Fresh Start Book Review (2025)

Violence & Scariness

very little

Quill!!! the Hedgehog Mage and Ollie are constantly battling Soul-Stealers and other evildoers in their manga world—and Ollie tends to see new situations through this lens.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

very little

Girls cruelly prank a younger character with fake kissy texts about a guy she has a crush on.

Educational Value

a lot

Landing in an American school for the first time, Ollie struggles with things like "list the 50 states" (she's never lived in the U.S.) and measuring things in inches and ounces when all she's ever known is metric (she loves science class because the metric system is used there). Since Ollie and Cat have lived all over the world and had classmates from many nations (reflecting the author's own early life), there's some detail, local info and scenery, and bits of dialogue, especially in Germany, their most recent home before landing in Chestnut Falls. Their mom is from Thailand, speaks Thai (untranslated) in numerous panels, and ensures they learn about the culture—and the reader learns along with them. Ollie is good at art, and her teacher gives her a good explanation of perspective. Manga, anime, and the art of creating your own are important to the story. Ollie is a big fan of a manga character who's a hedgehog—and when she gets a real one, there's a lot to learn about them and their habits.

Diverse Representations

a lot

Both in her international school in Germany and in the new one in Virginia, Ollie's friends, classmates, and teachers have a wide range of skin tones, interests, and fashion sense. Ollie and Cat's dad, a blue-eyed, ponytailed American White guy, is a diplomat; their mom is originally from Thailand and works hard to keep that culture alive for her daughters. A Thai temple's dance and language classes, not to mention food and festivals, are important to the story. Ollie is startled to discover quite a few kids in her class with Thai roots, even though they don't "look Thai." Ollie is under a lot of pressure, especially from her mom, to forsake jeans, sneakers, and manga for something a lot more girly, but Ollie is having none of it. She finds friends who accept her as she is. Several scenes, especially where Ollie and Cat's mom is talking to others in the Thai community, are in Thai, and there's no translation.

Did we miss something on diversity? .

Positive Messages

a lot

Strong messages of family, friendship, and home. Also kindness and fairness. First impressions aren't always accurate, and it's good to give people a chance to show who they really are. Show respect for your culture—and recognize that people don't necessarily "look like" others who share that culture. Speak up when you think someone is being treated unfairly, and respect the opinions and experiences of others. Make things right when you've messed things up.

Positive Role Models

a lot

Ollie gets a little carried away with enthusiasm sometimes, but she has a strong sense of what she likes (manga, anime, comfortable clothes, and cosplay attire) and doesn't like (training bras, girly dresses, and fashion). She is a good friend and supportive sibling to her sister, Cat, (who loves all that girly stuff and tends to be a bit more polite), and is willing to learn and make new friends—ones who won't just be gone in two years. Her parents are kind and loving; they're sometimes seen arguing, but it's with the welfare of the kids in mind. Ollie and Cat's mom is very invested in conventional female stereotypes, especially as seen in Thailand, and can be insensitive in her attempts to get Ollie to accept them. A classmate's mom is an online influencer, resulting in some silly behavior and an over-the-top birthday party, and her daughter feeling like her mom sees her as something to show off instead of who she is. Teachers are kind and supportive, especially Ollie's art teacher.