To say that I have read several books is an understatement. Also, to say I have read several coming-of-age stories is another one. Plus, to say that those coming-of-age stories are similar to Victoria Evans’ debut graphic novel, The History of Everything: A Graphic Novel, is (yup you guessed it) an understatement.
Therefore, this book is not a WOW read for me. It is a nice solid three. I could even give it a 3.5 as it was cozy and I could recommend it easily to most ages 10 to 15. I will say that it was a solid read, but nothing new was in the pages. But, with that said, the modern elements, the odd characters and the overall setting are good. They will resonate with today’s readers. While focusing on the relationship between the two girls, we get a slice of life story that brings in real experiences and situations but does not dwell on really any one aspect of their “misfit status.” We are able to focus on the girls and their relationship. The artwork fits the tone of things, simple but not simplistic, with a color and detail format that sets the tone.
The flow of the story, two best friends dealing with this is their last summer together before one moves away, is fairly quickly paced. There might be a few bumps in the road now and again, so things are not always smooth, but I chalk that up to being a new writer and their freshman product. I am looking forward to reading more by the author as I think they can be a good new voice in not just graphic novels, but teen novels as well.