The Infinity Particle - Wendy Xu - ★★★★

-
AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR: Wendy Xu
GENRE: Graphic Novel
RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: An interesting graphic novel about the relationship between an inventor and a lifelike humanoid. Covers interesting themes. Needed more explanation for some plot points. But a good read nonetheless.


Story Synopsis:
Aspiring scientist Clementine Chang has newly moved to Mars for a fresh start, and is keen to begin her new job working with her idol Dr. Marcella Lin, an AI pioneer. Lin’s humanoid AI assistant named Kye is proof of how skilled she is. Clem herself has a little AI companion named SENA, who is somewhat moth-shaped.
Clem and Kye hit it off with a great friendship, which creates trouble with Lin. The trouble are further worsened after Kye starts suffering glitches after his interactions with Clem.
What is behind Kye’s glitches? Will Clem be able to continue with her dream job after risking so much for Kye?


Bookish Yays:
✔ A compelling plot that is quite intricate for a YA graphic novel.

✔ Women characters working in STEM! In a non-superhero graphic novel! High time!

✔ The various AI robots, who range from cute to hunk. SENA and Kye are both wonderful characters, and through them, the plot raises many interesting questions about the rights of AI humanoids. The ethical dilemmas are highlighted well.

✔ Though mainly focussed on AI, the technological aspects of the plot don’t overwhelm.

✔ The use of Mars as a setting. The story could have made better use of this, but even as is, it was fun to see how humans have colonised Mars in this alternate reality.

✔ A comprehensive library, with library owls! If there’s one thing from the story I wish came true in real life, it would be the library owls.

✔ The illustrations. For some reason, the sketches use mostly the blue and white colour palette, with a few exceptions in skin tone for some panels. The lack of garish colours serves to highlight certain important sequences in the plot.

✔ First time that I have seen a hijabi character getting a place of prominence in a graphic novel plot without any reference to her race or religion. That’s how inclusivity is best portrayed – by making it seem routine.



Bookish Nays:
⚠ The writing jumps over a lot of important events, especially in the backstories. This makes the current dilemma of all the three main characters seem vague and hurried, and also leads to an equally hasty resolution. This was a major problem.

⚠ Clem and Kye develop a healthy, organic relationship based on understanding than on insta attraction, which would have been really weird in this case. But they reach the “I love you” stage too soon. More confusingly, there are no questions or insecurities about the future of such a relationship. It seems to proceed and to be accepted too smoothly.


All in all, this was an entertaining graphic novel with lots of light moments as well as food for thought. If there had been a better explanation of the backstories of the three main characters, the book would have worked even better for me. Still, a good one for graphic novel enthusiasts. The writing is aimed at the older-YA and NA age group.

My thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Infinity Particle”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology - Edited by L. Stephenson - ★★★.¼

-
Image
  EDITOR: L. Stephenson GENRE: Christmas Horror Anthology PUBLICATION DATE:  December 12, 2024 RATING: 3.3 stars. In a Nutshell: A short-fiction anthology filled with Christmassy horror. Some really good stories here, though I wish there had been more variety in the “source of the evil.” A good option for those who are fed up of saccharine seasonal stories. This is the time of the year when readers are torn between spooky season and Christmas season. Here's a book that combines both. 😉 This indie anthology contains twenty-six stories by twenty-six writers. There’s no editor’s note, but the title and the tagline make the theme clear – it is a “Christmas horror” anthology. The stories are mostly fast-paced, which works well in this genre. After the first few stories, I wondered why a majority of them were using the Christmas tree as the horror device-of-choice. It occurred frequently enough for me to start eyeing every Christmas tree in the stories suspiciously. Only after...
Read More»

The Little Christmas Library - David M. Barnett - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: David M. Barnett GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction with a strong Christmas spirit and a dash of Christmas magic. Excellent characters and a well-connected narrative linking them all. True to contemporary times in every way. Might get a bit too sugary, but works well for the genre. A fabulous and heartwarming option for the festive season. Plot Preview: When Molly McGinley moves from London to her Northern hometown of Merry-le-Moors, she feels like an utter failure. Ten years in the big city, and all she has to show is a broken relationship and no job. Her widower dad Jack is more than happy to have his daughter home, especially as he is still missing his wife who passed away a decade back. Jack now whiles away his time driving the town’s mobile library and he insists that Molly accompany him on his rounds instead of moping alone at home. As the two take the library bus t...
Read More»

Somebody I Used to Know - Wendy Mitchell - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Wendy Mitchell GENRE: Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: June 5, 2018 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The memoir of a woman who unexpectedly became the face of young-onset Alzheimer’s in the UK. Ghost-written with the help of a journalist, this book covers her diagnosis, reaction, coping strategies, everyday experiences, and her plans for the future.. The writing is filled with pain and frustration as well as hope. Much recommended. Do note that it might be triggering for Alzheimer’s patients and also caregivers. A reading challenge I am participating in needed a book penned by a ghost-writer. I was very clear that I didn’t want to opt for any celebrity memoir, most of which are sanitised fake versions of their lives. Nor did I want to try fictional novels that straddled the line between pseudonymous and ghost-written. ( The Nancy Drew series, for instance. ) Google led me to Wendy Mitchell’s memoir. One look at this book’s blurb, and I knew I finally found the right option for the...
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis...
Read More»

The Night Counsellor - L.K. Pang - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: L.K. Pang GENRE: Historical Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: October 17, 2024 RATING: 4 stars In a Nutshell: A historical mystery with a mental asylum as the dominant setting. Intriguing characters, creepy vibes, good handling of the two timelines. A great option for readers who enjoy gritty historical narratives. Plot Preview: 1953. Jane Galloway, in a new role as a counsellor, has just been assigned a new patient at The Beaumont, a mental asylum trying to shed its dark tag but not doing a great job of it. This patient, dubbed Patient A, was found wandering naked and covered in blood on the outskirts of Yorkshire. She doesn’t talk or respond in any way to anyone. The mystery gets even darker when Jane learns that this patient is a murder suspect. The hospital staff is firmly opposed to this new method of using conversations as therapy, but Jane is determined to make a difference. Can she help Patient A before it is too late? Is Patient A really guilty of such a heinous crime? The...
Read More»