A zany, surreal compilation that reframes and celebrates female friendship.
High school besties Nathalie and Marie are back in a new collection that reveals the origins of their yearslong friendship and the eponymous game of hypotheticals they like to play.
The major story arc is a joking wish on a lamp that catapults the girls into a fairy tale. Our heroes are no damsels in distress, however, and their predicament provides a rich setup for exploring the powers of naming and identity. Bookending the primary adventure is a series of episodic one-shots that capture the reality and cringe comedy of being a teen, including scholastic struggles, crushes, and gym class. Readers new to the series are cleverly oriented through several pages of opening character sheets. Yet those unfamiliar with the first collection may struggle to keep up with the repartee and frenzied movement between panels. Interludes, such as letters and an activity book, help measure the pacing without dampening the joy. A poignant two-page spread alluding to the Covid-19 pandemic, juxtaposed with Nathalie’s and Marie’s opposite approaches to lockdown, creates one of several beautiful moments. The teens’ sincere friendship (with a side of good-natured ribbing) is grounded in mutual respect and love. Except for a villain, adults are out of frame or obscured by word bubbles. Most characters appear white; Marie reads Black and has a white grandfather.
A zany, surreal compilation that reframes and celebrates female friendship. (Graphic fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781603095303
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome hit into the outfield of books about queer athletes.
A closeted teen steps up to the plate for a cute boy—and himself.
After jocks ridicule and knock over his history class presentation, freshman Jonah picks up the pieces. Cute classmate Elliot helps. That small act of kindness makes sparks fly, cuing confusing feelings. Jonah decides to join the baseball team to get closer to Elliot—even if it means enduring more bullying from the other teammates. But Coach Jackson sees Jonah’s athletic potential and takes him under his wing. As the plot follows the four baseball seasons until Jonah’s graduation, Jonah slowly goes from laughingstock to star. But does he ever truly fit in? Cartoonist and editor Newman’s semiautobiographical graphic novel debut is a heartfelt tale of self-discovery. Consolidating all four years of high school into one book makes for a quick pace. Clever paneling and nearly wordless sequences effectively pump the brakes for key moments—and show glimpses of Jonah’s wild imagination. Despite the rampant bro culture and homophobia of the aughts setting, multiple queer characters of all ages at various stages of coming out add an important sense of community and possibility. A subplot about a female teammate briefly touches on sexism. Though the ensemble cast is diverse in skin tone, the majority of the main cast present white; Coach Jackson is Black.
A welcome hit into the outfield of books about queer athletes. (author’s note, process notes, resources) (Graphic fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781524884826
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
Equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking.
Sixteen-year-old Mandy considers herself the anti-Starfire: Unlike her scantily clad superhero mother, she doesn’t have superpowers, can’t fly, and doesn’t even own a bathing suit.
Mandy dyes her hair and dresses in all black to further call out how different they are. Mandy’s best friend, Lincoln, whose parents were born in Vietnam, insightfully summarizes this rift as being down to an intergenerational divide that occurs whether parents and children come from different countries or different planets. Mandy tries to figure out what kind of future she wants for herself as she struggles with teenage insecurities and bullying, her relationship with her mom, and her budding friendship (or is it something more?) with her new class project partner, Claire. Yoshitani’s vibrant and colorful stylized illustrations beautifully meld the various iterations of Starfire and the Titans with the live-action versions of those characters. Together with Tamaki’s punchy writing, this coming-of-age story of identity, family, friendship, and saving the world is skillfully brought to life in a quick but nuanced read. These layers are most strongly displayed as the story draws parallels between cultural differences between the generations as evidenced in how the characters address bullying, body positivity, fatphobia, fetishization and sexualization, and feminism. This title addresses many important concepts briefly, but well, with great pacing, bold art, and concise and snappy dialogue. The cast is broadly diverse in both primary and secondary characters.
Equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking. (Graphic fantasy. 14-16)Pub Date: July 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-126-4
Page Count: 184
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2021
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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