The Altered History of Willow Sparks

by Tara O'Connor

Overview

A nerdy teenage girl discovers a magical book that gives her the power to re-write her life, but magic always comes with a cost.

What happens when you can finally get everything you ever wanted?

Willow Sparks and her best friend Georgia Pratt are at the bottom of the social ladder at Twin Pines High School, just trying to get through each day relatively unscathed. But when Willow finds a mysterious book that allows her to literally change her life, it feels like her luck is finally turning. As she becomes more and more popular with each entry into the book, her old life, including her friendship with Georgia, seems miles away. Yet as Willow will discover, every action has a reaction, and the future has unusual—even dangerous—ways of protecting itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620104507
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Pages:	152
Sales rank:	815,941
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 16 Years

About the Author

Tara is a cartoonist currently residing in the New Jersey wilderness. She is the author or Roots, available November 2017 from Top Shelf, and The Altered History of Willow Sparks, available January 2018 from Oni Press. When she's not drawing comics, she's teaching them. She drinks way too much tea and coffee, and on any given day there's a 90% chance that every meal she had was cereal.

Editorial Reviews

11/20/2017
Willow Sparks just wants to get through high school without students in popular cliques harassing her and teachers embarrassing her. After bullies show up at the library where she works and push her down a flight of stairs, she discovers a secret underground wing—and a book with her name on it. By writing in the book, she can reshape her future, and soon she’s ditching her best friends Georgia and Gary to hang out with the cool kids. The pale lavender-gray coloring of O’Connor’s two-tone cartooning fits the eerie, brooding atmosphere of this magic-inflected cautionary tale. But although O’Connor’s talents as an artist aren’t in question—the torments that Willow and her friends face in gym class, school bathrooms, and elsewhere feel painfully real—the overall story is rushed and too-tidily resolved. Even considering the influence of the magical book, the speed with which Willow drops her friends is jarring, and their own subplots get short shrift (Georgia is moving out of town, and Gary is nervously starting to come out to family and friends). It’s an intriguing story that doesn’t have enough space to reach its full potential. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Although Willow "Willy" Sparks enjoys her part-time job at the local library and her close friendship with her classmate Georgia, she can't overcome being bullied. After Willy's tormentors harass her at work, she stumbles upon a library book that contains every detail of her life. Discovering that she can literally write her life story into this volume, she revises the text so that she fits in at school. However, Willy is unprepared to let go of her old life, and using the book has mysterious, perhaps dire consequences. While the idea of being careful what you wish for is well worn, O'Connor's take on the topic is original and engaging. She uses lush, fluid linework and angular character designs reminiscent of Faith Erin Hicks's art. Even seemingly tangential characters have defined roles and personalities, allowing readers to see how Willy's actions affect others. The tale is violent at times; the handful of scenes in which Willy is physically attacked by her bullies make this title more appropriate for older teens. VERDICT A wonderful addition to burgeoning graphic novel collections, and a recommended purchase for libraries with seasoned YA comics fans.—Matisse Mozer, County of Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2017-10-01
Relentlessly bullied by the popular clique, the titular protagonist discovers an unexpected way to change her future.Plagued with tragically uncool hair and unfortunate acne, Willow Sparks certainly is not a member of the popular crowd. However, her two best friends, Georgia and Gary, are loyal, and together the trio navigates the social atrocities of their high school. While at her job at the local library, Willow finds herself cornered by her mean-girl nemeses and, after a violent episode, unearths a secret library within the library that's filled with unusual books. She finds a mysterious tome bearing her name that allows her to write her own future—but with devastating effects. While the semi-Faustian trope certainly is not new, O'Connor's graphic-novel spin on it is fun and captivating. Her art is expressive and deftly captures all the angst and action through a cinematic lens. However, as Willow's self-conceived plans unravel, the plotting goes with it, leaving the strong beginning floundering through a hasty resolution. While Willow is fully fleshed out, the secondary characters—including best friend Georgia and Willow's librarian boss—are frustratingly not as well-developed. Despite these quibbles, O'Connor's offering is an enjoyable and quick dip into the dark side of wish fulfillment. Main character Willow is white, as is Gary, and Georgia is Asian. An intriguing and incisive plot that starts promisingly but ultimately falls flat. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews

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