Rainbow Volume 1

By Sunny Gloom & Angel Gloomy

Reviewed by Lucille Rose

Rainbow Volume 1: Sunny and Gloomy is a charming graphic novel that tells the tale of imaginative teenager Boo Meadows. The story follows her as she dances, runs and stumbles her way through life. Boo struggles with many things: a non-attentive mother, a bashfulness that can make talking to people she doesn’t like (or maybe likes too much) a dreadful event, and an over-active imagination that turns everyday life into an epic quest (or an epic fail). Boo’s already upside-down world becomes even more of a whirlwind by the entrance of a certain green-haired girl that’s so perfect for Boo, she’s almost sure she’s made her up. The novel continues as Boo’s life unravels, and she has to face the unnerving question: is life better when it’s real or made up?

Despite being a lover of all things art, I’ve never been one for graphic novels. I prefer imagining the people and places I read about in books, rather than having them laid out for me. This being said, I don’t think even my imagination could have created the stunning world that is Rainbow Volume 1: Sunny and Gloomy. As I read this book, surveying the pastel pages and enchanting drawings, I felt as if I’d been transported into Boo’s world, and what a beautiful world it is. The illustrations are beautifully detailed, expertly drawn and, in a word, friendly.

But not only did I enjoy this book because of its illustrations, but because of the story itself. Being caught up in daydreams is something all too real for many teenagers, myself included, and it was nice to have it represented in such a clear way. Boo’s positive (sometimes delusional) personality was a welcome reprieve from the sullen, antagonistic leads that have taken over the YA genre in recent years.

This book does explore some dark themes which give it a level of realism I wouldn’t have expected, but was delighted to find, in a book such as this.

Overall, this graphic novel was an enchanting read and, with its cliff hanger ending, it’s a series that I will definitely be looking out for in stores. I would recommend it to teens aged thirteen to fifteen, and anyone who’s a lover of light-hearted romance.

Warning: contains depictions of alcoholism and drug use.

Scholastic Australia 2024