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Review: Lo & Behold

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Lo & Behold
Written by Wendy Mass
Illustrated by Gabi Mendez
New York: Random House Children's Books, 2023. Comics. 205 pages.

When Addie's dad takes a summer job on a college campus helping a team of students developing virtual reality, Addie isn't happy. While she doesn't want to live on a strange campus, she's even less interested in her dad's work with augmented reality.  Will the whole summer be a waste, or will Addie find the things she didn't even know she was looking for?

I was surprised by how much I loved this book.  On paper, the premise didn't seem overly interesting to an almost 40 year old lady with basically zero interest in virtual reality and an extreme dislike of video games. So I was pretty blown away by how heartfelt the story was, how relatable the characters were, and how real their struggles and interpersonal relationships felt.  At it's heart, this story is about empathy, forgiveness, and familial and friend relationships.  Throw in the bits about virtual reality that were actually super interesting, and you have a terrific read.    



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Ms. Yingling said…
I liked this one, too, even though I share your dislike of video games! Maybe there was just enough history?
November 22, 2023 at 4:15 AM
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