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Token
All she wants is a token of his affection.
It's 1987 and fifteen-year-old Shira Spektor lives with her father in a funky apartment building on Miami's South Beach. More comfortable wearing retro '40s clothing than the current fashions, Shira doesn't belong--which is why her best friend is a bawdy, brassy eighty-year-old, and Shira herself has never even been kissed properly.
It would have helped to have a mother to turn to for advice, but Shira and her dad have been doing all right on their own since she was three.
And then her father falls in love with his secretary, and suddenly Shira isn't his special girl anymore.
Bruised by her father's constant criticism and the barbed attention from the popular girls at school, Shira finds comfort in a dangerous new hobby--shoplifting. But when she gets caught by a dark-eyed, streetwise boy from Spain, Shira discovers an unexpected friend and ally.
And then friendship grows into something more thrilling...and less safe.
It's 1987 and fifteen-year-old Shira Spektor lives with her father in a funky apartment building on Miami's South Beach. More comfortable wearing retro '40s clothing than the current fashions, Shira doesn't belong--which is why her best friend is a bawdy, brassy eighty-year-old, and Shira herself has never even been kissed properly.
It would have helped to have a mother to turn to for advice, but Shira and her dad have been doing all right on their own since she was three.
And then her father falls in love with his secretary, and suddenly Shira isn't his special girl anymore.
Bruised by her father's constant criticism and the barbed attention from the popular girls at school, Shira finds comfort in a dangerous new hobby--shoplifting. But when she gets caught by a dark-eyed, streetwise boy from Spain, Shira discovers an unexpected friend and ally.
And then friendship grows into something more thrilling...and less safe.
150 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2008
3 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Alisa Kwitney
103 books191 followersI'm the author of YA, graphic novels and novels for adults who still feel young, at least most of the time. Recent works include GILT, a graphic novel about time-traveling women of a certain age; Cadaver & Queen, a YA Feminist Frankenstein meets Grey's Anatomy tale, and Mystik U from DC Comics, which features Zatanna and other magical characters in their first year at college. I also co-host a Sandman podcast, The Endless, with Lani Diane Rich.
My first novel, Till the Fat Lady Sings, is also about college and romance and eating disorders. (It was my thesis at Columbia University's MFA Program, where I felt like an outlier for liking comic books and romance as much as literature.) I was an editor at Vertigo, the mature/dark fantasy branch of DC Comics, before going freelance. (I've also written two hormonal werewolf books as Alisa Sheckley.)
I live near the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park, NY, with two dogs and a frightening number of books.
aka Alisa Sheckley
My first novel, Till the Fat Lady Sings, is also about college and romance and eating disorders. (It was my thesis at Columbia University's MFA Program, where I felt like an outlier for liking comic books and romance as much as literature.) I was an editor at Vertigo, the mature/dark fantasy branch of DC Comics, before going freelance. (I've also written two hormonal werewolf books as Alisa Sheckley.)
I live near the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park, NY, with two dogs and a frightening number of books.
aka Alisa Sheckley
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
November 10, 2012
I really liked the artwork in this, the emotions were so beautifully portrayed in the illustrations. They were very unique and completely lept off the page. Unfortunately this was really the only thing that I really enjoyed in this book.
Perhaps more accurately I should say that I didn't love the plotlines of the book. I liked Shira, I thought she was a unique character. She had a super interesting perspective and I loved her references to 1950s movies. She had a really honest reaction to what was going on around her. I thought it was interesting how she turns to shoplifting to alleviate her stress and inner turmoil, and how this rebellion is exacerbated by her romance with a boy from Spain.
So the main character was awesome, but the secondary characters and the subplots were not super emotionally-engaging. Her father doesn't really think about why Shira is acting out. He just wants her to fix it. I think his reaction is real, but doesn't mean I have to like it. Shira's dad falls in love with his secretary, and doesn't ever really communicate where he's hoping this relationship will become or how it will affect Shira. So it really comes as a surprise to Shira and the reader when she walks in on them making out and when he decides to propose. He's the adult, he shouldn't be making Shira feel guilty for not understanding what's going on or not being completely accepting of their relationship.
Shira also is bullied at school, and that's never really addressed throughout the book. It's a main theme, and yet there's not real resolution to the problem. Sad. There didn't need to be retribution just more of an apparent conclusion for me on that plot.
So there were some excellent things, and there were some disappointing things. Overall it was okay, it could've been awesome though. Kind of a let down.
Perhaps more accurately I should say that I didn't love the plotlines of the book. I liked Shira, I thought she was a unique character. She had a super interesting perspective and I loved her references to 1950s movies. She had a really honest reaction to what was going on around her. I thought it was interesting how she turns to shoplifting to alleviate her stress and inner turmoil, and how this rebellion is exacerbated by her romance with a boy from Spain.
