Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club: Final Face-off by Molly Knox Ostertag (Author) and Xanthe Bouma (Illustrator)
Tyler has loved being in his school's D&D club. It has allowed him to make friends, gain some confidence, and bring his imaginary friend Sunny to a kind of life. Sunny has been emboldened by this and pushes Tyler more and more out of his comfort zone from dealing with bullies to expressing feelings to his crush.
But Sunny makes mistakes--and Tyler pays for them.
As Tyler figures out how to undo the mess he made and to (maybe) make something wonderful out of it.
In this fantastic conclusion to the Dungeon Club series, author Molly Knox Ostertag explores the shy character of Tyler who yearns for acceptance. Ostertag deftly shows how much Tyler yearns for, but also how getting close to his wishes is scary (because, what if they go away?). This is immensely relatable not only for the intended middle-school audience, but for many adults as well. I was so touched by Tyler's story and wish I could've shared it with my younger self.
Illustrator Xanthe Bouma's work maintains its high quality. The artwork not only fits the tone of the graphic novel, but it enhances moments of intense emotion. Bouma should especially be commended for portraying both a fantasy world and the grounded middle school world with such clarity of feeling.
I highly recommend not only this volume, but the entire Dungeon Club series.
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