- Graphic Novels
- Ages 13–17
- Fantasy
Nimona
A sharp, funny and emotionally charged YA graphic novel about a shapeshifting sidekick, a supposed villain and a corrupt heroic institution. Best for older readers who like fantasy, antiheroes, queer-coded identity themes and moral ambiguity.
- Best for13–17
- FormatGraphic
- Length272 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr10 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Irreverent
- Exciting
- Dark
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Nimona is a shapeshifter who appoints herself sidekick to Ballister Blackheart, a disgraced knight labelled as a villain by the kingdom's powerful Institution. Nimona is chaotic, funny, violent and vulnerable, while Ballister is far more principled than his reputation suggests. Together they expose the hypocrisy of a world that decides who is heroic and who is monstrous before asking what really happened. ND Stevenson's graphic novel blends medieval fantasy, science-fiction technology, supervillain comedy and genuine emotional darkness. Its humour is accessible and fast, but the themes are older: institutional control, trauma, identity, queer subtext, anger and the fear of being treated as a monster. This is an essential YA graphic-novel record, but it should not be recommended to younger middle-grade readers just because it has cartoon energy.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 13–17
- Read aloud · 12–16
- Independent · 13–17
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Patchy
Works well for
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: violence, scary imagery, mental health.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
1 / 5 · Tough fit
Graphic intensity
5 / 5 · Intense
Best for
- Ya graphic novel
- Antiheroes
- Shapeshifters
- Queer themes
- Science fantasy
Avoid if
- Under 12
- Sensitive to violence
- Wants cosy graphic novel
- Prefers clear good vs evil
Particularly good for children who are…
- Being bullied
- Low self esteem
- Reluctant reader
- Lgbtq parent family
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, fierce YA graphic novel about identity and who gets to be the hero — a rich discussion read for older teens, and a gripping one.
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 kick is the shape-shifting sidekick — Nimona appointing herself assistant to a disgraced 'villain', the kingdom's heroic institution turning out to be the real corruption, the queer subtext and identity questions woven through the comedy. The YA graphic novel that took the Netflix world by storm.
- Being special or chosen
- Having a nemesis
- Revenge on adults
- Shapeshifting
- Transformation
Why parents love it
The ND Stevenson modern YA-graphic-novel classic — shapeshifter sidekick, fake-heroes/real-villains plot, queer-coded identity work treated seriously. Funny, dark, devastating. Best for older teens; the emotional darkness is real. The Netflix film is good but the book is sharper.
- Shared humour
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
- Cultural representation
About the author & illustrator
ND Stevenson.
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.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
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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