Luminous Beings: A Graphic Novel

by David Arnold, Jose Pimienta (Illustrator)

Overview

"A gorgeously rendered adventure that captures the ache and joy of adolescence in a mad world."—Tillie Walden, award-winning author of On a Sunbeam

Ty and Burger have known each other'since before they could walk. But this shared history is nothing compared to their plans for the future: step one, make a killer documentary about humanity’s recent brush with extinction; step two, apply to film school together; step three, achieve legendary status as the next great filmmaking duo. But Ty has a secret that will ultimately shake the foundations of their friendship and force them both to wonder if growing up means letting go of the people they once were.

With heads full of bioluminescence and hearts full of fury, “squizzies” have one thing on their tiny rodent brains: global annihilation. Their reign of terror may be a thing of the past, but Ty and Burger are determined to chronicle the perseverance of the human race in the wake of the “squirrel-pocalypse.” With friends Miles and Fib, they embark on an overnight excursion through rowdy nightclubs, once-familiar neighborhoods, perilous castles, and off-grid RVs, all the while, recording quiet lives of love and loss in a strange new world.

Set over the course of a single day, Luminous Beings explores the many facets of friendship and love, the heavy burden of a well-kept secret, the boundless tenacity of the human spirit, and, yes, the furriest of all zombified mammals. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. Just the end of the squirrel

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593620915
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.71(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

David Arnold is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, I Loved You in Another Life, The Electric Kingdom, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik. He has won the Southern Book Prize and the Great Lakes Book Award, and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and son. Learn more at davidarnoldbooks.com and follow him on Instagram @iamdavidarnold.

Jose Pimienta was raised in Mexicali, Baja California, and now resides in Los Angeles, California, where they work on comics and storyboards for animation and film. Suncatcher was their debut author/illustrator graphic novel. Twin Cities is their first middle grade graphic novel. In their stories, they focus on the importance of Latinx culture and the experience of growing up on the border.

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2024

Almost a year ago, best friends Ty and Burger made a pact to take a gap year and then apply to film school together—but that was before the appearance of zombie squirrels. Now, the budding artists scrap together documentary footage of their dystopian present using their phones, work at Cousteau’s Coffee with their friend Miles, and puzzle over the disappearance of the café’s former owner, Stuart Fink. After the crew, plus Miles’s partner Fib, uncover an unsent email from Fink that implies he’s still alive, they decide to track him down to earn the $20,000 reward his parents are offering. The ensuing all-nighter leads the teens to Club Quarantine, a millionaire’s castle, and the middle of the woods, and leaves them with a deeper appreciation for their friendship—and some excellent footage for their film. Quotes from Longfellow, Yoda, and Jack White alongside abundant early-aughts, 1990s, and 1980s music references imbue this bizarre and fun graphic novel debut by Arnold (I Loved You in Another Life) with plentiful nostalgia. Detailed art by Pimienta (Twin Cities) likewise builds out the teen’s spaces while inky black lingering shadows highlight the novel’s apocalyptic bent. Ages 14–up. Author’s agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Transatlantic Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "Here come the glowing-eyed zombie squirrels… Arnold and Pimienta display joyfully experimental creativity with the form." —Booklist, starred review

"A gorgeously rendered adventure that captures the ache and joy of adolescence in a mad world. Delightful from the first page to the last." —Tillie Walden, Eisner Award-winning author of On a Sunbeam

"Stylized and ridiculous . . . Sure to be a hit for fans of Paper Girls, Stranger Things, and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl." —School Library Journal

"Delightfully disturbing . . . Arnold’s text skillfully portrays post-adolescent banalities against a harrowing and violent backdrop… In a dreamy palette of pink and lavender hues, Pimienta’s illustrations leap off the page in a feat of visual wizardry." —Kirkus Reviews

"Quotes from Longfellow, Yoda, and Jack White alongside abundant early-aughts, 1990s, and 1980s music references imbue this bizarre and fun graphic novel debut by Arnold (I Loved You in Another Life) with plentiful nostalgia. Detailed art by Pimienta (Twin Cities) likewise builds out the teen’s spaces while inky black lingering shadows highlight the novel’s apocalyptic bent." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

09/01/2024

Gr 9 Up—Would-be filmmakers and childhood best friends Ty and Burger have big plans to make names for themselves as creative superstars—if they can get funding to develop their documentary that shows the human side of the current global catastrophe. They want to tell the stories of the thousands of victims ravaged by the menace known as Squizzies, who were once gentle beings, until a rampant virus turned them into rabid, murderous zombies; also, Squizzies are squirrels. When they get a lead on their former coffee shop supervisor who went missing and is presumably dead, the duo and their friends set off on a perilous adventure to find him. Their Scooby-Doo gang shenanigans are further complicated by Ty's secret that she has been accepted into a college and plans to break up their partnership but is afraid to reveal that to her best friend. The entire story takes place over the course of one day, and the panels in this graphic novel are colored in shades of lush purple, neon magenta, and hazy pink, as the day turns from sunrise to sunset. The ease of their tête-à-tête and ribbing shows the unbreakable bond between the pair, whose friendship is tested yet withstands the challenge of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Coarse language, references to drugs and drinking, mild romance, and violence that is stylized and ridiculous make this a believable YA story. VERDICT This graphic novel is sure to be a hit for fans of Paper Girls, Stranger Things, and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.—Rebecca Jung

School Library Journal

2024-06-15
Four teens grapple with common problems in an uncommon time.

In this stand-alone apocalyptic graphic novel, friends Ty, Burger, Fib, and Miles are at the crossroads of post–high school life. While their world bears some similarities to ours, these young people face something entirely (and happily) foreign: squizzies. The virus-infected squirrels have glowing, bubble gum pink eyes, the ability to fly, and murderous intent. As a result, people must wear bespoke hazmat suits called hazzies every time they go outside. The friends embark on a quixotic quest to locate Stu, their missing boss, and over the course of a fateful night, they face dangers both within their circle and in the world at large. Arnold’s text skillfully portrays post-adolescent banalities against a harrowing and violent backdrop; those sensitive to animal death and violence may be upset at the frequency and gruesomeness with which the squizzies are dispatched. While the story spotlights the interpersonal dynamics, those who prefer robust worldbuilding may be disappointed, as details about the squizzies are scant at best. In a dreamy palette of pink and lavender hues, Pimienta’s illustrations leap off the page in a feat of visual wizardry. Most of the central characters are light-skinned; Burger has brown skin and Afro-textured hair, and the cast contains diversity in gender identity and sexual orientation.

A delightfully disturbing and dystopian snapshot of friendship.(Graphic science fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews