Publisher's Weekly Review
On the last day of primary school, an eclectic and somewhat combative group of friends plans to celebrate with an epic two-night sleepover. Things go awry when they fall into a river and are transported to the Forest of the Peaches, where they are met by humanoid creatures who believe the children are gods who have come to save them from the Lizard Empire. As months pass in this strange world, some of the children become more acclimated than others, resulting in increased tension in the group. Visually, the story invokes the surrealism of Carroll's Wonderland with exotic flora, fauna, and curiosities around every corner, and there are echoes of Lewis's Narnia in the plot's focus on children-saviors in an alternate world. Australian comics creator Whyte shifts artistic style with each chapter, moving from pencil sketches to bright, borderline psychedelic cartoons and even a chapter with a pixelated motif à la vintage arcade games. It's both alienating and engaging, keeping readers as off-balance as the children, who are trapped in an alien landscape they don't quite understand. Ages 13-up. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
[DEBUT] Six friends having a sleepover to celebrate their graduation from primary school wind up in a magical kingdom where they are lauded as "spirits" and expected to save their elflike hosts from the warring Lizard Empire, as if the tribulations of adolescence and trying to get back home weren't enough. Home Time's ingredients will be familiar to readers of fantasy fiction, but it isn't mere homage to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the like, although they might have appreciated how thoughtfully writer/illustrator Whyte's first book creates this new world. Carefully filling the panels with small details, Whyte changes the drawing style as the focus shifts from character to character, even stopping the action for songs and stills depicting the story's many environs. Verdict Scott Pilgrim meets The Chronicles of Narnia and Where the Wild Things Are, by way of the films Labyrinth, Stand by Me, classic Nintendo, and Wes Anderson in this unique, charming blend of coming-of-age saga and fantasy worldbuilding. For fans of any or all of the preceding and YA fantasy. Some highly frightening content makes this suitable for YA readers and up. [Previewed in Douglas Rednour's "Comics Cross Over," LJ 6/15/17.]-J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.