Review: Tomboy

Tomboy
by Liz Prince

Zest Books

Synopsis

Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing Pretty Pretty princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn't exactly one of the guys either, as she quickly learned when her Little League baseball coach exiled her to the outfield instead of letting her take the pitcher's mound. Liz was somewhere in the middle, and Tomboy is the story of her struggle to find the place where she belonged.

Tomboy is a graphic novel about refusing gender boundaries, yet unwittingly embracing gender stereotypes at the same time, and realizing later in life that you can be just as much of a girl in jeans and a T-shirt as you can in a pink tutu. A memoir told anecdotally, Tomboy follows author and zine artist Liz Prince through her early childhood into adulthood and explores her ever-evolving struggles and wishes regarding what it means to "be a girl."

From staunchly refuting anything she perceived as being "girly" to the point of misogyny, to discovering through the punk community that your identity is whatever you make of it, regardless of your gender, Tomboy is as much humorous and honest as it is at points uncomfortable and heartbreaking.

Review

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew...I just knew I was going to love it. My experiences growing up mirrored Prince's so much and the evolution of her thinking was much like my own. 

The book is about Prince's experiences growing up as a tomboy - one who didn't "grow out of it." It involves her experiences with others and their view of her as well as how that shaped her view of them. There are some hilarious moments, but there are some heartbreaking ones as well. Prince does a wonderful job of showing the reader how innocent we truly are growing up until someone shares their view of us - which just causes us to shape how we feel about ourselves. I couldn't read this book all in one go - not because I was unable to (it's really easy to get into this book), but because so much of Prince's struggle was my own. I had to let that sink in. 

What I loved the most about this book is Prince's introduction to feminism and her understanding that it wasn't womanhood that she hated, but rather society's expectations of womanhood. 

As a major plus, Liz Prince is a "geek"! I loved the Ghostbusters talk as well as Prince's introduction to zines and such. 

Verdict

Buy this book for yourself and for those growing girls in your life who may be feeling outside the norm because they're not into dresses, dolls and the color pink. Buy this book. Do it. Now. Go. I'll wait. 

Review: Art Schooled

Art Schooled
by Jamie Coe

Synopsis

Daniel Stope is a small-town guy with dreams of becoming an artist. His enrollment at art school and subsequent move to the city opens up a world of possibilities. Unsurprisingly, Daniel struggles with his newfound independence—the difficulties of big city dating and making new friends. Jamie Coe's tale is a visually powerful graphic novel that covers familiar ground with an enthralling approach.

Review

To say that I loved Jamie Coe's Art Schooled would be an understatement. This book was fantastic from start to finish and I found myself enjoying it on many different levels. The story itself was great because it is a kind of "coming of age" story told about someone who is moving to college. The newness and weirdness that is college - actually, with weirdness amplified because it is about going to art school! That was another aspect of the book I enjoyed because I had a minor in Drawing when I was doing my Psychology degree. Being a part of that culture, even for just a little while, is quite a trip. I found myself reminiscing about those days as I read Art Schooled. As much as we don't want to admit it, stereotypes do and will exist and Art Schooled showcases the most popular ones in the art school world. 

The other aspect I enjoyed was the art style itself. I am a big fan of R. Crumb and the work in the Harvey Pekar books, so I found myself really enjoying this style of illustration. Daniel is a likable character because he could be any of us - trying to figure it out with this new independent life. 

Verdict

Read it because it's awesome! There is some "nudity" in the book - but trust me when I say, this book describes the truth that is art school. It's a fantastic work and I look forward to seeing more of Coe's work. 

About the Author

Jamie Coe is a recent graduate from Central Saint Martins, London. He has worked on commissions for Foyles, illustrated political cartoons for the Gateway, and is the author of the short comic House of Freaks. He lives in London, England.

Review: (In a Sense) Lost and Found

(In a Sense) Lost and Found
by Roman Muradov

Synopsis

The first graphic novel by rising star Roman Muradov explores the theme of innocence by treating it as a tangible object—something that can be used, lost, mistreated. Roman Muradov's crisp delicate style conjures a world of strange bookstores and absurd conspiracies.

Review

I went on Goodreads while I was reading this book so I could add it to my Currently Reading "shelf". While I was there, I stopped to look at other people's reviews. Someone said something like, "The problem wight his book is that it went completely over my head" or something like that. The person then went on to give this book two stars. 

Really? Are we punishing books (and their authors) for not understanding them now?

Now that I have that weight lifted from my shoulders - lets get on with my review. 

This book was art. Seriously - it's a beautiful book, both in its imagery and story. The illustration was dark and dream like - giving the story more of a magical realism feel. The story focuses on F. Premise and the fact that she's lost her innocence after a night of trouble sleep. Her father refuses to look at her due to not having her innocence and even people on the street seem to glare at her until she pulls on a pair of pants - then it's as if she ceases to exist. 

Maybe I'm wrong about everything here - but I believe that in this story, "innocence" is open to interpretation. Is it the girl's virginity we're talking about here? Or innocence in it's true meaning - and knowledge being it's ... corruptor? Like I said - interpretation. 

The heroine of this story is fantastic. She's smart and independent. The ending is what got me to really like her - but I'm not into spoilers, you know that!

Verdict

Read this with an open mind. It's unlike any book I've ever read - and that is a very good thing.