Details

Length: 209
Story Build: Quick
Character development: solid with personality 
Age Recommendation: 7th grade and up 
Reasoning: characters are seniors in high school 

Summary and Review

I have to confess– I read graphic novels probably too quickly because I still just gravitate to the words and have to remind myself to go back and look at the illustrations. 

So, naturally, I flew through this text, but I did go back and peruse through the pictures because they are BEAUTIFUL. Plus, I didn’t want the text to end because Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read Eleanor and Park, you need to get on that ASAP. 

Anyway, this lovely read is about Deja and Josiah who work at their local pumpkin patch; but this is not your normal pumpkin patch. It is basically like an autumn inspired festival that contains a multitude of food vendors and fall activities for families. Every year, Deja and Josiah hang out and become close. But their friendship is seasonal, just like pumpkins. 

This novel is set during their last season together as they are leaving for college in the spring. Therefore, they basically skip out on their last night of work in order to fulfill Deja’s mission to get Josiah connected with the “Fudge Girl” that he has been crushing on since his first season at the patch. Deja has a submission, too: to try all the food that she won’t be able to eat when she leaves for college. 

Throughout their last night together, they reminisce over their past years together and the bond that they have formed. Rowell and Hicks take us through their creative pumpkin patch world, which makes you nostalgic for being a kid during fall and Halloween. 

I also enjoyed the layers to the character of Deja that were outlined for us. She is spunky and real; she has also dated various characters throughout the park– both male and female. Again, having literature that normalizes the dating preferences of our teens is so important. I praise Rowell for that. 

So the questions are posed: Will Josiah find the girl he has fantasized over for the past three years? Will he like her? Will Deja and Josiah remain friends now? And what will Deja EAT?! 

You will love this little graphic novel about friendship and truth and Halloween. 

Celebrations

First, Hicks is a beautiful story teller through her illustrations. She brings Rowell’s story to life with wonderful color and epic character expressions. You really feel like you are in the story with the drawings. Furthermore, the characters’ personalities are built strongly through the dialogue written by Rowell, and you feel invested in their story. You are rooting for them to find the Fudge Girl and to find out what happens at the end…

Hesitations

Don’t really have any… I really felt uplifted by the tale. I wish Deja and Josiah were given more of a backstory, maybe in flashbacks, of their growing friendship. That would have just added another dimension that I would have loved!