Same Difference

by Derek Kirk Kim

When Derek Kirk Kim ( The Eternal Smile ) published his debut graphic novel back in 2003, it made an immediate stir. The story about a group of young people navigating adulthood and personal relationships is told with such sympathy and perception that the book was immediately hailed as an important new work. Seven years later, it's clear that Same Difference has won a place among the great literature of the last decade. It stands not only with Fun Home , Persepolis , and American Born Chinese as a lasting graphic novel, but with much of the best fiction of this young century. Derek's distinctive voice as an author, coupled with his clear, crisp, expressive art has made this story a classic. And this classic is now back in print, in a deluxe edition from First Second.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Derek Kirk Kim is an award-winning Korean-American cartoonist. He won both major industry awards in 2004, the Eisner and the Harvey, for his debut graphic novel Same Difference and Other Stories, which was originally serialized on his website Lowbright (formerly known as "Small Stories"). He also won the Ignatz Award for promising new talent, in 2003, for the same graphic novel (which was originally published with the help of a 2002 Xeric Award).

Kim came to the United States when he was eight. He considers himself fortunate to have received formal training in the visual arts and in the craft of writing. Much of his early highly acclaimed work was done while living with his parents in Pacifica, California. He now lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the Bay area, this is a memoir of Derek Kirk Kim. It tells of his time as a college student remembering running into mistakes he made during his high school years. He actually liked a blind student and because of being embarrassed what people would think of him, he did not go to a dance with her. He grapples with this aspect of himself.

It's a black and white comic and the art is good. It's humorous in a good way. The story is good and I enjoyed this little book. It was an interesting story. It almost feels like there will be a sequel, but I guess not after 6 or so years.

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful little book! Kirk Kim needs only eighty pages to tell a fully realized, subtly poetic coming-of-age story--one that features some of the most believable, compelling, and memorable characters I have come across in a while. Brilliantly conceived and beautifully executed, Same Difference fully deserves all those Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Awards it won.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

About half way through this book, I realized that I'd actually read it before, probably in the original edition. But I remembered very little about it, so I kept on reading. Besides, it's very short. I can't remember what I thought of it the first time around, but I ended up with mixed feelings this time around. Kim's art is fantastic. The cover actually does a great job of showcasing it. And his characters and dialog are very natural and realistic. But I just found these people unlikable. Not enough so to make reading the book unpleasant, but enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly, if the art and writing weren't as good as they are, I would have probably hated it for the characters alone. But not everybody will dislike them as much as I did, and there are enough good points to make this worth a read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge sucker when it comes to book presentations, covers, and displays. If done just right, a book’s “hello” or first impression can awe a reader even before opening the book. Pure magic when it happens!

Same Difference by Derek Kirk Kim possesses that kind of power. The beautiful and fun wonder of the moving fish bowl effect for the book’s jacket lured me right into the story. I was already happy!

Have you ever felt as if everyone around you changed and moved on, but you remained the same?

Simon and Nancy are in their mid-twenties, working, living, and still trying to carve out a path of their own in the world. They both seem to be looking back on past decisions and regrets with a mix of hope and guilt. With a little adventure and stalking, they could even end up using the past to help influence their future. Perhaps change who they are now.

Simon’s regret was turning down a girl’s invite to a high school dance. Simon liked Irene, but let his fears get in the way. Irene is blind. Here is where the story turned personal for me. My niece, who is blind, has to deal with so much just getting around in life, but this story stabbed me in the gut with something I am not ready to think about with her. Boys! Haha… But I guess I should, she is thirteen now. :D So, as much as I wanted to slap Simon across the face, I found myself applauding the honesty of his story. The emotions and event felt very realistic to me. Brutal, but honest.

All that said, I can’t really say I liked Simon and Nancy. Their friendship and banter made me laugh, but also roll my eyes at times. I might not have liked these characters all that much, but I understood them and could identify with their humor and insecurities.

Oh, added bonus! The shout outs of love for Tom Waits and Bill Nye the Science Guy made my heart happy! :D

A fun, sarcastic, meaningful story told with unflinching honesty all wrapped up in beautiful illustrations filled with emotion. A surprising read, which hit close to home for me.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting story about two friends that is overall a fun read, but the ending is underwhelming. I felt like the book stopped just when it got good, when the real plot started. Nancy was a very one-dimensional character, just there to listen to Simon process his feelings. But her story and why she corresponded with Ben Leland was far more interesting then his mopey pretentious artist ennui.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic novels are definitely outside My reading comfort zone. I decided to read this one (actually more of a novella) because it's one of the World Book Night 2014 selections.

I feel really unqualified to even attempt a review because I'm sure I'm supposed to appreciate how the illustrations propel the story, but I'm just too much of a word person. I want to create those visuals in my mind, so I have to sort of tap another part of my brain when I approach a graphic novel.

At its core, Same Difference is one day in the life of two 20-somethings in Oakland. It's funny and thoughtful. The characters are likable. I liked the deeper them of how we deal with mistakes in our lives, but there just wasn't enough story, development for me.

Best line (or should say, best frame?)
"Where's your curiosity?
Under my bed along with my dignity and pride, where it should be."

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book 2 years ago for free from the World Book Night U.S. And when I was looking on my self for a book to read I stumbled upon this one. I am a high school special education teacher and was really excited when I saw this book because its a graphic novel. I miss understood that because my only experience with graphic novels are young adult or children books. This is NOT one of those. This is for sure an adult book.

But in other words, this was a fun read and kind of funny. I am now passing it onto my boyfriend so it can become a "couples' read."

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a ten year anniversary hard cover edition with a beautiful cool clear dust jacket with fish on it, a very funny intro by his friend and sometime collaborator Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) and an afterword on process by the author. The story itself focuses on buds Simon and Nancy and lies they tell and have regrets about. The story is good, okay, not remarkable, but the dialogue is really wonderful, funny, entertaining and finally affecting. The art is the best I have seen from Kim, and this is the best work I have seen from him. Pretty great stuff. The friends are mid twenties, but Simon's story is one of a high school lie, so it could well be appreciated by high school readers. I liked it a lot.

[First Second Books]

We're so excited to be publishing a deluxe new edition of Derek Kirk Kim's Same Difference -- it's a book that inspired us all to see what comics really could be.

Also our designer's treatment of the deluxe-ness is so cool! There's an acetate jacket on the book -- it's clear -- printed with the fish that you see. Then the title and the people are actually printed on the case.

How neat is that?

[Maksym Karpovets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Прекрасна й мила історія про двох друзів корейського походження (тут це важливо, хоча й критично не впливає на сюжет), Саймона та Ненсі, які намагаються розібратися зі своїм минулим і, зрештою, зрозуміти як жити далі. Усе починається з азіатського ресторану, де a couple of friends просто сидять і теревенять, а за цим мовчазно спостерігають риби з акваріуму. Це тонка метафора наших зв'язків з іншими людьми, адже ми теж не тільки творимо історії, але й слухаємо, споживаємо, обговорюємо їх. Ми, як ті риби, кудись пливемо й зовсім не очікуємо, кого зустрінемо. Так і наші герої раптово зустрічають тих людей, яких наче забули.

Дерек Кірк Кім це прописує настільки акуратно, витончено й іронічно, справедливо нагадуючи Вуді Алена, що цей комікс треба читати тільки в пледі під Тома Вейтса, запиваючи це все гірким чаєм. Тут багато діалогів, багато баблів, але й не менше емоцій, які влучно передані завдяки лініям, контрастам і несподіваним деталям. Словом, цей комікс про дорослішання, самокопання, друзів і втрачені можливості. Ближче буде підліткам, але й за тридцять (тобто мені) теж піде.

[Sooraya Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfying read.
Loved the plot and jokes.
Gorgeous artwork!
In the appendix section, we get to see other works in different art styles.

