Stargazing

Stargazing is a beautiful book about an unlikely friendship and all the ups and downs that go into maintaining it. The main character is Christine, a young Chinese-American girl who comes from a conservative family that values family, education, and religion. She frequently studies and practices her violin and is a dutiful daughter. One day she encounters a girl named Moon, who comes trailing rumors of beating up other kids and maybe not really being Chinese. Her mom operates a plant nursery and they live a more bohemian lifestyle. To save money, Moon and her mom end up living in a spare unit on Christine's parents' property.

Moon is a big contrast to Christine; she is a confident vivacious person who is into art, dancing, and music, especially K-pop. She also has a special sort of vision, seeing all sorts of lights and celestial images, imagining that she is really from outer space. Her mom is much more permissive, and as they start to hang out more Christine gets exposed to more popular culture (and vegetarianism) and gets encouraged to get out of her shell. She does not always enjoy that process, and the pair have their conflicts. However, things take a serious turn when the true nature of Moon's visions is discovered, and the duo start to realize just how much they mean to each other.

At the center of this book is an exploration of relationships, whether they be friendships or family ones, and what really makes it work is the artwork. This book's creator Jen Wang has that rare ability to breathe life into her characters with her delicate linework and strong storytelling, and the coloring by Lark Pien further animates them while also creating a lush atmosphere and tonal shifts. Even though they are depicted in somewhat cartoonish manner, the people in this book seem real and relatable. I could spend hours just looking at the variety of their facial expressions and emotional reactions.

This whole enterprise is incredibly moving, and although a work of fiction it felt very real. I especially appreciated the endpapers of the book, where I learned just how personal this book was to the author and how she wove elements of her childhood into it. Her story and art combined to make a fully realized tale that is rich, sweet, and resonant.

Wang won multiple awards for her prior graphic novel The Prince and the Dressmaker, including an Eisner and the Mosaic Award from the Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards. She has a few other graphic novels to her credit, including In Real Life and Koko Be Good. She speaks about her work on Stargazing in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book has been glowing. Publishers Weekly wrote in a starred review, "Plumbing the depths of Wang’s childhood for inspiration, this rich, heart-filled narrative will resonate with any reader who has ever felt different within their community." Caitlin Rosberg called it "a book that is full of sweetness and seriousness in turns, and offers a lot of kindness to characters and readers both." Nancy Powell summed it up as "a sweet and intimate story of friendship, of learning to be comfortable in one’s own skin, and learning to embrace the differences that make each person special in their own way." In another starred review, Kirkus Reviews concluded, "A shining gem of a book."

Stargazing was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here.

The Prince and the Dressmaker

The Prince and the Dressmaker is an intriguing twist on the typical fairy tale story. Here, the prince and heir to the throne Sebastian is being pushed by his parents to find a bride and begin settling down for his own time to reign, but he's harboring a secret. He likes to wear dresses, a fact that only a trusted servant knows. At the onset of this book, he discovers the work of a brilliant, edgy dressmaker named Frances, and he hires her to be his secret seamstress.

Frances makes him all kinds of fantastic and glamorous gowns, and he begins to wear them out disguised as the very showy and dramatic Lady Crystallia. He gathers much attention in this venture and becomes a notorious and trend-setting figure. Of course, all of these secrets have a shelf-life, and much of this book deals with the effects and fallout that comes with being secretive and what happens when that facade begins to crumble.

The high points of this book for me are the artwork and the characters. The art is characterized by flowing lines, vibrant colors, emotive expressions, and fun energy. Wang seems to take many cues from animation in her work, and it certainly pops off the page. Sebastian and Frances are vivid and complex, and getting to spend time with them in the pages of this book is wonderful. Their relationship is not simply a working relationship, nor is it a romance really but more like a friendship that develops interesting features. The ending of the book is also not a pat one, which I feel is appropriate.

I have read a few other books by this book's creator Jen Wang, including her debut Koko Be Good and In Real Life. I think her work is excellent, and I am eager to see whatever project she undertakes next. She talks about her work on The Prince and the Dressmaker in this interview.

