Una di quelle graphic novel che ti scalda il cuore, tipo effetto copertina in un giorno freddo d’inverno.

I really like the art style and the idea of the story, but the pacing was weird, it was hard to follow, and the dialogue was written in a way that wasn’t conducive to reading the bubbles in order.

Fascinating art and world creation. A little disjointed and rushed to fully immerse.

I was wholly surprised by how much I was touched by Rachele Aragno's, "Mel the Chosen". At first this tale of being careful what you wish for reminded me of "Madeline" and "Peter Pan", given the illustrations and whimsy. I was pleasantly startled by how much it reminded me of Neil Gaiman's, "Coraline" instead.

Mel is a adolescent heroine we all can identify with, whether we can admit it yet or not, when it comes to the growing pains of being ignored and/or brushed off by adults. It is frustrating to not be at the helm of your own life, and it can lead us all to thinking and doing things that we later regret. This is especially true when it is towards the ones who love us most. Fortunately, the growing pains subside, and appreciation warms the soul.

Going back to the illustrations, I would adore a set of notecards, bookmarks, prints, and postcards crafted by Aragno. They are delicate, bold, sweet, and at times eerie all in one "bite". If I follow up with another one of her books it will have little to do with the plot, and will be more so for the illustrations.

Often, we do not feel that we are special or chosen when it comes to everyday life, but that could not be farther from the truth. We each have a charm that makes the world a better place, and rather than tarnish and refuse it we should savor it. Yes, there are wishes we would like to come true, but if we devote too much of our energy to those wishes then we will miss out on so many adventures that lie ahead of us. Mel learned that lesson, and now it is our turn.

Well this was quite a lot of fun.

I loved the artwork, but the translation of the text was a little bumpy and affected the overall readability of the story.

Essentially a lesson about 'be careful what you wish for' and don't be in a hurry to grow up. Unfortunately, the story was hard to follow and all over the place. Graphic novels are meant to be comfort reads for me and I tend to lose interest quickly if they take too much brain work or are too confusing, which is the case here.

I love the beautiful art style and while this adventure-fantasy book does have some great themes, the execution was sadly lacking.

I’d call this a suitable for children version of “I hate fairyland” where a little girl who feels her voice is ignored stumbles into a “chosen one adventure” which takes her out of our world and into the land of here & now. Loved the illustrations and the use of colour - very vibrant.