[Karen Henspeter · Rating 3 out of 5]

o Your full name: Karen Henspeter

o APA citation: Kim, D. (2011). . New York, NY: First Second.

o Genre: Realistic Fiction

o Format: Graphic novel

o Selection process: Lesesnie, T. (2011). Same difference. Voice of Youth Advocates, 34(5), 494.

o Review:
The opening of Derek Kirk Kim’s graphic novel finds Simon and Nancy, two Korean Americans in their twenties, shooting the breeze at a pho restaurant in California. From beginning to end, readers have the opportunity to eavesdrop on their conversations, ranging from trivial banter to more introspective discussions about love and purpose. While finishing their food, Simon notices a former crush waiting at the bus stop across the street. Irene is beautiful and blind—and in high school, Simon was too scared to pursue a lasting relationship with her. Even now, he struggles to face his fears and talk with her again.

The story slowly progresses as Nancy reveals her own secret. For several months, she has received mail from a love-struck boy, intended for a girl who used to live at her house. Nancy has been replying to the mail as a joke. Now she convinces Simon to journey with her to Pacifica, the home of the “stalker” boy, just for entertainment’s sake. Pacifica is, ironically, the place where Simon grew up. Nancy and he head off for the little town, not knowing what to expect.

At the grocery store in Pacifica, Simon runs into Irene and finally makes peace. The “stalker” is also discovered, and Nancy realizes that he is not much different than she. He is just a regular person trying to love someone and live a happy life. The story closes with Nancy and Simon discussing life over cartons of Cherry Garcia ice cream at the beach—and then dropping an apology and a carton of ice cream off at the home of the love-struck boy.

Although Same Difference is not particularly earth-shattering, it is a highly realistic story with detailed, well-drawn illustrations. Readers will likely appreciate the opportunity to think about life while listening to Nancy and Simon discuss their own.

o Recommendation level: Recommended*
*The story is creative and insightful, encouraging readers to think about what really matters. Strong language should be noted.

[Dani Shuping · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first publishing of Derek Kirk Kim's "Same Difference & Other Stories" (by TopShelf) is one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. I fell in love with Derek's method of storytelling and his ability to capture the human emotion within his characters faces. That hint of surprise, that pang of sadness, or the look of longing over a lost loved one so eloquently captured in the characters faces. And while I missed out on the chance to buy a new version of the older book, I was excited to see FirstSecond offering a new edition of "Same Difference" in a nice hardcover format. And while it is a beautifully designed book (I especially love the mylar cover with the fish)...I'm a bit disappointed that it is literally only "Same Difference" and that the "other stories" got left by the wayside with no way for new readers to enjoy them unless they go and purchase a used copy of the original book.

The actual story, "Same Difference," is still absolutely fantastic and remains timeless. In the story we meet a group of friends sitting at a local restaurant, in front of the fish tank, discussing where they are in life and what they want from the future. Over the next few pages Simon and Nancy both share secrets about themselves...and in order to resolve a couple of them they head off to Simon's hometown. And the theme of the fish tank, the kinda of outside looking in theme from going back home and watching folks but not really fitting in, reverberates throughout the story in many ways. Especially with the new mylar cover where the reader feels like they're inside the fish tank looking out and hearing the stories being told is a nice touch. The artwork in the story is evocative and captures the emotions of the characters well.

Overall it's a really nice edition of "Same Difference." I just wish other readers had a chance to see the variety and breadth of Derek's abilities without having to purchase a used copy of the original (like I did) and that this new version had a place for the other stories.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as graphic novellas go, it's just plain good. And honest. Excellent characters. It doesn't try to do more than it can, and because of that I want more of it. The effect, at the end, is a little like that Raymond Carver short story, "A Small Good Thing," which would be so much better as a graphic novel. Same Difference is not tragic. It's comic all the way through, but it asks... What do we do with our regrets? Our egos? The people we've hurt? Nancy and Simon's friendship is perfect, enviable.

Here's a keeper... What is Oriental flavored Ramen? "Is there one specific flavor that encapsulates the entire 'Oriental' sector of the world or?... Here you got Chicken Flavor and here you got Beef. Deductive reasoning would indicate that they grind up 'Orientals'..."

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

SAME DIFFERENCE seems to have won every award the comic world gives out (The Eisner, Harvey, Ignatz) and for good reason. Kim creates well-rounded, likable characters with sharp, realistic conversation and a pleasant drawing style. The adventure centers around Simon and Nancy, two aimless twenty-somethings facing the changing world of transitions and past missed opportunities. One being a high school lie Simon still dwells upon with unresolved regret. While Nancy has been responding to unrequited love letters arriving to the former tenant of her new apartment. The lessons both characters learn while tracking down the letter writer in Pacifica, CA. are both sweet and poignant.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand why it had to end, but I missed the characters when the book closed. I saw and heard myself in them--OMG! I remember those deep conversations about nothing and the struggle to become. LOVED this book...boy, did I laugh! Well done!

[Kaleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite sure how to articulate my love for this comic.. It's everything I wanted and more. When I do figure that out I'll be sure to let you know. Until then, I highly recommend giving this a read.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really want to add a half star here.
---

I was not sure what Same Difference was supposed to be about. As you well know by now, First Second is a favorite publisher, but that the comic won the Eisner, Harvey and Ignatz Awards I really couldn’t resist giving it a try. Yeah, I felt that excited, but seriously, I was worried it would be something I could only appreciate from the outside looking in, from way outside looking in. Then there is that vague description that alludes to young people angst. BoingBoing’s synopsis: “Same Difference is the story of Korean-American 20-something slackers in San Francisco who wrestle with the stereotypes and ambitions that they feel guide their lives.” I thought that might be the case. It seems Derek Kirk Kim was keeping Zach Braff company in the early 2000s (but with a different cultural twist). So I put it off like it was some kind of chore. No one told me it was going be funny.*

In an entertaining “Introduction” written by Gene Yang, he talks about how Derek Kirk Kim wanted to retire from the superhero business, “maybe try his hand at making funnybooks.”

“Why don’t you do a memoir?” I suggested. Maybe drawing little doodles of his adventures would make him realize how silly it would be to give them up. “You’ve lived a pretty interesting life, and memoir graphic novels sell like hotcakes these days.” Derek didn’t look up. “Nah,” Brent said, mid-cartwheel. “He’s gonna do something REALLY amazing.”

and his graphic novella is. You’ll find it listed with memoirs for company, and while, according to the “Afterword” by the author, a key event was lifted from his own youth, Same Difference is something else. Which quickly brings me to the title. I use this term much to the annoyance of some who are sure I only use it to try and save face. However, there is more to it, and it is not just geeky fun to think about the title during or after the read.

I liked a couple of Urban Dictionary’s definitions for “same difference:”

Another way of saying “whatever”. It is often confused with “same thing”, but you’re really saying “OK, I admit that they’re not the same thing, but they’re not different enough for me to really care about it.”

Same difference refers to two subject matters which are not equal yet share similar values. For instance: Apples & Oranges. Both are fruits, but are not equal.

Friends (not lovers) Nancy and Simon have plenty the same, and plenty of differences. It is where the same but different intersect that engage another level of interest when pairing characters in the story, not just Nancy and Simon, though they are our protagonists. Gender is one (and the nerd in me would love to do or read a reading on this). Nancy and Simon are both Korean American and the author slips in expectations both mutual and non-. For instance liking Pho versus Nancy lying to her mom that she is still a virgin and not being terribly delicate ala the “taking a dump” scene. Add Ian in to compare with Nancy then Simon. The novel engages the reader in considering where the hypocrisies and/or paradoxes lie. Nancy teasing Simon about his high school uniform is comedic, and provocative.

The level of comfort between Nancy and Simon is awesome. It lacks a self-consciousness that makes the story possible. And what is the story? Two “Korean-American 20-something slackers in San Francisco who wrestle with the stereotypes and ambitions that they feel guide their lives.” Nancy wants to know what the face of “pathetic” really looks like in lonely and desperate romantic terms. Simon hopes he’s moved beyond immaturity without losing too much of himself to adulthood; and when does he move from High School relationship antics to achieving a mature intimacy with a girl—without marriage (which he doesn’t like the idea of). And could he have found it, but he just doesn’t know it? If you are thinking Derek Kirk Kim would go where Braff or Hollywood would, here’s a difference.

Same Difference has the organic feel of a day in the life of two really interesting people, the kind you find in indie-films and/or geekdom. There are plenty of pop culture references, many of which should make those who were at least in their early 20s in the early 2000s smile, certainly anyone who experienced Real Science and can name the character Simon is talking about before he can. And Tom Waits, anyone? They are defined by their culture and their experiences and Simon worries that he isn’t progressing, that fear and ineptitude may be holding him back, so the references have both the trap of nostalgia and the ability to draw a generation together in commiseration. It’s lovely.

As far as the art: No fancy tricks or clever play, nothing obvious in the art and form anyway. The segues alternate between text and frame, or a combination of both during travel; the pacing steady on; the dead pan humor and self-deprecation ubiquitous. For all the text at the beginning, you miss how well the author/artist utilizes the understated until you consider how beautifully it is implemented there nearer the end. And I kept returning to those wordless sequences; Ben, in particular, was entrancing. And what a mood to leave the book off in.

Derek Kirk Kim grows his characters in a remarkably short period of time without compromising their inherent awesomeness. He paints a different image of maturity, one that doesn’t compromise or create hypocrisy for those who do not fit and refuse to conform to certain molds and expectations. He doesn’t seat his hero in an Architecture Firm for an interview replete with suit and tie at the end. He doesn’t marry his heroine off to someone else going from quirky to dinner party sophistication before it’s over. What does “growing up” look like?

When we speak of an author possessing their own voice, Derek Kirk Kim exemplifies this. One may find similarities with other works or characters thematically or illustratively, but it isn’t quite the same. It’s that difference that sets this novel apart.

———————

*Nancy brought an old friend Victoria so vividly to mind and Simon as a younger John Cusack as if he were penned by Nick Hornby instead of the 80’s screenwriters.

**last paragraph references indie film (500) Days of Summer. I know I was talking Braff earlier, but this film came to mind here.

————————-

recommendations: ages 14 & up, due to language, and because when Simon says he felt like a dick, he looked like one… and really, why borrow this kind of angst, it’s a perfect post-High School read. Fans of American Born Chinese will have to read this one, a well as those who are skeptical of graphic novel’s storytelling power and ease. The art is accessible to most and this should be a part of all our comic-loving libraries.

BoingBoing’s brief write-up, “though it’s a quick read, it leaves a lasting emotional coal smoldering in its wake.” and I liked San Francisco Chronicle‘s blurb: “Kim illuminates the emotional bear-traps and intricate dishonesties of our everyday interactions with a clarity that should be more painful than it is.”

L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...

[Chi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this a bit "meh", I guess? What I liked were the conversations that Derek has with his friends, but I felt let down by the ending.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Meet Simon and Nancy and the memories that haunt them" says the inside flap of "Same Difference." It's not the most accurate or compelling tagline. We are meeting the memories that haunt Simon to a degree. Really we're watching Simon and Nancy consider the state of their lives, and the consequences of their actions, past and present, with perhaps a bit more concern for themselves than for the people who they've harmed. But that's part of the charm of this book. We get to see our "disaffected" young-adult protagonists process through things with lively banter, that is at times genuinely curious, charmingly anguished and at times comically and perhaps a little frustratingly self-absorbed.

The first few pages are fantastic and drew me in completely. In the first panel, which takes up nearly half the page and sets the scene on many levels, we see the outside of a Vietnamese restaurant, the awning has the name of the restaurant and the name of the city: Oakland. In the second panel, half the size of the first, but still taking up the whole width of the page, we see Simon, Nancy and Ian having a conversation and the perspective is such that it's as if we're looking at them from the other side of a fish tank, or from the inside. It's very smart, not only because of the visual effect of seeing their faces beyond the bodies of some seriously messed-up fish, but also because it really puts us in the restaurant with them, listening in on their conversation. Or it puts is in the tank, and Nancy even comments about how great it would be to be one of those fish and get to overhear what everyone in the restaurant is talking about. "Love stories, fights, jokes, break-up conversations." It's a compelling and I would say masterful opening.

