Donut the Destroyer

May 4, 2020
In a world in which everyone has a special power and must choose to walk the path of a villain or a hero, Donut’s choice seems set in stone: her parents are infamous, and her family boasts a full-blown legacy as evil-doers. But super-strong Donut (“Middle name: the,/ Last name: Destroyer”) has one goal in mind: to become a hero. Excited for her first day at the Lionheart School for Heroes, Donut is determined to immerse herself in training and become a super prefect. Her well-meaning parents prove skeptical but supportive (“We agreed we’d let Donut get this out of her system”), but longtime best friend Ivy, feeling abandoned and wanting Donut for her own chaotic plans, schemes to get her kicked out of hero school. Along with a chunky drawing style and pink-tinged palette, Purenins (Our Super Adventure) and Graley (Glitch) place their mutual penchant for antics (demonic rituals in the home) and absurd banter (“The living room has far superior energy than the basement... for wrangling up the undead”)
on full display. And their underlying message—the importance of forging one’s own path, for better or for worse—is a heartwarming one. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Agent (for author and illustrator): Steven Salpeter, Curtis Brown.

March 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Donut shocks her friends and family when she chooses to use her super strength for good, not evil. Her family has proudly stuck to the path of villainy (except for Uncle Eric, who opted to become an accountant). But in this world, everyone has the right to decide between a life of good and evil, so rebellious Donut enrolls in Lionheart School for Heroes. Her reputation makes her an outcast at first, but she soon realizes that fighting for good is what she wants. Though she's torn between her own desires and her family's expectations, Donut proves that she can stand tall as the hero she wants to become. The sharpest emotional hooks of the story involve Donut's toxic friendship with villain Ivy and her new Lionheart friends, who struggle with feelings of inferiority. While sympathetic, characters are fairly one-dimensional, though everyone grows a little by the story's end. Bright colors, eye-catching highlights, and broad facial expressions make for clear emotional cues, and scenes of fantasy slapstick add appropriate dashes of action. VERDICT A strong role model who has the self-confidence to change tracks despite her friends and family's expectations, Donut will readily endear herself to readers.-Thomas Maluck, Richland Library, SC

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