#17 actually wraps up the events of the last volume, reviewed here. Then the next story really starts with the mermaids. I have to admit, I'm a bit like April when it comes to mermaids. And then these mermaids were these whole other amazing creatures, especially on the heels of reading Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl: A Memoir by Carrie Brownstein. They were so AMAZING!

The story plays out well and I enjoyed the time spent with April on these issues. There are too many girls for each volume to show character progression for all of them, but we see different girls get their moments as the series progresses. April is definitely the one I identify with the most, and we both love mermaids, and I have to hear and learn what she does over and over all the time. That said, it has also been great to watch the others grow when the stories focus on them and remind myself of the lessons they learn as well. It's good reinforcement.

Now, on to another of my favorite things about this series: The Amazing Women in History that are mentioned in their exclamations. Collectively, this volume mentions the following women that you really must check out!

• Tippi Hedren
• Sylvia Earle
• Joan Jett
• Amphitrite
• Ida B. Wells
• Melpomene

I loved Nimona. It was originally posted as a webcomic and I started reading about 2/3 of the way through the series. I wasn’t sure how it would be to read it as a book, but the format worked really well and HarperCollins did a great job with the colors & quality. And I loved the characters & story just as much. (I’m a SHARK!)