Creator: Joe Sugg
Illustrator: Amrit Birdi
Written by: Matt Whyman
Lettering by: Mindy Lopkin
Colorist: Joaquin Pereyra
Release date: 21st September 2017
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton
The third and final installment in the debut graphic novel series, from YouTuber Joe ‘ThatcherJoe’ Sugg.
Evie is trying to move on with her life, as she prepares to graduate high school. Unfortunately a member of e.scape has made it into her world following the conclusion of the second book. The new visitor witnesses first-hand how the inhabitants of our world are so reliant on technology. Seeing our biggest weakness for himself, he seeks out his brethren back home to join him in conquering our planet. Will Evie find the strength to return to e.scape and face the pain of losing her family yet again?
I am very sad to say, this is the end of the Username series. It is a fantastic tale of how one man dedicated his life to creating a virtual world where his only child could take refuge when times get tough. However, his obsessive dedication in completing this task has sidetracked him from being in the here and now with his daughter. We have so far seen just how wonderful his genius programme can be; especially when filled with warmth based on the individual that enters the system. In Book One, we saw how corrupt it could easily become when others entered, followed by some heartbreaking moments in Book Two, as Evie said her *final* goodbyes to e.scape. Now we are back again, for the final conclusion to this fast paced tale.
Much has happened to Evie in her short life. Having lost her mother to the world her father created, to losing him forever through a horrid illness, Evie is reunited with images of her father and comes face to face with the mother she never had the chance to connect with. Mother and daughter share the same fighting spirit, with both of them being survivors and taking responsibility for the inhabitants of her paradise app. Knox remains in Evie’s world, having failed to return to e.scape at the end of the last book. He seeks vengeance for the humiliation he endured during their short attack on the real world. He needs help from his counterparts back home, but instead his underling allows the task to go to his head. A struggle for power amongst the ranks ensues, but its Evie’s home that endures the worst of the consequences.
There is certainly a lot of action in this final outing, with the invasion in particular a definite highlight. Joe certainly upped the stakes in this book, crafting a battle that will stick in readers minds for a long time to come. It was also more realistic in how the situation was handled (especially with an otherworldly invasion involved) and the military element was excellent. Although it might be argued the final fight was a tad extreme in places, afterwards I realised that if push comes to shove, missiles were probably going to be the only solution. The after effects of the invasion, and how certain characters and their actions were addressed, were excellently portrayed. The overall conclusion to the series, was satisfying. Although the ending did leave me with some hope for more, I thoroughly understand if this will be the last we see of Evie.
The Username series was created by Joe Sugg, also known as Youtuber ThatcherJoe. This 26 year old British vlogger is one of the biggest stars in the UK YouTube community, with over 8 Million subscribers on his main channel alone. He is also the little brother to fellow British YouTuber, Zoella. After his widely successful debut graphic novel Username: Evie, broke the record for fastest selling graphic novel since records began (selling over 140,000 copies) it was no surprise that we would see Evie return on a new adventure. Now onto its third and final release, it would be interesting to see if Joe Sugg will start working on another project.
This series is illustrated by Amrit Birdi, who is best known for delivering the Sunday Times Bestseller (and first entry in this trilogy) Username: Evie. This is a stunning graphic novel, with illustrations that stand toe to toe against the likes of DC Comics and Marvel. Yes the artwork is just that impressive! Not only does Amrit Birdi return for Volume 3, we also have the entirety of the Sugg Squad: Joaquin Pereyra on coloring, bringing the illustrations to life, and of course we have Joe Sugg himself who created the idea for this story. Additionally, we have Matt Whyman, who was there to bring Joe’s script to life and deliver some guidance in its deliverance, and Mindy Lopkin who put the words on the page, with precise lettering and speech bubbles. Making this graphic novel was no small job and I’m sure it was bittersweet coming to the end of the series. Well-deserved congratulations to Joe and his team for creating this bestseller graphic novel series.
This is certainly a book well worth picking up. A satisfying conclusion all round, and a must own book series. This series is also a great introduction into graphic novels for those that have never picked up one before, and of course, an exceptionally good series to buy for established graphic novel fans. Username: Uprising is available to buy now in all good local bookstores, from Hodder & Stoughton publishers.
Overall: 10/10