So the main character was awesome, but the secondary characters and the subplots were not super emotionally-engaging. Her father doesn't really think about why Shira is acting out. He just wants her to fix it. I think his reaction is real, but doesn't mean I have to like it. Shira's dad falls in love with his secretary, and doesn't ever really communicate where he's hoping this relationship will become or how it will affect Shira. So it really comes as a surprise to Shira and the reader when she walks in on them making out and when he decides to propose. He's the adult, he shouldn't be making Shira feel guilty for not understanding what's going on or not being completely accepting of their relationship.
Shira also is bullied at school, and that's never really addressed throughout the book. It's a main theme, and yet there's not real resolution to the problem. Sad. There didn't need to be retribution just more of an apparent conclusion for me on that plot.
So there were some excellent things, and there were some disappointing things. Overall it was okay, it could've been awesome though. Kind of a let down.
June 4, 2021
wowee my first pg-13 comic. i remember being really drawn to the story because of how 'risque' i thought it was.
November 4, 2020
Token is a graphic novel about a high school student named Shira Speaktor living in Miami Beach. Shira has a close bond with her father because of her mother’s death when she was three. Aside from her father, Shira often spends time with her disapproving grandma, and her best friend Minerva, who happens to be an old lady. Being an unpopular student in high school, Shira spends most of her time alone, except when with Minerva and her father. However, when her father meets someone new, everything changes. While Shira spends time alone, she picks up a new habit, not necessarily for the better. Along with this her father and her start fighting more often and her grades in school begin to drop. Now more than ever she needs someone to talk to. One day Shira meets Rafael Wilson, and she slowly gets more and more used to hanging out with him. But when he suddenly disappears Shira is left lonely and upset. However, as she realizes that all along it has been her perspective that has shaped the view of whether her life was a horror story or a paradise.
I wasn’t sure if I would like Token when I picked it up off the shelf, but I quickly found that the storyline was similar to many other books that I have read and enjoyed. However, one thing I did not like about the story is that it was a little too simple, and I didn’t feel like the main character changed or made any major revelations throughout her journey. Despite this, I still felt the book was enjoyable to read so I gave it four stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a typical and predictable storyline, with an unexpected ending.
This was my first time reading a graphic novel and I was pleasantly surprised. While it was different from a typical book I would read, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I was also shocked by how quickly the story ended, however, the book had all the normal parts in a story that are expected. Overall reading this graphic novel opened my eyes to other types of books, I might enjoy that I otherwise would have missed. Although graphic novels aren’t my first choice when choosing a book to read, I learned that trying new things can lead to finding new favorites.
I wasn’t sure if I would like Token when I picked it up off the shelf, but I quickly found that the storyline was similar to many other books that I have read and enjoyed. However, one thing I did not like about the story is that it was a little too simple, and I didn’t feel like the main character changed or made any major revelations throughout her journey. Despite this, I still felt the book was enjoyable to read so I gave it four stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a typical and predictable storyline, with an unexpected ending.
This was my first time reading a graphic novel and I was pleasantly surprised. While it was different from a typical book I would read, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I was also shocked by how quickly the story ended, however, the book had all the normal parts in a story that are expected. Overall reading this graphic novel opened my eyes to other types of books, I might enjoy that I otherwise would have missed. Although graphic novels aren’t my first choice when choosing a book to read, I learned that trying new things can lead to finding new favorites.
July 11, 2018
This book was one of those where I was feeling a definite 3 to 4 stars through most of the story and the ending just crash and burned.
I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, but I've been trying to read them more to expand my horizons a bit. I found this one to be pretty good initially. I was really drawn into Shira's story, and while I didn't agree with all the choices that she was making, I felt her pain. This is the first graphic novel I've ever read that made me cry.
But there were a lot of subplots going on in this story: her father's relationship with his secretary, her grandmother's health, Minerva's health (although I was never clear how Minerva was part of Shira's life), bullying, etc. It all was all building its way to a good climax--and then suddenly the book ended. There was some minimal tying up loose ends, but it was quick and sloppy and very unsatisfying. I was pretty bummed.
I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, but I've been trying to read them more to expand my horizons a bit. I found this one to be pretty good initially. I was really drawn into Shira's story, and while I didn't agree with all the choices that she was making, I felt her pain. This is the first graphic novel I've ever read that made me cry.
But there were a lot of subplots going on in this story: her father's relationship with his secretary, her grandmother's health, Minerva's health (although I was never clear how Minerva was part of Shira's life), bullying, etc. It all was all building its way to a good climax--and then suddenly the book ended. There was some minimal tying up loose ends, but it was quick and sloppy and very unsatisfying. I was pretty bummed.
August 2, 2008
Oh, my darling Joëlle Jones, is this the part on the story where you grow up and leave this small town and the lovable yokel who you grew up with, and I never see you again? Fame will surely come knocking when this book comes out.
