Praise for Secrets of Jarrow, book 1 in the Mordecai Crow trilogy

’Brimming with fast paced action and plenty of suspense, Secrets of Jarrow is a nice addition to the post-apocalyptic graphic novel genre. Slavin has taken very real-world issues and shows us what can happen if we do not change our ways.

But, as Slavin himself notes in the foreword, this book is not about climate change; “it is simply a story of one young man’s quest, set in the landscape of a collapsing world.” Although the storyline follows the typical hero’s journey, young adult readers will be captivated by Slavin’s dark and moody illustrations. His colour palette of grey, brown, and indigo adds a very eerie quality to the graphic novel which heightens the reader’s suspense.

Secrets of Jarrow is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I, for one, cannot wait for book two.’

Canadian Review of Materials – Teresa Iaizzo of the Toronto Public Library

‘Suspense, surprise and a stunning visual experience abound in this post-apocalyptic mystery story as humanity strives to rediscover lost history from before ‘the Fall’. A hugely impressive work of art from a virtuoso graphic novelist.’ – Stephen Biesty, author of the Incredible Cross-Sections series

‘The post-apocalyptic whodunnit I didn’t know I needed. High-speed storytelling in a well-crafted book.’

Mike Donachie – Toronto Star

‘Cli-fi mystery questions our digital dependence, and survival amid decay.Slavin says part of the inspiration for a post-digital world came from a real-life power outage he experienced. Though he saw people pulling together, he says, “I honestly think we would go tribal pretty fast, but I also think like-minded people would find ways to survive and continue in small groups, like the cloistered inhabitants of Jarrow.” – David Jón Fuller , Prairie Books Now

‘The premise made me think of the sci-fi classic: A Canticle for Leibowitz, the post-apocalyptic tale about knowledge lost where monks puzzle over the few treasured remaining texts. Slavin’s book is just as clever and cautionary. Secrets of Jarrow is perfectly relevant to our times, with characters scrounging “old tech” from the days before people blithely destroyed hard copies assuming “the cloud” would keep all information safe. The beautifully detailed drawings will appeal to pre-teens but also their parents who will smile at the references to early computers. There’s a serious sub-text about GMO suicide seeds and the climate crisis but don’t worry, it is a fun tale too!’ – Rosemary Waterston goodreads.com