- Graphic Novels
- Ages 7–11
- Science Fiction
Hilo: Then Everything Went Wrong
Book 5 of 11 in HiloView the full series
A more mythology-heavy Hilo volume that sends Hilo and D.J. towards Hilo's home planet and starts overturning what Hilo thinks he knows about himself. Still funny, but with stronger backstory and series stakes.
- Best for7–11
- FormatGraphic
- Length208 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr40 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Everything Hilo thinks he knows about his past is about to be turned upside down. To discover what really happened on Hilo's world before he came to Earth, Hilo and D.J. have to take a dangerous trip to his home planet. But the answers they find are not simple, and the question of who can be trusted becomes more urgent than ever. This fifth Hilo book moves the series into deeper backstory territory, giving readers more information about Hilo's origins while keeping the action, jokes and visual energy that make the books so readable. It is a slightly more story-arc-dependent volume than the earliest entries, so it works best for readers already invested in Hilo, D.J. and Gina. The big appeal is discovery: not just new planets and new threats, but the idea that even a cheerful robot hero may not fully know who he is.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–11
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 7–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Space adventure
- Robot origin story
- Funny graphic novel
- Reluctant readers
- Sci fi comedy
Avoid if
- Has not read earlier hilo
- Needs standalone entry point
- Prefers realistic only
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Making friends
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, action-packed sci-fi comic series — a top reluctant-reader hook and classroom-library favourite.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is Hilo discovering who he was — a trip to his home planet, a war he doesn't remember, the slow unsettling realisation that the cheerful boy might not be quite what he thought. The Hilo where the backstory becomes the actual story.
- Being special or chosen
- Friendship and belonging
- Making a difference
- Proving yourself
- Secret skill
Why parents love it
The Hilo origin-story volume — Hilo and DJ to Hilo's home planet, the truth about who he was unsettled and complicated. Heavier emotional content than earlier books; arc-dependent. Best read in sequence; the reveals only land with the buildup.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
Hilo.
11 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Judd Winick.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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