Graphic Novel Week: Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova: A Book Review

Welcome to Graphic Novel Week! This is a non :01 graphic novel, but I recently dug up this vintage review of mine, and I wanted to bring it out again for graphic novel week because Svetlana Chmakova is one of my favorite graphic novel artists/illustrators, and she has a new book coming out in May, called Brave.

I discovered this book by accident during a bookstore run, and I'm THRILLED that I did, because I absolutely adore Svetlana Chmakova's Dramacon manga miniseries. (Sidebar: the hubs and I were tight with a group of manga/anime fans in undergrad. We were kind of on the fringes of the group, but somehow got roped into going to an Anime Convention, which was excellent, btw, so I really identified with the whole portrayal of the convention in Dramacon.) I really enjoy the cover design, because the body language of the two characters in the foreground totally conveys awkwardness!

I love that the protagonist, Peppi, (pictured on the left side of the cover) breaks all of her personal rules for social success as the new girl in school, but still manages to triumph at the end. Though she and Jaime (right) get off to a rocky start and have different interests: art--Peppi, science--Jaime, I really enjoyed how they built not just a friendship over the course of the book, but a partnership between archrival school clubs (art and science). Sidenote: I didn't realize school clubs HAD archrivals within their own schools. Who knew?

The colors are lovely and muted. The characters are personable and falliable. The plot is quick-paced and exciting. Everything about this manga is quirky and enjoyable. I highly recommend it, especially for middle schoolers who have a strong interest in art or science, or those who are nervous about encountering a new school.