The Wrenchies
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Wrenchies is a hyper-violent futuristic fantasy, in which a band of orphans fights demonic Shadowmen and other monsters. The language is very harsh, with dozens of instances of "s--t," "f--k," and their variants, as well as infrequent uses of "hell," "damn," "prick," "ass," and "a--hole." The level of violence is high, with the Wrenchies using everything from baseball bats and swords to nunchucks and lasers to fight their enemies, most of whom bleed green slime mixed with bugs. As an adult, one character smokes, takes drugs, and drinks. Older readers may appreciate the punky, anarchic tone, but younger, more sensitive readers may find the imagery too disturbing. The artwork is sometimes murky, as is the plot.
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What's the Story?
When brothers Sherwood and Orson venture into a mysterious cave, they're attacked by a demon Shadowman. Orson kills the monster, but Sherwood picks up a strange amulet that transports him to a futuristic, post-apocalyptic wasteland. There the Shadowmen battle with the Wrenchies, a band of teens who will use any weapon at hand to destroy their enemies. When awkward, bookish superhero fan Hollis shows up, the Wrenchies and Sherwood are put on a collision course.
Is It Any Good?
At first glance, THE WRENCHIES appears as if it might merely be an over-the-top homage to teen supergroups. But author-illustrator Farel Dalrymple has much more than that in mind. The graphic novel is by turns anarchic, surreal, darkly funny, and hyper-violent. The drawings are frequently grotesque and disturbing, but there's no denying their dynamism.
Unfortunately, some of the artwork is murky to the point of illegibility, and the plot proves to be equally opaque. Some readers will be repulsed; others will find the book engrossing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how comics differ from prose in how they present stories. How are some stories better suited for illustration than for prose?
Why are post-apocalyptic settings popular with teen readers? What makes the end of the world so fascinating?
Why are stories about groups of superheroes popular?
Book Details
- Author: Farel Dalrymple
- Illustrator: Farel Dalrymple
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Superheroes, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: First Second
- Publication date: July 15, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Paperback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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