Read This! Illustrated Awesomeness for the Nerdy Adolescent

It was the illustrations that got me first. Most novels for the middle school set aren't illustrated and these are freaking gorgeous.

The entire book has these beautiful monochromatic drawings. And the story? Whoa! Talk about good! Tony DiTerlizzi, the author, was one of the first illustrators for Dungeons and Dragons, so his imagination for creatures and adventures and battles is amazing. And in this trilogy, he uses his skills for both novel-writing and gorgeous illustrations.

The story is about Eva, a teenage girl who has been raised in a bunker underground by a motherly robot. She wants nothing more than to go above ground and find other humans.

Then, suddenly her world changes and she is forced to discover that the planet is not all she imagined.

The plot is full of twists, turns, creatures, danger, aliens, robots, and ridiculous plant-life. I loved the whole trilogy. These books are written for middle school students, but can be enjoyed by upper elementary or nerdy older folks too. Read it in print if you can so you can experience those glorious illustrations.

The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi