Lumberjanes, Volume 2: Friendship to the Max: 10/19/17

Lumberjanes, Volume 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson is the second collected album. Jen realizing that her campers are not only safe and sound but are awesome heroes has decided that she wants to join them, rather than shelter them from whatever the next danger might be.

In the last volume, the girls had to survive a series of trials as they made their way to and then through a magical cave. The threat was external — monsters in the woods, gods in the cave. Now they learn of a threat from their very ranks. One of the campers is herself a goddess.

She needs the girls to help her defeat her brother during a total eclipse. I'll remember that particular detail as I began reading the book the day after eclipse — while we were making the long drive back from Wyoming. I didn't get very far until we were home because I was also driving and when I wasn't driving, I was bone weary from all the early mornings, long days, and hours of driving.

I'm not going to go into the details of the plot except that it's more of the same from volume 1. The girls have skills and they know how and when to use them. One of my favorite parts though comes when the girls are told they'll need to pass all these tests to get into the cave and they shrug it off, saying they've already done all that. The next panel shows the guardians hanging out — playing cards, goofing off. So often when a formula works once, it's used again. I really did expect them to have to go through something like the cave and solve those puzzles — just as they had in the cave.

The next volume is a Terrible Plan. As I own up through volume five, I'll be getting these next three read in quick succession.

Five stars

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Friday, October 20, 2017 at 10:22:13

Lindsey

My kids love the Lumberjanes and I confess that they are one of the few series I don't mind reading again and again.

I hope you enjoy the rest just as much as the first two!

Comment #2: Monday, October 23, 2017 at 23:45:00

Pussreboots

I just finished volume 3 and I enjoyed it but it didn't pull me in as quickly as the first two did. I still have two more to read in my collection at home.