Girl Stories by by Lauren Weinstein (amazon.com)

Now that we’re almost ready to announce the winners for the Cybils, I thought I’d go back and take a look at one of the titles on the longlist of nominations for the graphic novels category. Girl Stories is showcases a bunch of funny coming of age vignettes about a awkward Jewish girl growing up in the 80s. I’m going to quote the first paragraph:

Hello! And welcome to my life, which is currently like being in jail! I’m in the eighth grade, and I’ve been going to the same stupid school with the same stupid fifty people since kindergarten! That’s nine years!!!! We are all ready to kill one another. No one can wait until we leave for high school, including the teachers, who numbly walk down the halls, ignoring the hatred and rage around them!

Weinstein provides details about Barbie doll deconstruction, the imaginary conversations she’d have with Morrissey, and the perils of high school social life. Her art style shifts and she uses a varied color palette. A story about the side effects of piercing is a putrid green, while stories set in middle school show the characters wearing vivid neon clothes. This is a charming book.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.