Hidden Systems

January 23, 2023
An unnamed narrator marvels at “how little I know about everyday things” in the initial chapter of this illuminating graphic novel debut. According to the narrator, a hidden system is “something we don’t notice until it breaks”; when commonplace amenities such as water, electricity, and the internet are working the way they should, “we take for granted the benefits they provide some of us, and disregard the harm they cause others.” In subsequent chapters, Nott breaks down the origins, basic functioning, and cultural impact of each aforementioned industry into easily digestible graphs and panels, rendered in cyan lines reminiscent of technological and architectural blueprints. While these systems act as the foundation of society, however, the text posits that they can also be harbingers of “inequality and environmental harm.” A chapter on electricity, for example, touches on how hydropower, while not requiring carbon fuel, still causes “drastic disruption to the environment, local and Indigenous communities, and wildlife.” A necessary introductory approach to everyday systems that briefly interrogates the bias and inequalities imbedded within them. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from March 15, 2023
Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* Ever walked through the city and wondered what lay beneath your feet? Of course you have! But most of us quickly put it out of mind and move on. Hidden Systems is what happens when that wondering doesn't go away and the answers come to you in the form of a comic. While there are dozens of hidden systems that keep modernity operating, Nott chooses to focus on three that, arguably, set the foundation for all the rest: the internet, the power grid (electricity), and waterworks. The book is split into sections for each system, with each section providing a history of how these systems emerged, where they are today, and views at different scales--macro, micro, and in daily life. The future of these systems is briefly considered, with a note of hope for adaptation in a world of climate change, largely in the concluding chapter. The true power of comics is on display here, with complex, difficult-to-comprehend structures presented both through a variety of metaphors and by placing those metaphors in context with simplified renditions of their real physical appearance. As he credits in the end pages (with process sketches and a bibliography), Nott is channeling the brilliant illustrative work of David Macaulay's The Way Things Work here, bringing clarity to a new generation of curious readers. Strong crossover YA and adult appeal.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 26, 2023

Gr 6 Up-Separated into sections, broken into chapters, with each focusing on a smaller part that makes up a larger whole, this bold undertaking sets out to explain systems in our daily lives. From internet to electricity to water, our most complex systems and how they affect our environment come under scrutiny. Simple, monotone sketch illustrations provide extra white space for information, but some cells lack direction. The book is packed with information and technical detail that may overwhelm the casual nonfiction reader or graphic novel enthusiast. VERDICT An ambitious effort that misses the mark for the intended age. Purchase for a public or school library where students show a great interest in science and engineering.-Maryjean Riou

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
A graphic exploration of select parts of our large-scale infrastructure. Nott presents a pictorial examination of three potentially fascinating engineered networks--the internet, the electrical grid, and fresh water distribution. His definition of a hidden system as "something we don't notice until it breaks" is valid enough, and in clearly and repeatedly demonstrating how the three are, for all their benefits, also historical and ongoing sources of "inequality and environmental harm," he performs a valuable service. But for all the careful research and efforts to lighten the tone with verbal and sight gags, the narrative's chopped-up quotes and generalized observations, infrequently leavened by specific incidents or examples, slow the pacing to a crawl despite the seemingly endless parade of informal, largely monochrome, blue line drawings, which are packed into small panels and neither animate the discourse nor look often enough beyond localized details to capture a sense of the three systems' overall size and complexity. Still, if end users who stay the course don't come away with much clearer big pictures of what happens when they press keys, hit switches, and turn faucet handles, they'll be more mindful that each of these acts comes with past and current legacies of colonialism, displaced populations, economic and class inequities, hidden agendas, and systemic racism. The human figures suggest racial and ethnic diversity. Heavy going but does focus as much on social costs as structures and functions. (sketch pages, endnotes, bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 12-16)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.