Nick Bertozzi's Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey

Title: Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey
Author: Nick Bertozzi
Illustrator:  Nick Bertozzi
Publisher:  First Second (:01)
Copyright:  2014
Price: $16.99
ISBN: 978-1596434516
-----------
Summary and Quick Thoughts: This is Ernest Shackleton's last great expedition across the Antarctic in the "Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration." Shackleton's great idea was to cross the South Pole with his crew and explorers and finish out on the other side. Like all great plans, this did not exactly happen. The ship become entrenched in ice and eventually sank. Men lost beloved items and supplies ran low. This is the story of Shackleton, his crew, and the miraculous story of how all the men survived.
---------  
Recommended Audience: Middle & high School
 --------  
Things to be aware of: minor vulgarity; animals are eaten
----------  
Further Thoughts:  First, I was disappointed this was not the expedition that involved the mummies I was partially obsessed over in 4th grade. That was the Terra Nova Expedition, I think. Either way, Bertozzi includes in the opening of the story a very detailed listing of all the expeditions to get to the true South Pole.

Next, I'm still really confused by this book. This is another graphic novel where I started to read it, but it took me until a quarter to about half of the way through to realize how the author paced it. Instead of an overall "novel" it's more like vignettes where it's a page to two pages and a snippet of the story. Until I realized that was going on, the story itself didn't mesh well for me. After I realized it, bam!, I could read it, but still, I'm left with this overall feeling, "I don't get this story."

Mind you, it wouldn't normally be my first pick for a graphic novel for me to read. I can easily see Philosopher Musician (aka my husband) getting more out of this than me. I can see how educators would go for this and recommend it as part of a unit on Shackleton.

The art was interesting. Bertozzi uses his panels well, breaking out of the frame and twisting the frames around. For example, when the ship sinks, the panels shift, fall, and twist like the ship. My favorite panel might have been on page 75 where Shackleton is dreaming that the noise on the ice is all the various sea monsters under the water.

But, this book lost me, quite a bit. When they ate the dogs because rations were low, I was uncomfortable. I get that it happened, but alas, anything that happens to animals like that leaves me feeling sad. It was a rough journey. It was a tale of survival.

It was one I just could not get into, despite all the accolades it is getting (Junior Library Guild, Kirkus Star).

Overall feeling: Great from an educational perspective. Great for history buffs. Not for me.
--------------

Source: Library/review copy