*reviewed by uncorrected eARC*

children's graphic novel - funny rhymes, an action-packed plot, and colorful illustrations give this story about an aspiring young DJ in an intergalactic rap battle instant appeal to kids of all ages. I'm not that into DJing or rap battles or space robots or cartoony kung-fu, but the witty characters had me hooked right away and I can see why a librarian recommended this series to me.

Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Sci-Fu series. I got this as a gift for Christmas.

Story (4/5): This is about a pre-teen boy who accidentally summons an alien spaceship and gets transported to the planet of Discopia. There he has to use his musical martial art Sci-Fu to defeat the robot aliens in a sort of musical mix-off. It’s a fun story line and decently done.

Characters (3/5): The characters were okay. Wax is the main character and he was spunky and fun. He is really the focus of the story, the other characters weren’t as well developed and really take a back seat to Wax.

Setting (4/5): Most of the book is set on the alien robot planet of Discopia. I liked the setting and thought it was interesting and fun.

Writing Style (3/5): I enjoyed the brightly colored illustrations throughout the book, although at times they were a bit hard to follow. I wasn’t a fan of the rap/rhyming style that a lot of the story was written in. This writing style was hard to read and a lot of the rhymes were pretty bad. The story got a bit hard to follow as well.

Summary (3.5/5): While I loved the illustration style here, I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters or the way the story was written. My son (13 years old) read this and kind of felt the same. When I asked him how he liked it he said “Eh, it was okay”...I agree with him. It’s a neat concept and well drawn, but the rest was just “eh”. I won’t be continuing the series. ( )

I liked it though it drags towards the end. ( )

The illustrations are awesome and the story is fun, but the rap battles don't translate well to written text and, since the raps are kind of central to the whole concept of the book, it negatively impacted my impression of the book as a whole. ( )

'80s Nostalgia Like Whoah

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

Thirteen-year-old Wax wants to be the best DJ in the world - but little does he know that the very fate of "Planet Brooklyn" will rely on his skills. It's 1980-something, and young Wax is recording a song for his crush, the aptly named Pirate Polly, when he inadvertently answers an intergalactic challenge. Wax, his crew, his entire block - all are transported to a planet called Discopia, where Wax must best a giant robot named Choo Choo and his crew, the Five Deadly Dangers, in order to save everyone he loves.

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/sci-fu-02.jpg

There's so much to love here, I don't even know where to start. Sci-Fu is such a fun mashup of all things '80s: Wax's training montages with mentor Kabuki Snowman are like the bizarro sci-fi version of The Karate Kid, and the style left me yearning for a Fresh Prince marathon. Between Teddy Backspin (read: Ruxpin) and the Transformer-esque Choo Choo, there are a fair number of elements that could feel like rip-offs, at least in lesser-skilled hands. But Mercado walks the line between homage and pinching with ease. If you lived through the '80s, you're all but guaranteed to be in on the joke.

Oh, and there's an '80s hip-hop playlist at the end! How cool is that?

And the cast! Wax is adorable and sweet in that way that makes you want to bake him a batch of cookies and pinch his little chipmunk cheeks. His little sister D is like the animated version of Diane from Black(ish), which is to say that she's as smart as she is diabolical, and you most definitely want to keep her happy and on your side. Pirate Polly is rad AF, and I kind of love that Mercado never bothers to explain the eye patch and nickname (which came first? Is the patch functional or decorative? Is she a distant relation of One-eyed Willie maybe?) The Ultimate Showdown with the Boom Box of Doom is one of my favorite scenes, for obvious reasons.

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/sci-fu-01.jpg

I also adored Uncle Rashaad, who owns an ice cream truck and speaks in ice cream flavored expletives. The back story for why Wax and D are living with him is pretty great too. I really hope we meet the 'rents in a later installment of the series. There's some serious superhero potential there too.

Sci-Fu is definitely on the bizarre side, but if you can embrace the weirdness, you will have a good time.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/03/30/sci-fu-by-yehudi-mercado/ ( )