Paulina and the Disaster at Pompeii: A Mount Vesuvius Eruption Graphic Novel (Girls Survive Graphic Novels)

This graphic novel is visually better than the other Girls Survive graphic novels I've read, because the black-and-white art is distinct and sharp, without blurry shades of gray. This makes it easier to follow what's happening. However, the main characters are extremely difficult to tell apart, because they have essentially the same facial features and expressions. They meet for the first time in the opening pages, so they're not even siblings. I'm not sure why they look the same. Their only distinct traits are their different hairstyles.The story is 43 pages long, and it's short and rushed, with an abrupt ending. The story is also historically inaccurate. Someone literally says on page 11, "The volcano! It's erupting!" There are continued references to Mt. Vesuvius erupting, and nothing in the book indicates that this is a mysterious event or a horrible surprise. In reality, the people who lived in Pompeii thought that Mt. Vesuvius was an ordinary mountain. This book should have conveyed the shock, terror, and superstition of witnessing and fleeing from an unexplained natural disaster, but the book portrays people as already understanding what's happening. I found this extremely frustrating, and I do not recommend this inaccurate, misleading book.I would still recommend most of the books in the original Girls Survive series, though! The chapter books are much better quality than this graphic novel spin-off series.

Since our students love the original Girls Survive series, I ordered these books for our school library. They are a very poor reflection of the original series. They are very, very thin- 40ish pages - and printed in low quality black and white. The color cover leads you to imagine how they could be so much better inside. Sadly, they aren't. I'd steer clear and stick with the wonderful original series.