Graphic Novel Review: Stargazer

As children, Shae, her brother Kenny, and their two friends Adriana and Hailey, enjoy going out to the woods to do some stargazing. One night, while joking around, they are suddenly transported to the top of a water tower. In their confusion, Kenny, reaching for lights that seem closer than stars should be, falls off and is injured. How did they get up there?

As adults, Kenny has become convinced that they were taken by “the sky people”. Shae, who has become kind of a caretaker to him, gets very upset at his inability to get past it all. But… when Kenny seems to vanish, and Shae is plagued with nightmares about what might have happened when they were kids, she has to bring her old friends with her to solve what really happened.

… and that’s to say nothing about Installation 13 and their meetings with agents of “the Sky Mind”…

New author Anthony Cleveland plays on the tropes of science fiction that have been popular for years. Are aliens real? Do they “abduct” us? And if those are true, what does the government know about it all? A vibrant art style and compelling story drive this debut graphic novel to ask yourself those questions, all while enjoying the journey of the main characters.

Recommended. A fun story for ages 13 and up.