The Demon of River Heights (Nancy Drew Graphic Novels: Girl Detective #1) (Paperback)

by Stefan Petrucha (Author), Sho Murase (Author) "THE MONSTER... HE'S REAL!..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up-The latest incarnation of children's literature's most famous girl detective is this crisp, stylish graphic novel. Although fully updated with new stories; dark, edgy illustrations; and all the latest technological gadgets, the plot is drawn out in classic Carolyn Keene-style-all action at a brisk pace. Nancy tracks down two missing film students while uncovering a businessman's sinister plot to blow up a depleted iron mine. While investigating, she fights off a bear, gets lost in the woods, falls down a mineshaft, and reveals the identity of the Demon of River Heights, all without a scratch or a hair out of place. The sleuth's 21st-century makeover introduces traditional mysteries to the world of juvenile graphic novels, and is most welcome. Expect new titles in the series every three months.-Karen T. Bilton, Somerset County Library, Bridgewater, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Reviewed with Scott Lobdell's The Ocean of Osyria.

Gr. 4-6. These graphic-novel-style versions of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew adventures will appeal to young graphic-novel fans as well as readers new to the venerable amateur sleuths. The pocket-size books, first in their respective series, are appealingly presented. The manga-influenced art is very colorful, and the brisk pacing, with just a few frames per page, makes for an easy read--perfect for reluctant readers.

In The Ocean, those well-mannered Hardy boys, Joe and Frank (reimagined as tech-savvy crime solvers), return to fight a new generation of foes, the majority of whom appear to be Middle Eastern and French. Here, the young sleuths travel around the world in an attempt to recover a stolen artifact and save their best friend, who has been framed for the theft. Although this is a modernized version of the classic capers, with the Internet and cell phones playing key roles, the wholesomeness of the boys' principles remains the same.

In The Demon, Nancy, the classic American teenage heroine, manages to solve cases that baffle local police. This time she becomes involved in a student film about a local monster legend, which may turn out to be real, and a suspicious stranger arrives in town. For the most part, the artwork is crisp enough, but several pages appear to be substandard reproductions of original art. Carlos Orellana
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Papercutz (October 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597070009
• ISBN-13: 978-1597070003
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #407,958 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A comic book for girls, April 29, 2005

By	Solarstar (Florida) - See all my reviews

My 11-year old daughter absolutely loves this book. She describes it as "a comic book, but good!!!" She can't wait for more to be published. I think the photos are a bit strange (the characters don't look like how I expected them to), but she has read it over and over again happily.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed from cover to cover with storytelling excitement, May 13, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Nancy Drew Girl Detective #1: The Demon of River Heights is an all-new, full-color, graphic novel story featuring the brave and ingenious teenage sleuthing heroine whose books have been classics of children's literature for more than 75 years. The bright, colorful artwork flows very much like a cartoon in comic book form, and the story is packed from cover to cover with storytelling excitement. Together Nancy Drew, along with Bess and George, search for missing student filmmakers and the deadly secret behind the urban myth of "The Demon of River Heights" in this excellent graphic novel format addition to an established legacy of beloved adventure stories. First in a "Nancy Drew Girl Detective" series of graphic novels featuring Nancy Drew, The Demon Of River Heights is highly recommended for personal and library collections, as well as a gift books for young people.