Stevenson, ND. Scarlet Morning. ND Stevenson, Illus. Scarlet Morning; bk. 1. Quill Tree, 09/2025. 426pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-0-0-6321034-9. GRADES 5–8. OUTSTANDING.
Teenage best friends Viola and Wilmur embark on adventures involving pirates, magic, monsters, and secrets, in a novel using memorable characters, detailed world-building, and vivid language to propel a riveting story. Most of the elaborate plot unfolds in third-person narration, interspersed with dream sequences and journal entries of “bizarre occurrences” at sea. Viola is depicted with dark brown skin, while Wilmur is shown with red hair and pale skin, and minor characters are illustrated with diverse skin tones. Strong female characters hold leadership roles, such as queen and pirate captain. Stevenson, the multi-talented graphic novelist of Nimona (HarperTeen, 2015), created dramatic b&w illustrations, as well as journal pages with inkblots and cross-outs obscuring words. The only drawback is that, due to subtle book design, some readers initially won’t realize that Scarlet Morning is the first half of a duology. Book one ends at a major plot moment, with mysteries still to be explored. Readers will eagerly await the sequel, Evening Gray.
Joy Shioshita—Independent