Visaggio, Magdalene. Ojja-Wojja, The : a Horror-mystery, or Whatever. Jenn St-Onge, Illus. Balzer &
Bray, 03/2023. 192pp. Graphic Trade $22.99. 978-0-06-285239-7. GRADES 6 – 10. OUTSTANDING.
Teenage anxieties of belonging and exclusion, multi-generational town secrets, imagination, and horror
all combine in a beautiful and sometimes confusing story bolstered by creepy, colorful, and insightful
illustrations. Friends since middle school, Val (who is white and autistic) and Lonnie (who is Vietnamese
American and queer) share a love of the unusual. When they decide to do a school project investigating
supernatural phenomena in their small town of Bolingbroke, they accidentally summon the demonic
Ojja-Wojja. Secrets of the town’s past tragedies, and their friends’ fears, all culminate in a spectacular
town-wide battle where that which is hidden is revealed and healed. Especially noteworthy are the
illustrated representations of Val’s tendency to “ïnfo dump” seen as television shows. An emphasis on
inclusivity, empathy, and friendship are a wonderful counterpoint to the chaos of the supernatural
elements of the story.
Lesley Mandros Bell–Unaffiliated