A pleasant and amusing retelling.
Style influencer, ballet dancer, out-and-proud president of his school’s gay-straight alliance, and social expert: Is there anything Evan Horowitz can’t do?
In this contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, white Jewish Evan is ending junior year determined to generously share his wisdom with his ragtag group of classmates. Most in need is Natalia, the naïve new girl whom Evan immediately takes on as a makeover-and-matchmaking project. Various pairings ensue, including secret dating, Rainbow Prom drama, and an ill-advised crush. Evan’s lifelong best friend is the sensible and steady Brazilian American Davi, who frequently shuts down his schemes and notions. The pair are so comfortable together that the first sparks of friendship turning to romance take them both by surprise. Camlin draws as much on Clueless as they do on the original novel, closely following the expected plot beats, which, if not exactly innovative, will be agreeable to fans of the film. Evan’s characterization is easily the star of the show; he’s a worthy Emma Woodhouse analogue whose sky-high confidence and charm don’t waver despite his myriad flaws. The less well-developed supporting cast members are allowed fun moments. There’s a wholesome simplicity to Zeferino’s art, with its bright pastel colors and fluid linework lending a cheerful and welcoming aesthetic to the people and places of the Queens setting and humor to the characters’ interactions.
A pleasant and amusing retelling. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780316704106
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions.
A teenage girl refuses a medical procedure to remove her heart and her emotions.
June lives in a future in which a reclusive Scientist has pioneered a procedure to remove hearts, thus eliminating all “sadness, anxiety, and anger.” The downside is that it numbs pleasurable feelings, too. Most people around June have had the procedure done; for young people, in part because doing so helps them become more focused and successful. Before long, June is the only one among her peers who still has her heart. When her parents decide it’s time for her to have the procedure so she can become more focused in school, June hatches a plan to pretend to go through with it. She also investigates a way to restore her beloved sister’s heart, joining forces with Max, a classmate who’s also researching the Scientist because he has started to feel again despite having had his heart removed. The pair’s journey is somewhat rushed and improbable, as is the resolution they achieve. However, the story’s message feels relevant and relatable to teens, and the artwork effectively sets the scene, with bursts of color popping throughout an otherwise black-and-white landscape, reflecting the monochromatic, heartless reality of June’s world. There are no ethnic or cultural markers in the text; June has paper-white skin and dark hair, and Max has dark skin and curly black hair.
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions. (Graphic speculative fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063116214
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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