Street Angel: Deadliest Girl Alive

Starred review from December 1, 2019

Homeless teenage ninja master Jesse "Street Angel" Sanchez branches out to battle more than "ninjas, drugs, nepotism, and pre-algebra" in this action-packed, hilarious new story collection from series cocreators Rugg (Dr. Horrible) and Maruca (Afrodisiac). In "Street Angel: After School Kung Fu Special," Jesse contends with dual challenges when her best friend begs her to find a date to the school dance and a cruel boy named Jacob attempts to goad her into a fight. In "Street Angel Gang," the promise of free pizza lures her to the tryouts for a local gang, whose members are impressed after she first steals a rival gang leader's robot arm, and later a live tiger. Throughout, Rugg's virtuosic illustrations combine a punky aesthetic with influences ranging from manga to commercial art, mixing bright colors, muted shading, sharp angles, and looping lines to create a distinctive, infectious energy perfectly matched to the antics of our clever and entertaining protagonist. VERDICT Unimpressed at meeting Santa Claus but ebullient while serving out a prison sentence, Jesse is a scrappy yet supremely confident spitfire with appeal to readers of all ages.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.