ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse

Set in the supernatural town of North Haven, Abby, a witch, enjoys helping out at her mother’s magical coffee shop, studying her potions and playing board games with her friends. But, when she tries comforting her little sister after she was bullied in the alley, something weird happens. Later that day, after cleaning up the coffee shop, Abby and her friends, Silas, a pumpkinhead, Hannah, a ghost, and Gita, a wolf-girl, head outside. Walking down that same alley, they encounter two bunnies. They soon discover there are more of them and they are aggressive. Somehow Abby opened a portal. In her copy of The Bestiary, Abby discovers that these bunnies, the Chaos Bunny, are an invasive species from another dimension where they are harmless. But, if they have entered North Haven through an unauthorized portal, they can cause as much destruction and chaos as possible. Abby needs to get her magic under control and close the portal. In a trance, she learns about her ancestor, the witch Morrigan, and her mother explains the story of The Three Ravens. A character in this family story, Midir, might impact the success of the closure. With the help of her friends, Addy discovers how to address her own fear of her magic and how to use it properly. Then, together, as Silas announces, “We are canceling the A-HOP-CALYPSE.”

In ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse, author Stephanie Cooke creates a magical story filled with humour and excitement. The supernatural element in a real world setting adds interesting characterization. However, these world-building features can complicate the narrative. With a reduced text in the graphic novel genre, the introduction and explanation of different plot elements can be challenging. Abby is faced with developing and controlling her magical powers. The accidental opening of a dimensional portal, the discovery of her ancestry with a connection to the witch Morrigan, unanswered questions as to why her father left her, a seance, a threatening encounter with the menacing Raven, and returning the Chaos bunnies to their dimension are key story elements. All of this results in a fairly complex plot which might interrupt the flow and require the reader to flip back and forth to review text and situations. The inclusion of relevant topics, such as friendship, family, and young adult development, in a warm and often funny context will attract the audience.

The graphic novel format filled with expressive comic-style illustrations by Luso-Brazilian cartoonist Mari Costa partners with the text to provide a visually attractive and appealing reading experience. The inclusion of the Witch’s Brew Café VLOG at the end of the book features recipes for a Northern Evergreen Matcha Latte and Silas’s Fall Spice Latte.

Middle year readers, especially those who are fans of fantasy and humour, will find Paranorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse a great read.