For a couple years now, people have been telling me to read Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. I even bought it for my daughters, they read it and loved it, but it sat on the shelf unread by me. Then an adorable video of a parent and child cosplaying, with a preschool aged Moon Girl and a parent in a blow up dinosaur costume, was posted on the Cannonball Read Book Chat Facebook page by emmalita. It was adorable and gave me the push to finally fit this graphic novel into my reading.
Lunella Lafayette is a super genius fourth grader who also carries the Inhuman gene. It currently lies dormant in her DNA but exposure to terrigen mist will active the gene and transform her into who knows what. Worried that the transformation will negatively affect her intelligence she is determined to not become an Inhuman. Lunella puts all her considerable brain power to find a way to deactivate the gene. To these ends, she has built a secret sewer hideout and also created superhero tools, Lunella is a young Tony Stark (Iron Man) in the making.
Lunella is bored by school and frustrated by the adults around her not understanding. Her parents don’t understand why she fights so hard against her Inhuman destiny, saying they will love her no matter what may happen. They don’t understand the urgency with which she works on solving the Inhuman gene puzzle. At school they don’t understand her impatience, as the time there takes away from when she could be working in her lab. They don’t understand why she can’t just get along. Misunderstood, irritated, and feeling as though she is thwarted at every turn, Lunella is a sympathetic character as we have all experienced these feelings at one time or another when growing up.
Her life turns upside down when “devil” dinosaur is transported through time, crosses her path, and a bond is formed. With the might of devil dinosaur, Lunella is finally able to live out her superhero dreams but being a kid holds her back from achieving her perceived full potential. But devil dinosaur wasn’t the only one to come through and Lunella finds herself entangled with a vicious gang of prehumans. Complicating things further is a young Kree (alien race) who feels obligated to capture Lunella to show his worth. All while she is trying to prepare for a contest through school to show off her brilliance and get a scholarship.
Lunella is a pint sized hero, with an incredible intellect, and a devil dinosaur best friend. She is feisty, determined, gifted, and an inspiration for any person who has felt as though no one understands them.