Luminous Beings

Gr 9 Up–Would-be filmmakers and childhood best friends Ty and Burger have big plans to make names for themselves as creative superstars—if they can get funding to develop their documentary that shows the human side of the current global catastrophe. They want to tell the stories of the thousands of victims ravaged by the menace known as Squizzies, who were once gentle beings, until a rampant virus turned them into rabid, murderous zombies; also, Squizzies are squirrels. When they get a lead on their former coffee shop supervisor who went missing and is presumably dead, the duo and their friends set off on a perilous adventure to find him. Their Scooby-Doo gang shenanigans are further complicated by Ty’s secret that she has been accepted into a college and plans to break up their partnership but is afraid to reveal that to her best friend. The entire story takes place over the course of one day, and the panels in this graphic novel are colored in shades of lush purple, neon magenta, and hazy pink, as the day turns from sunrise to sunset. The ease of their tête-à-tête and ribbing shows the unbreakable bond between the pair, whose friendship is tested yet withstands the challenge of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Coarse language, references to drugs and drinking, mild romance, and violence that is stylized and ridiculous make this a believable YA story.