The story opens with a frightening villain, hidden behind a chair, threatening an ordinary man to get a group of children called “irregularities.” Cut to the kids, who are just your ordinary group of friends - but with a few little differences. They live in a government facility, their lives heavily monitored and controlled, and they’re all just a little different. A yeti, will-o-the-wisp, selkie, nandi bear, lizard boy, and whatever Maggie is. They all have stories, which will be hinted at or told throughout the book, and most are sad and dark. But here and now they have each other and a safe place.
Or do they? When they are betrayed and stranded, they set off an a desperate adventure, first to find safety and discover who is hunting them, and then to rescue their friends, old and new. Along the way they will meet cruelty and prejudice, but also kindness and love, and they will realize that the most powerful thing they have is their family.
This is blurbed by Ethan Aldridge, Kat Leyh, and Carey Pietsch. It’s full of fantastic characters but also real feelings and self-discovery. The kids make discoveries about themselves as they travel, both about their powers, their old and new families, and several take a step towards figuring out who they are inside, regardless of the labels, either of gender or of monster, that society puts on them. Comic relief shows up in the form of a Scooby-Doo type band of cryptid hunters and although the story can be intense, there’s always a feeling that all will end well - as it does.
Verdict: This is absolutely a feel-good graphic novel for kids who love fantasy adventures and want something exciting but not too dark. Personally, I read it twice and then ordered a copy for myself, I loved it that much.
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