Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed
by Laurie Halse Anderson
illustrated by Leila Del Duca
Comics
Fantasy
Graphic Novel
* * * * Stars (Great!)
War in the human world weakens the magical protections that surround the hidden Amazonian island of Themyscira. On Diana’s 16th birthday (Born Day), humans wash up on the shores of Themyscira and in defiance of her mother the Queen’s orders, Diana attempts to help them. She becomes trapped on the other side of the barrier and winds up in a refugee camp where her facility with languages allows her to offer some aid to the refugees and brings her to the attention of United Nations workers who convince Diana that she can use her talents more effectively if she receives proper training/an education in the States. She is placed with a host family and she and Raissa (her host sister who’s about the same age) spend the summer practicing parkour and organizing free lunches for kids in the park. Diana becomes suspicious when she learns that children are disappearing, and puts her own life on the line to get to the bottom of the mystery when one of the kids she’s gotten to know is taken.
Diana hasn’t adopted the name “Wonder Woman” yet, but as a teenager in this story, she’s acquiring the skills and knowledge she’ll need to effectively take on that role/responsibility in the future. She and Raissa are both powerful role models and advocates for human rights. “Tempest Tossed” is unexpectedly complex in its characters and issues, and combines serious material brilliantly with humor and suspense.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