The reviews I have read about this book have been largely glowing. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review that concluded, "It’s all but certain to deliver grins, gasps, and some happy tears." Elizabeth Bush wrote, "Readers new, or resistant, to graphic novels will also discover magic here in Wang’s visual storytelling." Princess Weekes gushed that it "is without a doubt one of my favorite things I’ve read so far this year and I’m so excited for everyone to enjoy it." The reviewer at Kirkus Reviews was more reserved, finding much to admire but also feeling that "Sebastian meets acceptance far too easily, particularly for such a public figure in such a conservative age."

The Prince and the Dressmaker was published by First Second, and they offer a review and more here.

A preview copy of the book was provided by the publisher.

In Real Life

Stereotypes that video games are for boys prevail even though statistics indicate that about half of all gamers are female. In addition, eruptions such as Gamergate show that in many ways female gamers are sometimes the target of misogynist agendas. Even though such ugliness is not overtly referenced here, it is in the background of this graphic novel, In Real Life. The protagonist here is Anda, a teenaged D&D fan who is inspired by a guest speaker at school to try playing a MMORPG.

Playing the fictional game Coarsegold Online, Anda finds a niche she enjoys. She quickly masters game-play, makes friends, and levels her character (Kalidestroyer) up.

Also, she joins a clique of video game activists who seek to root out the farming that is happening in the game. Anda likes the camaraderie that comes with joining this group and also enjoys the sensation of making this world a more equitable place while also making some actual money when she gets paid for completing these missions.

This real life reward makes her parents suspicious of what she is doing online, but there are other consequences when she befriends one of the farmers, a Chinese boy named Raymond who supports himself by farming. Not only does this friendship complicate Anda's worldview, it also has a massive impact on Raymond's life when he takes Anda's advice and tries to get his fellow workers to demand improvements in their working conditions. I do not want to spoil the ending, but  I did think it was a bit pat, that things did resolve perhaps a little too neatly. Still, I felt that overall this was a worthwhile book that highlighted the ways that consumerism, gender, fiction, and business intersect in complicated ways.

This ambitious and beautifully drawn book is a collaboration between Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang. Doctorow is an award winning author of multiple YA books, including Little Brother and Homeland, a blogger, and the co-editor of Boing Boing. Wang is an artist and illustrator, and her debut graphic novel was Koko Be Good. I love her artwork, with its flowing lines, cool pastel colors, emotive characters, and fun energy. Both creators speak about their work on In Real Life in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book lean to the positive. Chris Taylor offered his opinion that "they’ve shoehorned rather too much into the story for this to be entirely effective," but added that it "is a powerful narrative nonetheless." Kelly Thompson summed up that it was "a socially relevant, heartfelt and emotionally engaging story about a female gamer that will likely inspire and encourage generations of awesome girls." Jonah Gregory wrote, "It’s an enjoyable read and the messages it wants to convey aren’t so heavy handed as to be distracting."

In Real Life was published by First Second, who provides a preview and much more here.

Koko Be Good

What does it mean to be "good?" How does one know when they have "grown up?" These are two of the major concerns in this graphic novel. The majority of the plot centers on Jon, a 20-something who is drifting about after college. He has lost touch with his friends, set aside his aspirations as a musician, and is gearing up to join his girlfriend in Peru to live charitably. Koko, a tempestuous and energetic woman bursts onto the scene, causing havoc while striving to make her impression on the world. Accompanying her much of the time is Faron, an acrobatic Latino teenager who is troubled by his family situation and his secret love of musicals. All three of the characters are having a hard time figuring out their places in the world.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel debut was created by Jen Wang. She graduated with a Sociology degree from SFSU and has worked various jobs before her graphic novel work. Koko Be Good started out in different form as an online comic, and Wang has a number of shorter works online. This interview sheds more light on her work and inspiration for this book.

Reviews have been largely positive. Kristin Fletcher-Spear was impressed by the art and the characterization, particularly of Faron. Greg McElhatton wrote that Wang has "taken her talent to a new level with this book." Comicsgirl commented on all the intricate details in the art and story that make the book work. It seems that Jen Wang's graphic novel career is off to a great start.

A preview, a reading group guide, and some reviews are available here from the book's publisher First Second. A video preview is available here from the author.

Thanks to Gina for the review copy!