Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys, Andrew Weiner, Brittney Williams
Published by Harper Alley on June 1, 2022
ISBN: 0063029561
Pages: 224
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads

This graphic novel by singer Alicia Keys, co-written by Andrew Weiner, uses her song lyrics “Girl on Fire” as a jumping-off point to tell a story about a girl who is not going to take any more. When Lolo Wright’s brother is wrongly accused of a crime by police, and he is being physically assaulted by an officer, Lolo taps into a deep power she didn’t even knew she had to fight back. With a form of telekenesis that channels light, Lolo removes the officer from her brother. In doing this, she catches the eye of the neighborhood boss, Skin, who wants to use her power for his own nefarious intent.  Lolo has a choice to make as those she loves are used as leverage to try to woo her to the crime-lord’s team. The illustrations are excellent – each character is distinct and Lolo’s power is clearly delineated; the pages are uncluttered and the story is easy to follow. Hand this book to fans of Angie Thomas or Nic Stone.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth