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New York Four #1
The New York Four
Riley, a shy straight-A student, struggles to balance her first year of college with new friends, a reunion with her estranged sister, and a secret virtual relationship that begins to consume her time, attention, and energy.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
7 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
About the author
Brian Wood
1,173 books962 followersBrian Wood's history of published work includes over fifty volumes of genre-spanning original material.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
January 10, 2010
For the sake of a second star, I'm going to assume that New York Four was intended to be a multi-volume series, and that the characters were left hanging because DC Comics' Minx line closed, and not because the author and artist intended them to be stuck in plotline limbo forever. This was a short graphic novel that introduced four storylines (some introduced more halfheartedly than others) and only came close to resolving a few of their plot points. Main character Riley suffers from what we shall call Stephen Chbosky Character Syndrome (for the author of my least-favorite YA novel) in that we're told over and over that she's quiet and introverted -- and yet, her life as a college freshman in New York City is filled to the brim with people who want to know her. From the girls she meets serendipitously in a coffee shop who become her friends and future roommates, to her formerly estranged older sister who makes it her mission to take Riley to shows and parties, to her mysterious "secret boyfriend" whom she texts from morning to night, she manages to pick up a fairly enviable social life (for an 18-year-old, at least) without any real effort on her part.
Also, I had trouble believing in the four girls' friendship. They meet because they share several classes at NYU, and Riley steps into their circle by helping them find part-time jobs as standardized-test beta-testers (really!) and also by dangling the prospect of an apartment sublet in front of them. We see no real evidence of shared interests or bonding, but we're supposed to believe that they're an inseparable foursome by the second part of the story. Poor Riley -- maybe she doesn't actually have an enviable social life after all, seeing as these girls might just be hanging around because she can help them get an apartment. I dunno. There's not enough nuance to suggest one way or the other.
The only real nuance attempted here, as far as I could tell, was an undercurrent of "New York is cool, and so am I" coming from the author. We get references to Le Tigre, The Shins, PJ Harvey, and Cat Power (the last chapter is called "What Would The Community Think?" The sort of title that doesn't really mean anything on its own, and could have been easily replaced by something that made more sense in the context of the story. But -- no! The author went with the title of a Cat Power album, for the sake of... what? A reference, that's all. Not a clever one, not one that fits. Just a "hey, I know about Cat Power, and maybe you do too!" reference.)
(Unless maybe he was trying to subtly refer to the late 90s - early 00s Cat Power, who frequently canceled her shows, or showed up drunk and left the stage early. Maybe this was his way of saying, "Sorry, I know this book is the graphic novel version of a 2001 Cat Power show, but I'll be back with something better. Promise!")
(Okay, maybe not.)
There are also these weird little author-intrusion boxes anytime a new scene of New York is shown. For example, on a page about Washington Square Park: "(NY 101: If anyone here tries to sell you something, trust me, they're shady and you don't want what they got.) The park was ground zero for the 1960's counterculture movement, and is now the unofficial NYU campus quad. Forty years ago you could have sat here next to Bob Dylan or Jim Morrison (google them)."
Is the "google them" serious? Or is it poking fun at the idea that you might not actually know who they are? I sat there staring at it, mentally capitalizing the "g" in the copy, and wondering what was being implied there.
Also, I had trouble believing in the four girls' friendship. They meet because they share several classes at NYU, and Riley steps into their circle by helping them find part-time jobs as standardized-test beta-testers (really!) and also by dangling the prospect of an apartment sublet in front of them. We see no real evidence of shared interests or bonding, but we're supposed to believe that they're an inseparable foursome by the second part of the story. Poor Riley -- maybe she doesn't actually have an enviable social life after all, seeing as these girls might just be hanging around because she can help them get an apartment. I dunno. There's not enough nuance to suggest one way or the other.
The only real nuance attempted here, as far as I could tell, was an undercurrent of "New York is cool, and so am I" coming from the author. We get references to Le Tigre, The Shins, PJ Harvey, and Cat Power (the last chapter is called "What Would The Community Think?" The sort of title that doesn't really mean anything on its own, and could have been easily replaced by something that made more sense in the context of the story. But -- no! The author went with the title of a Cat Power album, for the sake of... what? A reference, that's all. Not a clever one, not one that fits. Just a "hey, I know about Cat Power, and maybe you do too!" reference.)
(Unless maybe he was trying to subtly refer to the late 90s - early 00s Cat Power, who frequently canceled her shows, or showed up drunk and left the stage early. Maybe this was his way of saying, "Sorry, I know this book is the graphic novel version of a 2001 Cat Power show, but I'll be back with something better. Promise!")
(Okay, maybe not.)
There are also these weird little author-intrusion boxes anytime a new scene of New York is shown. For example, on a page about Washington Square Park: "(NY 101: If anyone here tries to sell you something, trust me, they're shady and you don't want what they got.) The park was ground zero for the 1960's counterculture movement, and is now the unofficial NYU campus quad. Forty years ago you could have sat here next to Bob Dylan or Jim Morrison (google them)."
Is the "google them" serious? Or is it poking fun at the idea that you might not actually know who they are? I sat there staring at it, mentally capitalizing the "g" in the copy, and wondering what was being implied there.
May 8, 2023
These ladies seem to have profound lives, more full than the actual plot that is basically the problems of a cellphone obsessed younger woman. She suffers being thought of as an asshole--and a girl in trouble with her friends but still the star player of the group, this is the stuff that whole episodes of, say, Sex and the City for instance, would maybe one episode to the "oh-oh "of going to college and being an adult, which of course you ARE NOT at 18. And so, I would like to say that I want more episodes! One ain't enough Mr. Kelly!
August 23, 2011
The main character is Shy. Then all of a sudden she makes friends with three girls who each have one-dimensional personalities. There’s the Slutty one, the Tomboy, and the Freaky one. They’re all freshmen at NYU, living in the greatest city in the world, and nothing fucking happens. It reads like a long episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation. (Yes, I still watch it, and can’t help myself.) But if it were a Degrassi episode, something would have actually happened. Someone would have died or gotten pregnant or become addicted to drugs. Ryan Kelly’s artwork is gorgeous as always, but the “story”, if you can call it that, is lame. Shy girl meets a sketchy guy. Slutty girl flirts with whoever’s around. Tomboy rides a skateboard once. Freaky girl stands around looking freaky. That’s it. Nothing ever comes of their one-dimensional personalities. Slut, Tomboy, and Freak don’t even get their own subplots. They’re just there to make Shy girl look extra shy by comparison.
April 9, 2021
The author includes some recommendations about cool places in New York. I wish I could confirm anything he says. Then again, it's likely not my scene. The story follows a group of friends who attend NYU together. They know the city well and they each have their quirks, thoigh there is little time to explore them properly. After reaing thi volume, I realised that fictional college kids are no better than fictional high-schoolers, so expect the same angst, life choices that lead nowhere, harsh talks with parents... ugh, relationships. The focus is less on events and more on the protagonists, a choice which is a two-edged sword. I know it bores me, but may appeal to others.
March 13, 2015
This is another one of the graphic novels I won from bookriot.com on their giveaway for comic book day.
This is the story of a young college age woman in NYC learning about life for the first time. She ends up with a virtual boyfriend, a few in-the-flesh friends, and an older sister she's just getting to know.
There's more to come; not sure if I would pursue reading a sequel, but I was intrigued by the tantalizing clues about the photographer roommate.
And, I realize this is 2008. People still had cell phones, even if it wasn't the current latest and greatest smartphone. So why is it only Riley has a cell phone (a Blackberry, it looks like) and is the only one texting??? Everyone seems to think she's so rude as she's glued to her phone, but people have been texting for quite awhile now. Would it really be true she'd be the only freshman in NYC to carry a cell phone and text all the time?
I did like the NYC 101 tidbits about the city. They were great.
This is the story of a young college age woman in NYC learning about life for the first time. She ends up with a virtual boyfriend, a few in-the-flesh friends, and an older sister she's just getting to know.
There's more to come; not sure if I would pursue reading a sequel, but I was intrigued by the tantalizing clues about the photographer roommate.
And, I realize this is 2008. People still had cell phones, even if it wasn't the current latest and greatest smartphone. So why is it only Riley has a cell phone (a Blackberry, it looks like) and is the only one texting??? Everyone seems to think she's so rude as she's glued to her phone, but people have been texting for quite awhile now. Would it really be true she'd be the only freshman in NYC to carry a cell phone and text all the time?
I did like the NYC 101 tidbits about the city. They were great.
October 18, 2018
This was the last of the Minx titles I had left to read, and it was kind of a letdown. The tone was all there, but the plot wasn't. The title seems to indicate the main characters are a unit, but they become "friends" for no reason, and most of the plot is about Riley's other relationships, which are entirely unresolved by the end of the book. The "therapy interviews to keep the focus-group job" thing never went anywhere either or had any significance except giving the characters a chance to monologue, which could've been done with narration bubbles or talking to each other or whatever. I really liked the characters, I just wish the book had lived up to itself.
August 26, 2023
Good story with an interesting twist.
May 23, 2025
3.74
Good enough for me to seek out more
Not good enough to be top of the year
Good enough for me to seek out more
Not good enough to be top of the year
March 19, 2019
Perhaps spend more time actually developing your characters instead of ogling New York City at every other turn of the page. I don't care where your favorite place is to get coffee, explain to me why I'm supposed to believe any these characters have connections/depth, let alone like them.
March 9, 2014
I didn't hate it. But I'm not sure that Wood and Kelly manage to really evoke the post-high school, cool in the city feeling of being on one's own. Part of the problem is that much of the story needs to revolve around Riley's relationships, but she goes 'missing' much of the time so the story doesn't really make it to the page. Her fellow classmates are not represented as being whole characters, but odd (and usually bad) amalgams of clichés.
Still, the art looked good. Wood's insertions of his opinions of Manhattan (as someone who doesn't live in New York, I am forever at a loss as to why that's the only borough that gets to claim to be the city) serve as a great device to further acquaint the reader with the mentality of an adolescent approaching adulthood. The dysfunctions seem to make sense within the framework of the story, even if there needs to be much more going on with why the Wilders abandoned their eldest child.
What doesn't work is this notion that Riley gets all messed up with her relationship, misses much of her classes (and assigned outings), and still manages excellent grades. It just doesn't work. Because I have kind of (depending on how one defines a relationship) lived that. Missing a lot of classes leads to not really passing those classes. Because if you cannot bring yourself to be present for class, you are not going to do the outside work.
Riley should be in much worse shape than she is at the end of the book. But I guess that is the difference between fiction and reality. Or maybe just the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Still, the art looked good. Wood's insertions of his opinions of Manhattan (as someone who doesn't live in New York, I am forever at a loss as to why that's the only borough that gets to claim to be the city) serve as a great device to further acquaint the reader with the mentality of an adolescent approaching adulthood. The dysfunctions seem to make sense within the framework of the story, even if there needs to be much more going on with why the Wilders abandoned their eldest child.
What doesn't work is this notion that Riley gets all messed up with her relationship, misses much of her classes (and assigned outings), and still manages excellent grades. It just doesn't work. Because I have kind of (depending on how one defines a relationship) lived that. Missing a lot of classes leads to not really passing those classes. Because if you cannot bring yourself to be present for class, you are not going to do the outside work.
Riley should be in much worse shape than she is at the end of the book. But I guess that is the difference between fiction and reality. Or maybe just the 20th and 21st Centuries.
July 9, 2018
Brian Wood has been a writer I went from not really enjoying to loving most of his work. Then I heard about this, by the same team that did "Local" and I HAD to check it out.
So this is about four girls first year in college. However, it's mostly focused on just one girl, Riley, and her quest to break out into the real world. When she meets these four friends, they all work at the same place, and they KIND of become buddies but the real story is Riley and her obsession with her phone, texting, and then meeting a guy. This all comes to a twisty twist that you probably can see coming.
Good: I liked Riley and most of the other girls. Sure, a little one-dimensional but they all had their own quirks to make them interesting. I thought the pacing was solid and was never really bored throughout. The twist was pretty creepy and the ending shot even more so.
Bad: It's kind of a slice of life story but without any big "oh whoa" moments. It's on the edge of being kind of boring at times. I also thought the sister was a little "crazy" for the sake of it.
Overall a fun little story that I think could have been stronger. Better for younger teens, they will enjoy it, but Local is a much more powerful story IMO. A 3 out of 5 for this one.
So this is about four girls first year in college. However, it's mostly focused on just one girl, Riley, and her quest to break out into the real world. When she meets these four friends, they all work at the same place, and they KIND of become buddies but the real story is Riley and her obsession with her phone, texting, and then meeting a guy. This all comes to a twisty twist that you probably can see coming.
Good: I liked Riley and most of the other girls. Sure, a little one-dimensional but they all had their own quirks to make them interesting. I thought the pacing was solid and was never really bored throughout. The twist was pretty creepy and the ending shot even more so.
Bad: It's kind of a slice of life story but without any big "oh whoa" moments. It's on the edge of being kind of boring at times. I also thought the sister was a little "crazy" for the sake of it.
Overall a fun little story that I think could have been stronger. Better for younger teens, they will enjoy it, but Local is a much more powerful story IMO. A 3 out of 5 for this one.
May 20, 2015
Another great Minx imprint book (Which I just realized is owned by DC so... don't know whether to be sad this is all some giant company rather than scrappy indy imprint, or glad that these often-indy creators are getting the backing/visibility of a major publisher..).
cool college-aged coming-of-age story of protagonist trying to make real-world (as opposed to virtual text-only) friends... Sexy line art and detailed cityscapes from Ryan Kelly, who I associate with Wood (though clearly erroneously) but who is actually one of the artists from Lucifer, which was one of my faves from back in the day.
Great framing as a stand alone story, but with enough dangling plots and unexplored threads to lead into another volume... which I would look forward to tracking down when it appears.
cool college-aged coming-of-age story of protagonist trying to make real-world (as opposed to virtual text-only) friends... Sexy line art and detailed cityscapes from Ryan Kelly, who I associate with Wood (though clearly erroneously) but who is actually one of the artists from Lucifer, which was one of my faves from back in the day.
Great framing as a stand alone story, but with enough dangling plots and unexplored threads to lead into another volume... which I would look forward to tracking down when it appears.
September 10, 2008
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I've enjoyed other Minx titles (my favorite thus far is Re-Gifters, and my least favorite was Clubbing...sadly, since I really love Andi Watson generally.)
Great art, good solid story, although it's crying out for a sequel (hopefully one is planned!?). I did enjoy the focus on learning to balance your online life with your real life -- I've been known to get sucked in to online stuff a bit too much, and I had a friend who had a serious problem remembering her "live" friends over her virtual ones, so I see both sides.
Great art, good solid story, although it's crying out for a sequel (hopefully one is planned!?). I did enjoy the focus on learning to balance your online life with your real life -- I've been known to get sucked in to online stuff a bit too much, and I had a friend who had a serious problem remembering her "live" friends over her virtual ones, so I see both sides.
March 23, 2009
Minx.
Pretty standard coming of age title about a girl's first semester of college at NYU. Coolish illustration style - especially liked author's "NY 101" notes interspersed throughout with tidbits about NYC. The plot didn't really do it for me, but the characters were likable and/or interesting, and I appreciated the rich focus on setting. High school, but primarily for time-of-life issues, since the characters are in college or older. And if I were booktalking a Minx at a high school, I'd go for Emiko Superstar.
Pretty standard coming of age title about a girl's first semester of college at NYU. Coolish illustration style - especially liked author's "NY 101" notes interspersed throughout with tidbits about NYC. The plot didn't really do it for me, but the characters were likable and/or interesting, and I appreciated the rich focus on setting. High school, but primarily for time-of-life issues, since the characters are in college or older. And if I were booktalking a Minx at a high school, I'd go for Emiko Superstar.
Read
December 7, 2008A friend said that this was a "chick book" when he gave it to me. I can see that, it is a story of 4 young women in their first year of college in New York City. I enjoyed it, although the ending left me wanting a bit. It's a graphic novel, and might be a good way to get your teen to read more........ I really enjoyed the little sidebars on different areas of NY, a tiny walk down memory lane.
November 15, 2011
A sheltered girl who lives in Brooklyn but is never allowed to go into NYC, goes to college at NYU, and ends up meeting 3 other girls. Brian Wood has a way with character that in a story could turn out very mundane but he is able flush them out. If you like Brian Wood's other work like Local then you will probably like this as well as it has a very similar style.
March 21, 2012
Ok. I did not finish this book.
Once again I find myself hating this guy. This writer.
But he is so cool ~ he lives in New York,~ and name-drops trendy indie-rock bands.
(scuse me while I retch)
(New York is a cool place to live, dude, but living there does NOT make you cool!)
I honestly feel like I know this kind of hipster douche-bag,
and I hate him.
Maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder. :)
Once again I find myself hating this guy. This writer.
But he is so cool ~ he lives in New York,~ and name-drops trendy indie-rock bands.
(scuse me while I retch)
(New York is a cool place to live, dude, but living there does NOT make you cool!)
I honestly feel like I know this kind of hipster douche-bag,
and I hate him.
Maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder. :)
August 25, 2008
I have to thank B. for getting this for me.
I'm crazy about the minx books, :P yeah i know, it's such a girl thing.
Either way, Brian Wood here shows us a both a story of growing up and how sometimes you just screw up, while at the same time showing us a picture of New York not everyone sees :)
I'm crazy about the minx books, :P yeah i know, it's such a girl thing.
Either way, Brian Wood here shows us a both a story of growing up and how sometimes you just screw up, while at the same time showing us a picture of New York not everyone sees :)
March 11, 2010
A rather formulaic, brief graphic novel, with long-legged, voluptuous hot girls in college, (all drawn by a guy, naturally) who get up to various, boring stuff, including having a relationship by text. A fairly mediocre waste of 35 minutes.
February 17, 2020
Thé shocking thing about this book is that it pretty much predates smartphones. *One* character in the book has a phone (with an unlimited texting plan) and pretty much everyone calls her on the jerky way she pays more attention to the phone than to the people who are actually there, who apparently do not have phones. Who knew a dozen years ago is actually a whole different culture.
In the back of the book they were listing other books from the same publisher—it was called Minx and it seems to have been aimed at young women. It looks like Mariko Tamaki was published by Minx. It also looks like lots of their graphic novels for girls were written by guys, which somehow seems surprising now, but maybe wasn’t 12 years ago??
In the back of the book they were listing other books from the same publisher—it was called Minx and it seems to have been aimed at young women. It looks like Mariko Tamaki was published by Minx. It also looks like lots of their graphic novels for girls were written by guys, which somehow seems surprising now, but maybe wasn’t 12 years ago??
January 8, 2023
This graphic novel focuses around four friends who meet while at university and plan on getting a place together. The main character is Riley Wilder, a young woman who always follows the rules, does what she is told, gets good grades and has overly protective parents. Her parents are over protective because of her wild older sister. While at college, she starts meeting up with her sister again, and between that and a stranger texting her, her life slowly starts to unravel.
Drawn with a mixed style of various frames and full page spreads, the artwork in the book is wonderful. The story captures much of the essence of the university experience, also some of the confusion around family dynamics. The story is compelling and it looks like a second book is in the works because it ends with "see you next semester." It would be interesting to see where the story goes next. The four female characters are very well written, and at times, both inspirational and infuriating.
This short-lived graphic novel imprint produced some great stories for and about girls. They are books I will keep for my daughters for when they are older.
Drawn with a mixed style of various frames and full page spreads, the artwork in the book is wonderful. The story captures much of the essence of the university experience, also some of the confusion around family dynamics. The story is compelling and it looks like a second book is in the works because it ends with "see you next semester." It would be interesting to see where the story goes next. The four female characters are very well written, and at times, both inspirational and infuriating.
This short-lived graphic novel imprint produced some great stories for and about girls. They are books I will keep for my daughters for when they are older.
October 16, 2020
things i did not like:
- none of Riley's interactions with the infamous sneakerfreak was ever shown, it was difficult to see how Riley was falling for this dude when we never even saw a reply from him
- so many questions left unanswered?? why was that one girl so pressed at Riley whenever she used her phone, is there a story there? I understand how some things hint at a sequel, but then you need to treat lightly cause it can left audiences unsatisfactory
- unlikeable main character :(
things my romanticising-new-york-ass liked:
- hehe the vibe
- the art style is really memorable!
- N E W Y O R K
- none of Riley's interactions with the infamous sneakerfreak was ever shown, it was difficult to see how Riley was falling for this dude when we never even saw a reply from him
- so many questions left unanswered?? why was that one girl so pressed at Riley whenever she used her phone, is there a story there? I understand how some things hint at a sequel, but then you need to treat lightly cause it can left audiences unsatisfactory
- unlikeable main character :(
things my romanticising-new-york-ass liked:
- hehe the vibe
- the art style is really memorable!
- N E W Y O R K
December 27, 2025
This was alright. A group of girls in NYC, looking for jobs and a place to rent. Tackling family problems, boy problems, and college. Though the main plot revolves around Riley and her online boyfriend. Who may not be exactly as perfect as she thinks! Little bits of drama here and there to keep things interesting. I liked it, but I don't think I would read it again.
October 21, 2018
Enjoyed the hour I read it. It was enjoyable art but the story and character development are atrocious. At the same time the piece feels dated and that is fun to look back on the nostalgia of ten years ago. INteresting.
December 20, 2018
I think I would have loved this book 20 years ago.. but it was cute. I loved how it was all just pen and ink. I'm gifting this to my friend's 14 year old. I think she's gonna love it.
Found it at the used book store for a dollah.
Found it at the used book store for a dollah.
June 23, 2017
Enjoyed reading it, but wished it went a bit deeper with the characters.
January 26, 2018
3,5
I enjoyed this well enough just didnt like how it ended.
I enjoyed this well enough just didnt like how it ended.
August 7, 2020
Hmm, je n'ai pas accroché a l'histoire. Les dessins sont très bien faits, il y a plein de détails. Ça donne envie d'être a New York.
February 12, 2023
Cost: -$1
Tier list: B
Tier list: B
November 10, 2024
Nothing really happened, I loveeeeeeee the art though
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews