School Library Journal Review
Gr 6--8--Josh, Hope, and Hunter embark on a trip to Florida to spend the summer with Grandpa Matt and his husband, which covers up their actual plan to go treasure-hunting, unbeknownst to any of the adults in their lives. While there, they are discovered by a secret society of nefarious super villains called The Apex who enlist the vacationers on adventurous missions to find the lost Silver Vessels. These strange misadventures include a foray through a museum diorama that comes to life (similar to Night at the Museum), an undersea shipwreck dive with no scuba gear, and cave-diving with dinosaurs who somehow flourish underground. With The Apex on their heels, and a blossoming love triangle, Josh struggles to keep their adventures hidden from his family, while Hope and Hunter reveal they are both questioning their sexuality and places on the gender spectrum. The teens, who are referred to as "tiny explorers," are described as college-bound high school students, but are portrayed as much younger and smaller in appearance, and the dialogue is not always authentic to the suggested age. The writing can get formulaic and there are some lackluster humor and gags. While the characters are diverse and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth are included, the secret treasure hunt feels forced, and seems to be simply a vehicle for bringing the characters together to reveal issues of sexual orientation. VERDICT Not essential; steer readers who are in search of LGBTQIA+ graphic novels to Mike Curato's Flamer or Alice Oseman's Heartstopper.--Rebecca Jung
Kirkus Review
Three teenagers embark on a daring quest in Florida where they use their ingenuity to find hidden treasure in this YA graphic novel. Josh Friedman and his best friends, Hope Aguilar and Hunter Betancourt, leave suburban Virginia for a summer in the Florida Keys with Josh's grandfathers. They plan to search for a treasure horde connected with a sunken Spanish galleon, and Josh believes that three trinkets, deemed worthless by experts, provide clues that the treasure is buried under three nearby forts. Along the way, the friends have to contend with the Apex, a secret cadre of millionaires--classic villains who often wear shark masks to hide their identities. The Apex offer to team up with the kids for the treasure hunt, although the kids suspect that accepting high-tech gear from these devious adults could come at a cost. The camaraderie is infectious as Josh, Hope, and Hunter evade guards and find secret doors leading to caverns full of unexpected contents. Of the unexplained, fantastic wonders they discover, Josh simply says, "Everything here--it's all just north of possible." Orlando's treasure-hunting scenes fly by at a fast pace, while sections where Josh interacts with his grandfathers sometimes drag. Vecchio's visual style is clean, bright, and bold, and reminiscent of illustrations in classic series such as The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix but with a smooth, contemporary sheen. Relationships, gender identity, and sexual orientation are all prominent themes, as Hope is figuring out how to define herself and Hunter hopes that his crush on Josh might develop into a romance. Josh's grandfather, Matt, and his husband, Ivan, reflect on their own challenges as a same-sex couple. An exuberant and thoughtful tale of adventure. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Joshua Friedman is a teen with treasure on his mind. He has been closely following the news of a sunken ship recently discovered off the coast of Key West--Our Lady of Atocha, which sank in 1622 and purportedly carried legendary "silver vessels." After a little persuasion, Josh talks his parents into letting him, along with two friends, Hope and Hunter, spend summer vacation in Key West with Josh's grandpa, where the trio intend to search for the missing treasure themselves. Though they have a good plan, they run into major obstacles, and it's only when a shady group of rich snobs calling themselves The Apex offers to help that they make some real progress. Though what they discover is truly fantastic, working with The Apex comes with a cost. This fun romp through iconic Key West landmarks features a twisty plot rendered in crisp, vivid artwork, and alongside the mystery of the missing treasure, the three friends have important conversations about their emotions, gender identity, and crushes. Tween fans of puzzle mysteries are likely to be charmed.
