Early Reader Review: Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden

Source: From Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden, Jacquelin De Leon

 (Illustrator)

Series: Zatanna #1
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:  July 26, 2022

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

There's more to the mobsters, mystics, and mermaids at the last stop on the D/F/Q trains: Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.

Zatanna's not your typical New Yorker. She walks her giant rabbit on a leather leash down the boardwalk, lives in a colossal architectural wonder known as the Golden Elephant, had her first kiss in the Haunted Hell Gate ride--and wouldn't have it any other way.

But the time for having fun in Luna Park comes to an end when a mystic's quest for a powerful jewel unravels everything Zatanna thought she knew about herself and her beloved neighborhood. Mysteries and magic surround her as she reveals the truth about her family's legacy, and confronts the illusion that has been cast over her entire life.

From the bewitching mind behind The Casquette Girls, Alys Arden, and with enchanting artwork by Jacquelin de Leon, comes the story of a girl stuck in the middle of a magical rivalry and forced to choose between love, family, and magic without hurting anyone...or worse.

Review: 

This was a fun read. I was pulled in my the beautiful colors and promise of magic and mystery. 

The plot of this graphic novel follows Zatanna a teenage girl, living in Coney Island with her illusionist parents, trying to be normal, but it is her normal. She is constantly surrounded by illusion and magic and so things are always a little odd. Then Zatanna gets some real magic and things start going crazy for her and she has to adapt quickly, now the media wants to see her, her dad wants to put her in his show, and there is another family trying to steal her power. It is all very dramatic and quick paced. 

Overall the book was a good one. I liked Zatanna a lot, she was relatable in that she was her own normal and just trying to be herself, not persuaded by her parents and their careers. She is also strong and stubborn and smitten with someone that her parents don't agree with. She is angsty but in an ok way, not the super annoying woe-is-me kind of way. I also liked the secrets throughout the book, they were interesting and kept it a mystery to be solved, and a fun one, however it was not all great. 

I was a little taken aback but the amount of death in this first installment... lots of hopefuly moment followed by tragedy. It might come together as Zatanna's story progresses but for now it was all just kind of sad. I also wasn't a fan of her boyfriend, he was sketchy sometimes and seemed a little controlling (while he was also being controlled by his mother), from what I learned about Zatanna- shw could have done better. 

Overall, the plot was ok, the mystery kept it alive for me and I liked Zatanna enough to keep reading. I think the end was a little scrambled and fast, but it was a fun one.