Hatke, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Zita the Spacegirl, concludes his latest middle-grade fantasy-adventure graphic novel series, Mighty Jack, with the energetic finale to his retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Book two in this duo did not disappoint. The first book ended on a pretty epic cliffhanger and this book jumps right back into the action. Jack is off to find his sister, the garden is insane, and he must travel to another place, he isn't even sure where he is. Luckily, his new friend Lilly can join him. However, the plot takes a turn when Jack and Lilly get separated and must conquer their own fears alone... well maybe not completely alone.

This book, like the first, has gorgeous and vibrant illustrations and I love the graphic novel format for young readers. The characters, even while encountering fantastical elements, are realistic and believable as young teens and kids. Their behaviors and emotions are relatable and understandable. It is a very well told re-telling and the characters are likable.

I think this duo is going to be a staple for young readers - those who already enjoy graphic novels and those looking for something different. I think if you have a reluctant reader this is a great starting point ... well book one - go grab that, then this one!

About the Author

Ben Hatke is the author and illustrator of the New York Times–bestselling Zita the Spacegirl trilogy, the picture books Julia's House for Lost Creatures and Nobody Likes a Goblin, and the graphic novels Little Robot and Mighty Jack. He lives and works in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and their boisterous pack of daughters. benhatke.com