First, the only image from Astro I will be showing in this review is the cover. As that is probably more than enough to keep you occupied. Second, I must admit, I almost didn’t read Astro when I first saw the online reader copy because of that cover. It is just odd. Bizarre. Weird. And I like odd, bizarre and weird, but it was almost too odd, too bizarre, and of course, too weird. But then I said, “Girl, your goal is to try new things! Try it.” So, I sat down at lunch and said (after finishing it), “March 2025 you have one out of this world, out there, book by Manuel Marsol (translated by Lizzie Davis) coming out!”
Slight spoilers to follow:
In the end, this book is about differences, death and the grief that follows. It is about a narrator that is from another world that a small astronaut finds on their space trip one day. Time passes, friendship and adventures happen. There is a bit of happening, sadness, and much more happening between the native beings and the astronaut. It is mature and feels as if it is for adults and not kids at all. This is in part due to the wacky illustrations as depicted by the cover. And yes you can judge a book by its cover this time.
I have both “Well that’s interesting.” and “Well that’s too crazy.” feelings about the art. I have contradicting emotions about them. I like and dislike them at the same time. I appreciate the work that went into making them, but I am not sure I really like them. The colors are interesting. The details are maddening! You can’t find everything as it all blends together. But also, if you take your time reading the images as much as the short text, you get so much. Multiple reads are recommended. Read the text first. Then the illustrations. Then the two together.