Nola lives a seaside town that is the epitome of perfection. Too bad it's the most boring thing ever. When the school librarian has an accident, Nola gets sucked in b/c she is sure the two new kids Damiano and Ines have something to do with it. She tries to follow them around but ends up making friends with them. She is still very aware that they are hiding a secret though because there is waaay more to the two of them then meets the eye.

Nola is adorable but her age was a little tough to figure out. Some illustrations and actions make her come across as very young and others put her straight in the teenager camp. I loved her best friend Pumpkin and I'm hoping she will play a bigger part in future stories. There were definitely a lot of unanswered questions in this volume and the end was teeny bit cliff hangery.

I love the art style. Alta Donna is just as beautiful as it's supposed to be. The bright colors and anime happy drawing style definitely serve as a reminder about how idyllic the setting is and keep the mystery from becoming to heavy handed. How Nola is drawn fits her personality perfectly. ( )

Nola lives a seaside town that is the epitome of perfection. Too bad it's the most boring thing ever. When the school librarian has an accident, Nola gets sucked in b/c she is sure the two new kids Damiano and Ines have something to do with it. She tries to follow them around but ends up making friends with them. She is still very aware that they are hiding a secret though because there is waaay more to the two of them then meets the eye.

Nola is adorable but her age was a little tough to figure out. Some illustrations and actions make her come across as very young and others put her straight in the teenager camp. I loved her best friend Pumpkin and I'm hoping she will play a bigger part in future stories. There were definitely a lot of unanswered questions in this volume and the end was teeny bit cliff hangery.

I love the art style. Alta Donna is just as beautiful as it's supposed to be. The bright colors and anime happy drawing style definitely serve as a reminder about how idyllic the setting is and keep the mystery from becoming to heavy handed. How Nola is drawn fits her personality perfectly. ( )

Nola lives a seaside town that is the epitome of perfection. Too bad it's the most boring thing ever. When the school librarian has an accident, Nola gets sucked in b/c she is sure the two new kids Damiano and Ines have something to do with it. She tries to follow them around but ends up making friends with them. She is still very aware that they are hiding a secret though because there is waaay more to the two of them then meets the eye.

Nola is adorable but her age was a little tough to figure out. Some illustrations and actions make her come across as very young and others put her straight in the teenager camp. I loved her best friend Pumpkin and I'm hoping she will play a bigger part in future stories. There were definitely a lot of unanswered questions in this volume and the end was teeny bit cliff hangery.

I love the art style. Alta Donna is just as beautiful as it's supposed to be. The bright colors and anime happy drawing style definitely serve as a reminder about how idyllic the setting is and keep the mystery from becoming to heavy handed. How Nola is drawn fits her personality perfectly. ( )

Nola lives a seaside town that is the epitome of perfection. Too bad it's the most boring thing ever. When the school librarian has an accident, Nola gets sucked in b/c she is sure the two new kids Damiano and Ines have something to do with it. She tries to follow them around but ends up making friends with them. She is still very aware that they are hiding a secret though because there is waaay more to the two of them then meets the eye.

Nola is adorable but her age was a little tough to figure out. Some illustrations and actions make her come across as very young and others put her straight in the teenager camp. I loved her best friend Pumpkin and I'm hoping she will play a bigger part in future stories. There were definitely a lot of unanswered questions in this volume and the end was teeny bit cliff hangery.

I love the art style. Alta Donna is just as beautiful as it's supposed to be. The bright colors and anime happy drawing style definitely serve as a reminder about how idyllic the setting is and keep the mystery from becoming to heavy handed. How Nola is drawn fits her personality perfectly. ( )

12-year-old Nola spends her days trying to stay awake in school, hanging with her best friend Pumpkin, and looking for a little attention from her workaholic mother. Nothing happens in the outwardly perfect town of Alta Donna, and Nola is bored senseless... until Damiano and his sister Ines move to town and strange things start happening. The school librarian has a mysterious accident, Ines seems to be able to bend people to her will, rain clouds move in on previously blue skies, and two strange creatures seem to be trying to kidnap Damiano and Ines. While beautiful artwork will draw in tween anime fans, the story line and dialog are choppy, and the purpose of this first installment seems to be only to set the stage for forthcoming installments. If volumes 2 and 3, which have been published, can get the story moving a little more quickly and evenly, this is a promising series.
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