Ready or Not by the author by Andi Porretta is overall a nice coming of age story. Sometimes the characters are likeable and sometimes less so. They are relatable and each is unique to themselves. There are good illustrations that are not busy but not lacking with good colors in a traditional style. There is some drinking, overdrinking (a quick vomit scene) and “teen angst” situations. There isn’t anything you haven’t seen before, it is just presented in a way that feels a bit fresh while starting familiar. The characters are diverse (one girl is possibly biracial, another is biracial, one boy is Hispanic, the other black; one character is queer, one might be).
The main characters (four in total) are dealing with the summer before they go off to the real world after high school. One is going to law school to join his folks firm; one to art school in California; one is going to school overseas, and one is taking a year off. As they grow, change, even start drifting apart, one character takes it upon themselves to try and keep it the same as always. And of course it doesn’t go as planned. Things work out in the end, but it is the getting there that is the fun.
What was totally unexpected for me was, when I was killing a few minutes and reading a few pages toward the beginning of the end of the graphic novel, something slipped out. It was larger than a business card piece of paper. It had a saying on it that I am not sure really fit the book, but it was placed on a page that would fit if you were not really sure of the context of the page or book. But I also thought that maybe someone lost their bookmark, or the paper they wrote a saying down on/someone wrote down for them. I hope it was not too important, but (like most things I find in a book) I left it for the next reader. I don’t know, maybe they will need something just like that.
On a side note, I have also found some photobooth (probably) photos (I am assuming that was a book mark forgotten). And of course, others actual bookmarks, and a few other fun goodies (I have also found coffee stains and something I really don’t want to know what it was). Therefore, I always promote independent bookstores (I grew up in one basically!) but you never know what or who you are sharing a library book with. 