204. Nola's World Trilogy #2: Ferrets and Ferreting Out

Ferrets and Ferreting Out by Mathieu Mariolle. Art by Minikim. Translated from the French by Erica Olsen Jeffrey & Carol Klio Burrell (Canada) - (USA)
Nola's Worlds trilogy, #2

Pages: 128
Ages: 12+
Finished: Sept. 9, 2011
First Published: 2009 France (Nov. 1, 2010 English trans.)
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Genre: Graphic novel, manga, YA,fantasy
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

You'd think I'd have had enough...
but why do I always get myself into these kinds of situations?

Acquired:  Purchased a new copy from an online retailer.

Reason for Reading: Next in the trilogy.

Nola was right about the new kids, Damiano and Ines.  There is definitely something strange going on with them and now they have started to avoid her and she is determined to find out just what is going on.  Otherwise Nola continues to live her ordinary hectic life, being late for school all the time, living with a mother who is never home, a workaholic, and acting like a teenager, while Nola keeps getting herself into all sorts of troubles with her daydreaming.  Then Nola gets caught up in the action as strange people are after D. and I. and she finds herself in a dangerous situation and finally learns the truth about the brother and sister.  And while you may be wondering, yes, there are ferrets.  But I can't tell you about them, that would reveal too much.

Again, I just loved this book.  The French artwork is fabulous.  I love how it uses many manga techniques and yet it is decidedly its own style.  The facial expressions, the clothes and the limb contortions are all very dramatic and add to the distinctive style which makes this very unique from Japanese or North American artwork.  The plot is unique and fairly strange, one just goes with the flow and watches the story as it unravels for us.  I appreciate how the author manages to make just the right mix of weird action plot and everyday life.  We watch Nola as she gets up in the morning, eats breakfast, does schoolwork, goes shopping, etc. leading her usual every day and in amongst it all she makes time to stalk the strange kids, gets taken hostage by the men who are after them, has near death accidents and is remarkably saved, etc.  Even when she is bored Nola is never dull.  And the ferrets are an interesting concept.  Very briefly and confusingly inserted in book 1, we get a much bigger explanation and view of them here.  Just what is the story here?  Damiano and Inez or the ferrets?  Are they related?  Some questions running through my head as I anticipate reading the final volume.