Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teens fight to save city in action-packed graphic novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Set in an alternate version of ancient Asia, The Nameless City focuses on two teens -- Kaidu and Rat -- who each love the city but for different reasons. Kai is a warrior in training and the son of a general, learning the arts that will help him protect the city once he's grown. Rat is a child of the streets, an orphan who resents the Dao, the people who conquered her hometown. Together, they work to foil a crime that could destroy the tentative peace that holds the Nameless City together.
Is It Any Good?
Bursting with kinetic energy, this adventure follows two very different characters as they race through the streets and across the rooftops of an ancient metropolis. Kai and Rat perfectly complement each other: he dreamy and tentative in his actions, she uncompromising in her beliefs and ready to tackle any challenge. Author-illustrator Faith Erin Hicks puts them through their paces with vivid action, expressive drawing, and punchy dialogue.
This volume offers a bit of resolution, but there's clearly a lot more to this tale than its creator is ready to reveal. Readers will want the next installment as soon as possible.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why comics and graphic novels are so popular. What kinds of stories does the medium tell well?
Why does Rat feel such contempt for the Dao, the latest people to have conquered the city? How can people learn to eliminate their prejudices?
Why is the act of running so important to Kai and Rat? Can physical activity be about more than just exercise?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Faith Erin Hicks
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Arts , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : First Second
- Publication date : April 5, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 13
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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