#ComicsWednesday: Heartthrob by Christopher Sebela & Robert Wilson IV

None of us will live forever, but Callie, who was born with a congenital heart defect, has never been able to escape the awareness that her time is limited. Throughout her childhood she was either hospitalized or kept wrapped in cotton wool by her parents. But after Callie hears about the first successful heart transplant in 1968, she decides to take a chance on living. She leaves her family, moves to California, gets a job in an insurance company, and saves her money for heart transplant surgery.

The story of Heartthrob starts with Callie just returning to work after months of recovering from her successful heart transplant. She feels different, healthier, stronger, though she's well aware that the still experimental transplant has only extended her lifespan by years. But if Callie was tired of hiding from life before, now she is determined to live. And then she meets a mysterious and handsome stranger at a bar, a stranger with a dangerous past who leads Callie into a life of crime and romance.

This fast-paced story is written by Christopher Sebela, drawn by Robert Wilson IV, and colored by Nick Filardi. The story has enough sex and violence that it is clearly an adult series. I enjoyed the 1970s setting, and Filardi's use of color worked well to capture the vintage mood. Without going into spoilers, I would've enjoyed more focus on the heists and less on the unusual romance. It's an interesting premise, and the first volume ends on a heck of a cliffhanger.

~Sarah, Adult Services

#ComicsWednesday: Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams

If you grew up on a steady diet of Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo, and are particularly drawn to stories about plucky girl sleuths, I highly recommend Goldie Vance Vol 1. by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams.

Marigold "Goldie" Vance lives with her father at the Crossed Palms, the resort hotel that he manages. Her mom works at a mermaid club downtown. Goldie valets cars and helps the in-house hotel detective solve small mysteries. Charles, the in-house detective, encounters a case he can't crack, so he agrees to mentor Goldie in the art of sleuthing if she helps him solve the mystery.

This comic is set in the Sixties, the heyday of girl detectives. Goldie is the child of an African American father and a Caucasian mother. Goldie's friends and coworkers at the hotel, as well as hotel guests, are refreshingly diverse. The color scheme is light and fresh, and it lends well to the relative innocence of the setting. Both Larson and Williams have said that they are planning to keep this series lighthearted. They will not explore the racism and difficulties of that time period.

This comic is recommended for ages 11+ by the publisher, though I think younger kids could enjoy it as well. You can find Goldie Vance Vol. 1 and Goldie Vance Vol. 2 in the Teen Zone Graphic Novel section here at Carnegie-Stout.  I would definitely recommend Goldie Vance to any readers who like a good mystery, miss Veronica Mars, or wanted to be Nancy Drew when they grew up.

- Libby, Youth Services

Staff Review: Romancing the Throne by Nadine Jolie Courtney

Ever since I saw the 2004 romantic comedy The Prince & Me in theaters, I have been a sucker for the "ordinary girl + prince" plot
combo. I have read my fair share of romance novels revolving around that plot and I have watched all of the made-for-TV movies. I watched the live stream of the royal wedding in 2011. When I saw Romancing the Throne by Nadine Jolie Courtney on our cart of new YA books, I knew I had to read it.

Charlotte and Libby are sisters who are different in lots of ways. Libby is studious, serious, and artsy. Charlotte is popular, fashion forward, trendy, and oh, yeah, she's dating Prince Edward, heir to the British throne. When Libby ends up switching from her all-girls school to Charlotte's elite boarding school, she is thrown into a world she has a hard time understanding. Charlotte and Edward break up, and he seems to be spending more and more time with Libby. Two sisters should never fall for the same guy, but sometimes love grows where you least expect it.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and it's probably only partially because I'm biased about the plot. Having the book told from Charlotte's point of view brought in a perspective about this rom-com plot that I hadn't previously thought about. What happens to the family of the person dating royalty? This book was about that "ordinary girl + prince" trope, sure, but that seemed secondary to the sisters' relationship. It reminded me of The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan or The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright.

If you like romantic comedies and are intrigued by modern royalty, this is definitely one to check out. I'm not just saying that because there's a character named Libby either. :D

-Libby, Youth Services