Series ✦ Penny’s Take
Djeliya
Juni Ba · 2021
82/100
👍 Worth It
Juni Ba's graphic novel is the real thing — visually inventive, culturally grounded in West African tradition, and genuinely ambitious in its meta-narrative about the power of storytelling. The AV Club, New York Public Library, and Thrillist all named it a best comic of 2021, and that consensus is earned. Parents should know the violence is present and real, and themes of child soldiers and infidelity put this firmly in the 14+ or high-school range, not for younger readers despite some retailers listing 12+.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: stylized but substantial violence throughout · themes include child soldiers, infidelity, and drugs · not suitable for younger readers despite some 12+ listings — recommend 14+ or grades 9+. We still scored it 82; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety62
Substance / usefulness85
Craft & writing88
Originality90
Evidence & accuracy85
Hype vs delivers88
Age-fit68
👁 Human-eye gut-check88
Penny’s verdict82
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