RIP M.D.

Gr 7 Up—Despite its promising, if familiar, premise, this graphic novel falls short on almost every front. Ripley "Rip" Plimpt is a monster-loving boy who finds himself tangled up in a world of monsters and intrigue. The storytelling is erratic and overly reliant on exposition. Grammar and spelling mistakes occur throughout. The artwork is uneven; with his big head, stubby limbs, and chubby cheeks, Rip doesn't seem to belong in the very story that bears his name. The mix of traditional hand-drawn and computer-aided art yields unpleasant results. Characterization is inconsistent, both visually and within the narrative. The target age also seems to vary: Rip looks like a preschooler, yet the story itself would be just about right for "Goosebumps" fans, while bizarre lapses into off-color language would suggest a teen audience. The author has extensive experience in the field of animation, and this seems to be an attempt to bring the liveliness of that medium into print. One can't help but wonder what the book could have been had it had some clearer direction.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada