Series Info/Source: This is the seventh book in the HiLo series and the first one featuring Gina as the main character. I bought this book.

Story (4/5): With HiLo turned human, Gina is the only one of the original gang who can still do amazing and magical things. Now Gina is seeing things that only she can see and only she can stop. She is wondering just exactly what really happened when she brought magic back to Earth for the first time in hundreds of years.

Characters (4/5): I continue to find this cast of characters highly entertaining. It was fun to read about things from Gina’s perspective. I also really enjoyed watching HiLo’s excitement and fascination with everything about being human (from pooping to awful ice cream flavors).

Setting (4/5): This wasn’t the most exciting setting. It takes place mostly at Gina’s house on Earth. However, it was in keeping with a lot of the other volumes in the series and well done.

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): The drawing is done in keeping with the rest of the series; very bright and cartoony...it fits the tone of the story perfectly. Both the drawing and writing are fun and easy to follow. I continue to enjoy Winick’s graphic novels a lot.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was an entertaining continuation to the HiLo series and I enjoyed it. This is aimed at a middle grade audience and I have noticed my 14 yr old son doesn’t seem to find these as entertaining as he used to. I, however, still get a good laugh out of them. They are fun and well done. I love the interactions between friends and family and the crazy monsters/aliens that pop in and out of these books. ( )

I was hoping for a stand-alone adventure after the six-part epic that kicked off the series, but no, this is the first part of a new adventure and ends on a cliffhanger.

Hilo does a pretty good job of providing comic relief throughout, but the overall tone is pretty downbeat as Gina is mired in grief and regret and starting to withdraw from the craziness that has derailed her life.

I'm just tired of this series now, I guess.

The nail in the coffin for me may well be Hilo and other characters repeatedly and mistakenly calling leotards "tights." They're not the same thing, and it doesn't seem to be a comedic misunderstanding so much as a desire to use the word tights over and over because it is often associated with superheroes. I resent giving bad information to children, even if it is something as trivial as clothing terminology. ( )