Author: Megan Brennan
Reviewer: Jenna Ballard
Published: 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Audience: Middle Grade
Summary (from Amazon): There’s nothing cooler than Magical Girls – pretty superheroes fighting villains with the power of friendship and glitter? What could be better than that! This year in middle school, Kira is going to be cool and popular and have SO many friends because she’s going to be a MAGICAL GIRL! …Or not. Frustrated beyond belief, Kira makes a wish on a shooting star that her life will change – and when Catacorn, a cat-unicorn-space-princess, crashes into Kira’s backyard, it seems her wish has come true…kinda…maybe… Oh no. Is Kira’s dream of being a Magical Girl really possible…or is Catacorn not really what she promises to be?
Review: This graphic novel is unapologetically full of all things adorable and “girly;” you half expect glitter to come pouring out as you turn the pages. As Megan Brennan writes in an author’s note at the back, the book started out as a short comic “celebrating shoujo manga,” which is “primarily made for young girls” in Japan. The art, very reminiscent of Japanese anime style (Brennan cites Sailor Moon as inspiration), depicts expressive, adorable characters in an explosion of pinks, purples, and blues.
The story is a wacky blend of typical middle school problems–wanting to stand out but ALSO fit in, friendship drama–with the fantasy world of “Neo-Earth” where Kira lives. Neo-Earth appears to be a mish-mash of all types of fantasy/sci-fi characters like vampires, androids, werewolves, aliens, and, of course, “magical girls.” (Maybe regular humans live among them as well? It’s unclear to me.) There are also creatures who don’t really make any sense, like Catacorn (a cat-unicorn-space princess???) but it’s so weird and random that it’s charming.
I love Kira as a character and I think young readers will, too. She is fun yet flawed in a way that makes her feel very real and relatable. Her impulsivity often gets her into crazy situations and her interactions with Catacorn bring some great humor. I will definitely recommend this to my students who are into anime and/or fantasy stories.
