Strong visuals bolster an intriguing mystery.
A teen’s rapid switches in personality lead to greater mystery in this graphic novel translated from French.
New at school, Elle appears cool, stylish, and put together. Standing up to mean girls Justine and Safia, she quickly makes friends with spacey Linotte, steadfast Maëlys, girl-crazy Otis, and wisecracking Farid. But Elle’s stress levels build when her class presentation deadline is moved up two weeks and Otis kisses her, changing their friend dynamic. After a vicious volleyball game, Elle suddenly changes personality, with each facet possessing its own hair color: the mysterious aquamarine narrator, outgoing blond, highly emotional brown, silent green, and goofy purple. While aesthetically pleasing and matching the color scheme, the varied hair colors lessen the impact of Elle’s personality reveal by making inner changes immediately obvious. With help from Maëlys, Elle investigates her childhood and history of strange mood swings. The artistic style fits the tone perfectly, with large expressive faces and soft outlines that match the detailed backgrounds. The atmospheric changes in color palette are subtle but highly effective in depicting Elle’s stress levels, adding to the tension. While Elle’s friends are mostly one-dimensional, their ongoing banter, support, and a fun Polaroid montage successfully sell their strong connection. The mysterious subplot and dramatic cliffhanger are gripping, setting up for the next entry. Elle, Linotte, and Otis present White; queer Farid is cued as Middle Eastern, and Maëlys is Asian.
Strong visuals bolster an intriguing mystery. (Graphic fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68497-093-3
Page Count: 94
Publisher: Ablaze
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
Vail captures the complexity of middle school social challenges, insightfully addressing the issues of friendships and...
Eighth-grader Truly’s foray into popularity spirals into a tempest of deceit and betrayal.
Upon turning 13, Truly is given a measure of technological freedom: a cellphone and access to social media. But this soon evolves into a quagmire of problems for Truly. When former BFF Natasha invites her to join the Popular Table during lunchtime and to collaborate on a school assignment, Truly is surprised but thrilled. However, Natasha’s overtures hide an ulterior motive. In the pursuit of popularity, Truly neglects her friendship with Hazel, who retaliates by plotting revenge utilizing social media. The Truly/Hazel dynamic is just one component of this interwoven story. Vail explores the motivations and private quandaries of the six characters who narrate the tale, from Jack, the quiet advocate for those excluded, to the socially conscious and manipulative Natasha, who yearns to be the most popular. With keen insight, Vail reveals the internal struggles with uncertainty and self-doubt that can plague young teens regardless of popularity status. Natasha’s schemes and Hazel’s misdeeds lead to a relentless barrage of bullying via social media for Truly. While a dramatic moment reveals the extent of Truly’s anguish, Vail concludes the tale with a resolution that is both realistic and hopeful.
Vail captures the complexity of middle school social challenges, insightfully addressing the issues of friendships and integrity. (Fiction. 12-15)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-670-01307-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
Although it may not satisfy as a novel, its characters will no doubt resonate with teen readers who share their struggles...
A new group of students join Mr. Ward’s poetry class in the companion novel to Bronx Masquerade (2003).
A group of black, white, Asian, and Latinx high school students in Mr. Ward’s class practice the art of poetry in preparation for a weekly open-mike reading each Friday. Through poetry, the students navigate their concerns and fears about themselves, their families, and their futures. As they prepare for the class’s culminating event—a poetry slam competition—the students bond and grow more comfortable revealing themselves through their poems. Each student’s story is introduced and explored in rotating first-person chapters. There’s brown (not black) Puerto Rican Darrian, an aspiring journalist who lost his mother to cancer; 16-year-old Jenesis, a blue-eyed, blonde, black girl who worries what will happen when she ages out of the foster-care system at 18; Chinese-American Li, who hides her love of poetry from her parents; African-American Marcel, whose father wasn’t the same when he returned home from prison; and several others. Unfortunately, the characters’ personal struggles remain largely static throughout the novel, and there’s no overarching plot or compelling conflict among them. Much of the dialogue feels forced and doesn’t ring true as the voices of present-day teens; aside from a few poignant moments, the students’ poetry tends to be heavy-handed.
Although it may not satisfy as a novel, its characters will no doubt resonate with teen readers who share their struggles and aspirations. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-399-24688-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
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