The New York Four

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

The New York Four. Wood, Brian and Kelly, Ryan. DC Comics, New York. ISBN 978-1-4012-1554-7

PLOT SUMMARY:

Graphic Novel. Riley is a Freshman at NYU. She is living at home with her overprotective parents. Riley is text-obsessed. She is never without her phone and texting interrupts her daily life. Riley is very shy. She has managed to make friends with three other girls at NYU. They plan on getting an apartment together come the next semester. Riley also has not seen her sister since her sister left home. Riley does not know why her sister left. She found her sister online and is just now getting to know her in person. One night while out with her sister, someone slips Riley a piece of paper with an email address. Riley sends a message. They begin communicating, by text only. Will Riley have the courage to meet him face-to-face?

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

Riley is a sheltered teen. Her parents kept her on a tight leash because her sister left home. She is painfully shy and hides behind technology. This Is true for many of today’s teens. they are able to hide behind things like social networking and texting. The mediums also provide a way for teen to feel more confident, doing things that they never would do in person. I think that teens will be able to relate to and identify with the character of Riley. The new york Four shows the importance technology plays in the lives of young adults. If it wasn’t for social networking, Riley would have never found her sister. Even if she did know where her sister was, technology would have provided the buffer between them, should things not have gone so well. The New York Four highlights the importance of technology in the lives of teens.

READER’S ANNOTATION:

Riley is a freshman at NYU. She lives her life texting. Will that wind up burning her in the end?

AUTHOR:

Brian Wood released his first series, Channel Zero, in 1997 to considerable critical acclaim and has continued to produce comics and graphic novels at a brisk pace ever since. Focusing almost entirely on creator-owned works, he’s become one of the most important indie creators of the last decade. Standout works include his The Couriers and Channel Zero series, Demo, Local and Supermarket. He’s earned multiple Eisner Award nominations and editions of his work have been published in close to a dozen foreign markets. Currently under an exclusive contract for DC/Vertigo, Wood continues to write his unique brand of iconoclastic creator-owned work with DMZ, Northlanders, Demo and The New York Four.

Brian lives with his wife and two children in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. (Wood)

GENRE:

Fiction, Graphic Novel

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: Art

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Are you obsessed with texting?
Life as a college freshman

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 15 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

None

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance should the patron have additional questions.

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

It was a graphic novel that was not fantasy or manga.