And now for a bit of mild complaining. The beautifully drawn and drawn-out restaurant scene does a lot of work in terms of setting up the rest of the story, but it would have made more sense in a longer book. It set up the expectation, at least in my experience, that the narrative would come full circle somehow, but we never return to the restaurant and we don't meet Ian again. Which makes me hope for a sequel, because he was a great character, but in "same difference" he's not a necessary one, and therefore his presence is somewhat distracting.

"Same Difference" is a slip of a book, and sometimes a story is simply over and that is why it ends. My sense is the novel could have been a bit more robust, patient and mature and still held onto its aesthetic identity. That said, the characters are great, it's a nice mini adult-coming of age story complete with a very mini road trip, but a great one nonetheless. I highly recommend it and look forward to more work by Derek Kirk Kim.

[Stefany]

This graphic novel reminded me the most of Ghost World by Daniel Clowes because the plot is sort of similar; in this graphic novel the main character, Simon, and his best friend Nancy travel to Simon’s home town to ‘stalk’ a man that has been sending letters of unrequited love to Nancy’s apartment addressed to someone named Sarah. While this plot is what slowly moves the novel along the main focus is more introverted. The characters learn about themselves in during this experience and the lesson that they learn is one that will appeal to a variety of different readers. This novel would be great for high school readers that are interested in graphic novels. The art and panels of this novel are done in a way that allows the reader to flow through this book; also, none of the panels are difficult to understand in their layout, so this novel will work well for those that aren’t use to the genre.

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same Difference gives a peek into the day-to-day lives of a group of Korean 20 somethings attempting to make their way in the world. It isn't a huge story that knocks you over the head with a moralistic idea- instead it allows readers to glimpse the fears, insecurities, desires and humor of the characters. Kim allows his characters to be seen at their worst, in one case literally on the toilet. We join them as they drift into reverie listening to Tom Waits 'I Don't Wanna Grow Up' and see how they respond to being forcefully reunited with old high school classmates.

I recommend this title for all graphic novel readers. Parents may want to view it before sharing it with kids under high school age as it does have adult themes. Derek Kirk Kim's mastery of illustration is evidenced not only by the variety of scenery but by the expressive quality of his characters. Poetic, funny, smart and simple, Same Difference is graphic novel as art.

[Ethan Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The awkwardness and lack of surety really resonated with me. I graduated high school six and a half years ago, and going back to my home town still inevitably brings back memories, regrets, and questions of what I'm doing and where I'm going. This was more true before I got married, but even now I still feel like Simon when I'm home, running in to people from high school working at fast food places or Wal-Mart and wondering how different my life could have turned out if I had made different decisions.

The book explores questions of honesty, especially being honest with ourselves. It's crude, unfiltered, and reflects parts of us that we may not want to recognize. If you read this, you may discover some new things about yourself.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great artwork and an honest, absorbing story.

The characters have the same conversations every 20-something eventually has with their friends, and their struggles and emotions feel authentic for people in their 'quarter-life crisis' stage.

Honestly, my biggest complaint is that I wish the book was longer. I liked Simon and Nancy and would have liked to learn more about them.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel, the art was wonderful and it reminded me of my childhood because I grew up in a small California town (though this primarily takes place in Oakland). A lovely story about life and expectations and regrets. I just wanted more from it, but I still really enjoyed it.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was great but I didn't connect well with the main characters. Also, I didn't get the pop culture references. I wanted to like this because it's in northern California and features twentysomething Asian Americans, but it just didn't enchant me. ?

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a pretty solid crush on Derek Kirk Kim now. Loved the dialogue in this, the friendships, the reflection on new adulthood, and how the dramatic conflicts were treated so gently and with the exact right dose of sentimentality.

[Jennifer Weibel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Kim's drawing style and his quirky sense of humor. The plot, however, was shallow and predictable. I think I'm just too old for this book - it seemed light and sophmoric.

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't connect with this one. The illustrations are great; I very much enjoyed those. I'm just sad to say that the story didn't capture my attention the way I wished it had.

[Jonathan Hiskes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A California dude wrestles with his high-school guilt. Is there anyone who doesn't know that story? Gene Luen Yang raved about this book by his friend, and rightly so.