Review by Ian Keogh

It’s gratifying to see The End of an Era begins with a recap of the two previous volumes. It’s such an obvious courtesy to extend to new readers, yet so few series bother. The short synopsis is Ash at 11 discovering she’s inherited the super powers supplied to every second generation of her family, and while her Ah Ma (grandmother) still has powers, she also has dementia. Ash fights crime, but she also has the back-up of Team Ash, her friends.

An opening volume seemed to trivialise the idea of dementia, but Coming of Age incorporated the sadness and frustration strongly. That continues here with an opening sequence of Ah Ma being woken and taken with difficulty to a daycare centre. It’s possibly upsetting for young readers, but those whose grandparents are afflicted will recognise the symptoms. The distress is mitigated by Melanie Lee following up with a chapter showing how once at the daycare centre Ah Ma enjoys the activities. There’s a continuing tenderness to the way her feelings are prioritised, and the spotlight here is on Ah Ma with any superhero activities a secondary concern.

Lee also shows how upsetting things are for Ash, and indeed her mother, and Arif Rafhan conveys the emotional upset extremely well. His illustrations remain simple, ensuring young readers can understand everything that’s happening, but his method of drawing noses as brightly coloured shapes remains a feature to irritate older readers.

The developing crisis of the daycare centre being exploited by ruthless property developers is the spur needed for the return of Team Ash, and Lee conceives a good plan to ward off the newcomers. It’s funny, smart and entertaining.

The End of an Era isn’t a title to be taken literally, although it has sad and touching moments, and young readers who’ve enjoyed the previous books will find this good-natured sequel every bit as much fun.