Book Review: Teen Titans Raven by Kami Garcia

I was granted a digital copy of the book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When a tragic accident takes the life of seventeen-year-old Raven Roth's foster mom--and Raven's memory--she moves to New Orleans to live with her foster mother's family and finish her senior year of high school.

Starting over isn't easy. Raven remembers how to solve math equations and make pasta, but she can't remember her favorite song or who she was before the accident. When strange things start happening--impossible things--Raven starts to think it might be better not to know who she was in her previous life. 

But as she grows closer to her foster sister, Max, her new friends, and Tommy Torres, a guy who accepts her for who she is now, Raven has to decide if she's ready to face what's buried in the past...and the darkness building inside her.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Beautiful Creatures Kami Garcia, and artist Gabriel Picolo, comes this first graphic novel in the Teen Titans series for DC Ink, Teen Titans: Raven.

I didn't know much about this book by Kami Garcia except the I really liked Teen Titans and that I really liked Kami Garcia. First, let me say that this book was beautifully illustrated. I have found that the more interested I am in the illustrations of a Graphic Novel, the longer it'll take me to read it because I was to take in each panel individually and appreciate it's contribution to the whole story.

The beginning of Raven's story finds us with Raven and her foster mother driving down a stormy road. Raven has just learned some frightening truths about herself and is struggling to adapt. As her foster mother does what she can to provide Raven with comfort, tragedy strikes. While trying to emerge herself in a new life, as well as trying to remember the old one, Raven begins to have frightening dreams, hear voices, and is followed by a strange shadow. With Raven's memory loss and these strange encounters, Raven struggles a bit to form bonds with those around her, except for Max, her new foster sister. It's when Raven opens up to Max that we really being to see bits of Raven's story unfold. We also begin to see that Max and her mother are full of secrets as well. By the time we finish this Kami Garcia title, we're struggling to trust those around us.

For those of us who watched Teen Titans (or read the comics I assume) we already knows Raven's big secret, but this graphic novel takes us on a journey different from what we were use to and full of fun and splendor. I loved seeing Raven gush over the boy who really wanted to get to know her, and Max struggle to take a friendship to the next level. I loved watching the girls pick out prom dresses and get to know each other. It was also interested to see New Orleans culture mentioned throughout the book. There were some great side characters and moments that fleshed out the book, and made it new and different, as opposed to and exact replica of what we already know about Raven.

I look forward to re-reading this book when it is released to take in the final illustrations and pass it along to the avid teen readers who make regular visits to the Graphic Novel section of my library!