NIMONA by ND Stevenson

Nimona by ND Stevenson

• Publisher: HarperTeen, 2015
• Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBTQ+
• Format: Ebook
• Page Count: 272 pages
• My Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

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In Nimona, Stevenson questioned a lot of things. What are heroes and villains? Can “heroes” be evil and “villains” principled? What is magic when we have science? Is the government trustworthy? Who are real friends?

This 2015 graphic novel hits close to current affairs. There is a quarantine center and people are fighting against their government. The horrid Director of the shady Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics, aka the government, keeps saying to eliminate competitions “by any means necessary.” She also said, “A dangerous nation is a powerful nation.” Yikes, right?

Ballister, who looks like Doctor Strange, is not your everyday villain. He has a soft heart and is way too cute. Nimona is not your everyday teenage girl, either. She is a CHAOTIC mess. Their interactions, especially Nimona’s reactions, are incredibly hilarious in the first half of the book. Then the comic took a serious turn and remained amazing for different reasons.

The mains, Nimona, Ballister, and Goldenloin, are all extremely lonely people. Their backstories were all a little sad, but nothing prepared me for the ending. It was somber yet perfectly beautiful. I really need someone to hug Nimona and love her.

While I did not love the illustrations initially, the drawing style grew on me as I read. Now, I am sure it is perfect for this story and won’t have it any other way.

Nimona is about friendship, trust, ethics, and power. Read it, because in addition to the mostly light-hearted content, it is thought-provoking, enlightening, and makes you ache for more.

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