Dear Bookworms,
This year I have decided to take up the Genre Challenge (see January’s article on Three Types of Reading Goals for 2017) and delve into some types of literature I don’t normally read. To begin, I decided to start with one glaring hole on my bookshelves: the graphic novel. Graphic novels have become a very well-respected format in recent years, and yet I never seemed to have picked one up.
So, taking my own advice, I began to scout out popular graphic novel titles in the search of finding one that might appeal, preferably something outside of the action hero(ine) category. I finally landed on Giant Days, a series written and created by John Allison that follows the adventures of three young women just beginning their time together at their university.
I can see why Giant Days is so popular. The series definitely has heart and humor. The three friends Daisy, Esther and Susan are fun, silly, and supportive of each other – a combination almost guaranteed to remind you of your own Freshman days and the friends you knew then. They fight, tease and laugh over the issues big and small that come their way, and some really are big. In Volume One alone, Allison tackles some serious topics like objectification and misandry.
In addition, I was impressed by the use of an unreliable narrator. Although most of the writing is through dialogue, the occasional commentary is provided by Susan. It becomes clear over the course of only a few chapters that she is not the “common sense silo” that she claims to be on the first page, making the few comments that are included by her that much more interesting. The illustrations by Lissa Treiman, are cute and whimsical with a lot of rounded lines, and the colors, courtesy of Whitney Cogar, are bright and fun, contributing to the overall light-hearted feel of the book.
On the downside, however, the story is encased in some trite clichés. While the friendship between the girls rings true, the characters individually are three overused stereotypes including the overly naïve homeschooled one, the pale-white Goth one, and the angry feminist one. This really undercut the power of the extended story as I found them each somewhat predictable. In addition, I have a larger concern about the dangerous example that is set for its target audience of young adult readers because of the casual depictions of smoking and drug use.
Overall, I was intrigued by my first foray into graphic novels, and look forward to expanding my repertoire. For me, however, I’ll likely pick a different one next.
Pick up your own copy of Giant Days right here.
Keep reading!
Live, Love, Learn,
Elise and The Write Teacher(s)