Escape from "Special"

by Miss Lasko-Gross

by Miss Lask-Gross
Escape From Special is the coming-of-age story of Melissa, who we first meet as a small child and depart from at the end of the book just before she enters high school. Drawn in black and white and washed in moody blues and full spectrum grays, Lasko-Gross's art, with its detailed backgrounds and expressive, clean-line characters, exquisitely conveys the story's blend of humor (sometimes of the gross-out variety) and keenly observed insights. Miss Lasko-Gross, who has the sensibility of a love child of Linda Barry and David B. midwifed by Judy Blume, has created a graphic novel that should appeal not only to the growing readers of graphic novels, but to teens grappling with similar unresolved questions.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Sequential Art

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Born Boston Massachusetts 1977
B.F.A in Communication Design, Pratt Institute

Books

Fantagraphics Books: Escape From "Special" nominated for YALSA's 2008 Great Graphic Novels.
Fantagraphics Books: A Mess Of Everything
Comixology: Miss Lasko-Gross Some Short Stories 1994-2014 (http://cmxl.gy/1jRExGt)
Z2:HENNI nominated for YALSA 2015 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

Contributions / shows
Smith Magazine: Next Door Neighbor series
New Museum of Contemporary Art Alt.Youth.Media show
CBGB's Gallery
Indie spinner Rack: Awesome 2 Awesomer
Screw Magazine
House of Twelve #3, #4 & #5
True Porn 2
Mauled
Friends of LuLu: Girl's Guide to Guys Stuff
Friends of LuLu: Broad Appeal
House of Twelve: Heavy Metal
House of Twelve: Roshomon
Forbidden Zone
Cow
Don't Shoot it's Only Comics
The Blank Collective

Series'

Cryptic press' Aim Comics 1993-2001

Minis
Red (cover) 2006
Lefty 2004
Nine hours to Durham 2005

Reviews

[Dov Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of semi-autographical comics starts with Melissa as a six-year-old frustrated that she can't remember her birth and therefore can't know for sure that her mother is her birth mother as opposed to, for example, someone who kidnapped her. She becomes aware at that moment of the limits and complexity of memory and therefore of narrative. She wants desperately to hold on to this moment of awareness, to reassure herself that in six years she'll remember this day. This kind of existential and social anxiety informs a lot of the humor and action in this book. Melissa as a character is smart, eccentric, funny, awkward, wary of people's motivations, frustrated with the hypocrisy and injustice she sees around her, and ultimately unable to make peace with the codes of conduct that rule her school and home environments.

This is a solidly good book that perhaps could have been great in a slightly different format. Or perhaps the fault is mine as a reader. The comics come close to building up into a something of a graphic memoir (as opposed to collection of comics), but don't quite get there. And while Melissa's insight is compelling and engaging, it's not always explored to a satisfying depth.

The comics move chronologically as well as episodically, each comic with its own title, story arc and atmosphere. The art is rich, expressive, makes great use of setting and architecture. There is a lot of repetition in terms of what Melissa is feeling and the situations she gets into, which on its own isn't necessarily a 'weakness' but leaves this book in a bit of a liminal place between graphic memoir and collection of shorts.

Throughout the book, Melissa roams (and is tossed as on a ship in a storm) from school to school, goes on tour with her parents' band, visits her grandparents, attends religious school, goes to a therapist, goes to summer camp...In each place, she searches for truth and understanding. Often she's on the lookout for her people and struggles to find a sense of social belonging while also staying true to herself. By the last comic, "Saving Myself", it's the summer before high school and her 'friends' are being unkind and she's feeling rejected and then she has an epiphany that gives the book some shape and overall narrativ weight, but perhaps not enough.

This book is uneven and I have mixed feelings about it, but I'm grateful for a graphic-memoirish voice which is in some ways refreshing. A sharp-wited, comically philosophical, sometimes anti-heroic female character. At the same time, this work falls pretty squarely into a growing tradition of Jewish female graphic artists writing confessional, self-deprecating, often somewhat grotesque memoir-ish strips with Aline Kominsky-Crumb perhaps as the foremother. (Vanessa Davis, Anya Ulinich, Ariel Schrag, Lauren Weinstein, Laurie Sandell...) and also in the tradition of Lynda Barry, though not as narratively driven.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book a lot more than I actually did, especially since it was described as a cross between David B., Lynda Barry & Judy Blume. And since I related to so much in it---the trouble with female friendships, not fitting in at school and everywhere else, the idea of escape (and I loved that for her it was through comics and horror movies, which matched my experience but not that of many girls I knew....and the escape into horror movies is something I have rarely encountered in a semi-autobiographical from a female POV work like this and something I'd like to see explored a lot more than the few panels actually devoted to it).

Lasko-Gross possesses a fairly unique art style---it's very atmospheric and expressive, perfect for capturing Melissa's angst. I loved that there were also such awkwardly authentic moments that seemed like they could have been written straight out of my adolescence, like her well-meaning parents inviting a lot of people she was no longer friends with over for a birthday party. This to me was delving a little deeper than some other teenage loner stuff I have seen and one of the strongest scenes in the book.

And now for the bad-cop stuff: overall I found the story a little jarring and disjointed. Most of Melissa's vignettes were only 2 or 3 pages long and so disconnected from each other and jumpy in such a way that I felt like I couldn't live with Melissa in any moment long enough to get to know her as well as I wanted to. I also felt like there was a little too much telling and not enough showing. Another reviewer pointed out that there were too many panels, especially toward the end, with just Melissa's talking head and her her thoughts being broadcast, and I have to agree with this sentiment.

Overall, though, I am really glad Lasko-Gross has animated this teenage girl who is pretty unique among outcasts and look forward to reading her other books.

[Sooraya Evans · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another pointless semi-autobio graphic memoir about an angry kid.
Disjointed story flow with artwork quality that's somewhat inconsistent throughout.
Not fun at all :(

[Hannah Garden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first work I've read by this comixer and she is real damn hell ass cool. Her art totally creeps under your fingernails and the character is someone I would have smoked behind the school with back in the 90s when we were teeny little alternateens.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked both the art (which reminded me of a warmer, less grotesque Howard Cruse), and the story (which reminded me of a slightly more current but less playful Lynda Barry).

But something, maybe the short episodic structure - most vignettes are only two or three pages - kept me from feeling fully engaged.

[Raina · Rating 2 out of 5]

One more semi-autobiographical graphic novel telling of the author's childhood as an other. I'm still feeling a bit conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I liked the illustration style - instead of the spare drawings I usually enjoy, this is rich illustration. And I found the author's childhood fascinating - she keeps switching schools, seems to be raised by hippies, and has trouble reading. She's constantly torn between hating/disdaining the other kids at school, and wanting to be accepted by them (something I think everyone deals with).
But I wanted more analysis. More narration and exposition. Maybe I'm too much of a modernist, but I wanted to know more about her parents, why she changed schools all those times - I guess a little bit of an adult perspective on her experiences. The story is told in extremely disconnected vignettes which I suspect were released in newspapers or something similar. I think they're roughly chronological, but it was hard to tell. I wasn't even sure how old she was in many of the snatches. I'm intrigued to read the second volume of Lasko-Gross' work to see if her storytelling style changes at all.
I may have to sit on this one for a while.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read despite it's sometimes heavy subject manner, Escape from "Special" contains a series of semi-autobiographical vignettes. The topics are nothing new in the vast world of stories about "weird" kids: a child not fitting in, her parents trying to do what's best (but not always succeeding), and the struggle to become comfortable with oneself. There's not really an ongoing plot, either, so when I finished reading I couldn't help but wonder if there was any real point.

Still, Escape from "Special" is an enjoyable little graphic novel for the reader that's more interested in character and style than plot (as I am). The art style is not what I tend to expect from graphic novels and suits the often confusing and difficult experiences in the lead, Melissa's, life without overwhelming the reader. Melissa herself is also a lovable lead: her little quirks and unique ways of thinking make the book feel very real, not to mention more easy to relate to than your average coming-of-age story.

I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an episodic book, composed of stories mostly two to four pages in length -- the longest one is eleven pages -- but it reads cohesively and even "novelistic." We get to see Melissa, the protagonist, develop from a little girl into a junior high student. (The last stories end right before she begins high school.) So in this way, there's a progressive arrangement to the stories, and in many cases, one context in a strip will have been set up or referenced in the previous. While some might read this as memoir-like, there are enough of fictional elements (at least it seems that way to me) to give the book more flavor. Lasko-Gross's illustration style is the highlight of the book, as it captures the attitudes, frustrations, and whimsical nature of Melissa.

[Gphatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this - the art is great, and varies well, depending on the emotional state of the lead character. The breadth of the "story" is grand -- from earliest childhood memories up to late teen. And the vignettes are often very poignant and moving.
But it doesn't read like a story, and that's what is throwing me off a little. There is no real arc, not discernible from the text or the art (though arguably, this does cover her early childhood and teen years). No traditional narrative. And I missed that.
It is very well realized, and I imagine that many folks will identify with the real emotions and details in the little passages. But because it feels like a collection of very short newspaper strips, I never got the satisfaction that a good long story can provide.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short vignettes about how the author was misunderstood by those around her when she was growing up. Each vignette only runs an average of three or four pages though, so there's not enough room for us to feel her angst. Instead she tells us about her angst. The longest pieces towards the end seem to almost totally consist of the main character sitting and thinking to herself about how she longs to fit in but hates those she longs to fit in with in panel after panel of the protagonist sitting there with thought balloons over her head. Would have been nice to see the stories find a happy medium of introspection and dramatization. And of length.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

[review for A Mess of Everything and Escape from Special]
I wish I'd reviewed this closer to when I read it because I don't remember a lot of details but I remember it resonating with me: the feeling of being just a little off, all the time. Not quite fitting in, not quite happy enough, but not necessarily in crisis. Henni is one of my favorite all-time comics, so I was happy to get a little bit of insight into the mind of its creator (I know this is not strictly autobiographical).

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars - uncomfortably close to my own awkward teenage years. The last 10 pages are the best of the collection and really convey the awfulness of girls that age. I don't miss it, but it feels good to laugh at it now.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of Miss Lasko-Gross’ graphic novel, “Escape From ‘Special’,” makes it seem like it’s some sort of action-packed adventure comic. Rather, it’s a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age memoir, a comics sub-genre that seems to have reached a point of over-saturation in recent years. “Escape From ‘Special’” stands out from its peers, though. With extra-dry humor, whip-smart snark, and a fearless willingness to piss people off, this comic proves that adolescence can be a dangerous adventure in its own right.

Told in a series of brief and somewhat disjointed comics, “Escape From ‘Special’” follows Melissa as she blunders her way through the typical rites-of-passage of growing up: making friends, fighting with those friends, being ostracized for her weird behavior, questioning her religious upbringing, etc. Part unrepentant truth-teller, part bratty little sister, and part freewheeling geek, Melissa is as endearing as she is irritating, but she’s nearly impossible to ignore. Even if you want to slap her sometimes, you can’t help but root for her to get her shit together. Lasko-Gross’ writing and art has a sloppy, almost amateurish tone but, if you look a bit closer, you’ll see that this easygoing approach masks an expert’s confidence and talent. Much like Melissa, Lasko-Gross’ “I-don’t-give-a-fuck” style is in-your-face and perfect for the subject matter.

Being an adolescent sucks. Too many coming-of-age comics tend to sugarcoat that fact, written and drawn through a nostalgic “it gets better” lens that loses sight of the daily trials and humiliations of being a kid. Not “Escape From ‘Special’.” It’s a brutally honest memoir that dares to admit that, more often than not, growing up is a battle that you don’t always win, but weird kids make for the most interesting adults.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! I think I saw this cover a while ago but never picked it up. I re learned about it because it was mentioned in a non fiction book I want to read but haven't yet called "'How come boys get to keep their noses?' : women and Jewish American identity in contemporary graphic memoirs." I'm very excited to read that.

Funny, like actually laughing out loud, sometimes very sad, this book I'm actually reviewing follows young Melissa through a series of short vignettes as she navigates teenagerhood as a Jewish girl. Really funny and poignant. Definitely recommended. I'm going to check out her other comics too! :)

[Salty Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Semi-autobiographical graphic novel that looks at the chaotic childhood of Miss Lasko-Gross. Through tumultous growth spurts, multiple friendships, camps, school challenges and family events, the author struggles to find her true self. Best part is, through her twisted and bursting originality, the author comes up with some deeply incisive, anxiety-filled and hilarious snippets of her growing pains.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art style in this one. It is unconventional, not mainstream, whatever. I know there are probably some critics who are dicks about it even, but I liked it 🕺🏻

The stories were really short, but I admire how the stories have a clear ending or punchline in only a few pages. It works well.

It was worth reading.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings. This book captures so well a specific young feminine rage, horror, and awkwardness that it was hard for me to read in parts. The artwork evolves through the book as the character grows older. I wanted to like this more than I did.

[Vi · Rating 2 out of 5]

super super angry kid

[Matthew Noe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few of the stories really hit home for me, others fell flat. A couple of them are graphic medicine.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed more to pull it together, as is it is disjointed.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after my 11-year-old granddaughter insisted that I do so. I liked it! Parts of it reminded me of thoughts and experiences I had about parents and friends as I was growing up. So much of what we learn and are told is quite arbitrary and contradictory, depending on who is telling you at a given time. Having learning difficulties, as Melissa does initially, means that a kid will be laughed at and made fun of. Being smart and getting better grades than others means that a kid will be teased for being a "brain" and encouraged to cheat to help others. There are many situations presented which are a result of modern technology and social changes, but the struggles are the same.

[Margot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anger, rage, and the confusion and frustration that inevitably results from the endless, fruitless compulsion to fit in. Early on (at 6 years old), Melissa is horrified to realize that she can't remember her own birth, and decides that she much sear every important memory onto her brain. I remember having these same thoughts as a child, when I would narrate my life to myself. I always assumed I would remember the narrative at a later date and write it down, but Lasko-Gross actually followed through with her convictions and created these works of art.

Melissa's problems mostly stem from her inability to fit into a round hole as a square peg--she doesn't conform to the factory output expected from the standard school curriculum, and suffers dire consequences because of it, mostly emotional. Since her teachers and school administration can't figure out where to put her, she gets put into a special school, and when that doesn't work out, she gets put into special classes at public school. She waffles between attempts to belong to the crowd, and equally failed attempts to give up all hope, and not care about others' opinions. (pg 152: "Ugh why do I even care?" pg 157: "Nobody fucking gets me!" and in closing pg 174 "I really Don't care what they think. How about that?")

This first book trails Melissa through the drudgery of elementary and middle school, with all the misery, whimsy, and occasional humor she can muster. The overwhelming darkness of the artwork matches well with Melissa's experiences, where hope never seems to pan out.

[Arminzerella · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Melissa’s semi-autobiographical story of her childhood years – growing up Jewish, free (as in raised by hippie parents), alternatively schooled (at least for awhile), and strange. She’s the dark outcast with the weird ideas who never seems to know the latest trends or fit in anywhere. She has difficulty learning, then surpasses her peers, who hate her for being stupid and then for being smart. Melissa can’t win. Eventually, though, it stops mattering to her – they stop mattering, and what they think of her stops mattering. Melissa, finally unfettered by caring, has this revelation and falls asleep with a smile on her face.

Melissa tells her story through a series of vignettes. This makes it a pretty quick read/visual experience. Melissa is dark and strange, and the artwork and scenes that Miss Lasko-Gross chooses to relate in this graphic novel are similarly dark and strange – a good pairing. It felt a little disjointed at times, just because you have to glean all of what you know of Melissa from these snapshots of her life. It might have helped a bit to have her come out and give us some details, as a narration or a soliloquy. Miss Lasko-Gross has written a sequel, so it should be interesting to see if Melissa’s inner strength perseveres.

[Potassium · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Melissa who grows up "different" or "special" (in her words) compared to everyone else and then tries to fit in with the "normal" crowd. It takes her the whole book to learn that she doesn't have to try to fit in. If she doesn't fit in, maybe she doesn't have the right friends.
Ahhhhh the meanness of middle school girls. Poor Melissa. It sucks growing up/being different from the people you want to be friends with. I feel like we all have struggled with this feeling at one time of another. This book was fun to read mostly because of Melissa's dark humor and angsty cartoons. The book was written in a series of vignettes. Most of the little "chapters" only lasted 2 or 3 pages and then completely changed subject. In a way, I thought it was a nice break from the norm and it shows Melissa's inability to fit in/her view of herself from all different angles. But I was also sad because I felt like it didn't really introduce me to any of the other characters (her parents, her friends, her little sister). The same friend kept popping up and I had no idea who she was each time.

[Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

True tales of a childhood saturated in depression and anger - Not an uncommon subject in the comic/graphic memoir genre.

Part One of a trilogy. Part Two - A Mess Of Everything, covering the high school years, was recently released and has received good reviews. After reading Part One and knowing the general difficulties of the teen years, I don't expect much of an escape from the darkness for the main character- Melissa.

I almost would like to wait until the trilogy is complete before rating this book. I would hope Melissa is able to find a way to thrive or to at least move away from the aggression and self-loathing. A genuine story of positive growth would be a gift to this genre and its teen/young adult readers.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you're a kid, being labeled as special is not necessarily a good thing. In Melissa's case, it means that other kids don't like her much and teachers think that she doesn't understand anything. Her outspokenness and eccentric ways are often misunderstood as she struggles to fit in. Blocky black and white illustrations give this semi-autobiographical comic a homemade feel, as it describes the author's childhood as somewhat harsh but with moments of occassional joy. Fans of Lynda Barry's cartooning as well as those who enjoy memoirs of childhood will enjoy this read: Escape from Special by Miss Lasko-Gross

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

there are some moments in here that show things that are cringeworthy for an adult in hindsight, but that are true to callow youth - using the word "retard", depicting the thought of a stereotypical African photo spread for National Geographic. It doesn't diminish how raw the struggle is for Melissa to deal with being "special", which often just means feeling wrong and weird. It's told in vignettes that add up to a larger picture of her childhood and adolescence, which is how growing up can feel - long stretches of nothing punctuated by piercing moments that you'll remember (or quotidian moments that for some reason never leave you).

[Nat Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep reading! at first, I was not feeling it, but then at turns it was quite moving and had some moments of breaking and thinking. Overall, the misfit narrative always speaks to me, so wait it out, it gets better and I can't wait to see more of her work. It's bound to carry the same projection of improvements and vignet gold. reminds of times when I wish I could have said what I wanted instead of just thinking it. I like to think these were not similar and were in fact truths. misfits are my family, and this book is like a reunion.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dang! I read this book a few weeks ago, and now I can't remember what exactly the back of the book said that I wanted to quote.

This is a coming-of-age story, at least semi-autobiographical, told in comic book form. It is about a girl who ends up being an outcast, mostly because she doesn't feel it necessary to go through the trouble of trying to fit in with her peers. It is both heartbreaking and lovely. I liked that it didn't sugar-coat the main character's life and experiences but went ahead and 'fessed up to the brutality that kids often subject each other to.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in one day, in about an hour. The drawings are cool and have a dark twisted look, but I found the stories to be too short with no real depth. I would often find myself thinking, "What was she trying to say? Or “What was the point of that?" There was no real clear message in many of the stories, maybe because they lasted about two pages. The stories did start to pick up and get more detailed and interesting at the end and I liked her overall message of embracing your awkwardness. Worth reading if you have a spare hour in your life.