School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--Katie, who struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, heads to summer camp with her best friend Kacey. While Katie branches out and begins meeting new friends, both at camp and afterwards at her homeschool co-op, Kacey has a hard time coping with the changes in their relationship, and the two grow apart. Meanwhile, Katie continues to struggle with severe anxiety and OCD until eventually she is able to get help. This tweenage story of growing up is based on Ormsbee's own preteen and teen years struggling with similar issues. Katie's character is relatable, and young readers will connect with the symbolism of a buzzing bee to represent her anxiety. The struggles Katie faces with her friend Kacey will be familiar to many readers as well. Unfortunately, there are a few too many plot lines woven throughout the story, and they all feel a bit stunted. Brooks's artwork shines throughout and helps the story come to life. Her realistic, full-color scenes pair well with the story of early teenage struggles, and fans of other slice-of-life graphic novels will be drawn to this title. VERDICT Although it has too many subplots, this colorful graphic novel has a lot to grab the attention of many young readers. Fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller are sure to enjoy it. Recommended for most collections.--Ellen Conlin
Publisher's Weekly Review
Rising sixth grader Katie can sometimes feel like a "weirdo homeschooled kid," except when with best friend Kacey, with whom she attends a homeschool co-op and shares a love of Annie. But when the pals leave for sleepaway camp, Katie experiences increasingly anxious thoughts and a heightened "buzzing feeling in my brain," conveyed visually as a large bee that compels her to complete tasks: "You gotta make your worries stop. Move that zipper." Ormsbee (Candidly Cline) juggles competing plot threads that contribute to Katie's intrusive concerns: new friendships that awaken misgivings and joy in Katie and jealousy in Kacey, fears about a potential tongue surgery, and an awareness of her adolescent appearance, including pimples and a new haircut. In thick, angular brushstrokes, Brooks (the Sanity & Tallulah series) renders the white protagonists with simplified features and a warm palette. Tracing Katie's earnest tack to navigating friendships old and new, her growing interest in the theater, and a burgeoning understanding of her obsessive compulsive disorder--detailed respectfully throughout--the creators lend flashback-level realism to a story of one child's world growing larger with age and experience. Secondary characters are racially diverse; back matter discusses Ormsbee's and Brooks's experiences growing up with OCD. Ages 8--12. Author's agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker Literary. Illustrator's agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (May)