In the interest of full disclosure, since I work closely with the artist on this book, I have been able to watch Token develop over the last year. Joëlle let me read the script, and I've seen the art in its many stages. I have a fond memory of the day when I looked at a newly drawn, unlettered page--this being before I had read the script--and saw an image drawn on a TV screen and asked, "Is that To Have and Have Not?" Joëlle was both impressed by my own cinematic nerdiness and the fact that I could see that in her drawing without even being prompted. But she's that good of an artist, that any writer lucky enough to be working with her should know that they are going to get everything they wanted and oftentimes more.
Still, even seeing the book progress, it is always fresh and new when it's finally put together. Nothing can compare to the experience of reading the finished product. Things change when the words and pictures come together. It's like how reading a play is never going to give you the same experience as watching it performed on a stage.
The main character of Token is Shira, a high school girl who lives with her single father in a Miami hotel during the 1980s. Not exactly popular at her Jewish high school, Shira's best friends are her grandmother and her grandmother's elderly friend, Minerva. A former actress, Minerva shares with Shira a love for the golden age of motion pictures, and the young girl dreams of being part of a larger, romantic story. The script doesn't stack the deck, though, and Shira's fantasies aren't grand or trite cliches; rather, as is often the case with someone searching for herself in adolescence, she doesn't really know what she yearns for just yet. She just know she yearns for something.
This something could be Rafael, a handsome Spanish boy who lives his life with the kind of impulsiveness and passion that Shira has been itching for. Tasting her first real romance, Shira becomes more reckless, but as in any coming-of-age story, her actions will catch up with her and she'll have to find the maturity to deal with the consequences. Kwitney also gives us an added layer, with the young girl facing her own issues over growing up while simultaneously seeing her older friend deal with issues that come with growing old. (Note: The title Token might mislead some to think that it refers to Rafael as a "token" person of color. This is not the case, it refers to a gift Minerva gives Shira, a "token of affection." If I had one complaint, it's that maybe the other connotations of the word could have been weighed heavier when choosing the title. Well, that and the awful cover.)
I like that Kwitney sets her story in the '80s but never hits her reader over the head with it. The past she and Jöelle conjure up is not some alien world that is so overbearingly "period" as to have no sense of normalcy. Not everyone wore day-glo or had Jersey hair, and by staying grounded closer to the truth than most other efforts of this kind, the creators give their audience something it can relate to even if the individual reader didn't grow up in the Me Decade. Given how grounded Kwitney's story is, it would have been a mistake to do otherwise. Token is easily the most true-to-life comic in the Minx line, not relying on any high-concept or fantastical elements. It's simply a story about real people. This is where Jones as an artist really makes the book shine. One of her greatest strengths is in her acting, how she captures emotion on a face or in a gesture. The people she draws are very much alive, and they look like the well-written dialogue is actually coming out of their mouths. Joëlle also has an amazing knack for creating a sense of place, and the Miami of Token is no generic Hollywood version--it's really Miami! I like to linger on her smaller details, the sketchy extras in the backgrounds, or the pose of a body in action (the volleyball and swimming scenes are really impressive, as is the way she draws water).
Token is a fully realized story, packed with romance, humor, and genuine human problems. I know I'm biased, but I've read almost all the Minx books, and this one is far and away the best of the lot. It's a comic with broad-base appeal, moving beyond the teen demographic for a story that traverses generations.
In the interest of full disclosure, since I work closely with the artist on this book, I have been able to watch Token develop over the last year. Joëlle let me read the script, and I've seen the art in its many stages. I have a fond memory of the day when I looked at a newly drawn, unlettered page--this being before I had read the script--and saw an image drawn on a TV screen and asked, "Is that To Have and Have Not?" Joëlle was both impressed by my own cinematic nerdiness and the fact that I could see that in her drawing without even being prompted. But she's that good of an artist, that any writer lucky enough to be working with her should know that they are going to get everything they wanted and oftentimes more.
Still, even seeing the book progress, it is always fresh and new when it's finally put together. Nothing can compare to the experience of reading the finished product. Things change when the words and pictures come together. It's like how reading a play is never going to give you the same experience as watching it performed on a stage.
The main character of Token is Shira, a high school girl who lives with her single father in a Miami hotel during the 1980s. Not exactly popular at her Jewish high school, Shira's best friends are her grandmother and her grandmother's elderly friend, Minerva. A former actress, Minerva shares with Shira a love for the golden age of motion pictures, and the young girl dreams of being part of a larger, romantic story. The script doesn't stack the deck, though, and Shira's fantasies aren't grand or trite cliches; rather, as is often the case with someone searching for herself in adolescence, she doesn't really know what she yearns for just yet. She just know she yearns for something.
This something could be Rafael, a handsome Spanish boy who lives his life with the kind of impulsiveness and passion that Shira has been itching for. Tasting her first real romance, Shira becomes more reckless, but as in any coming-of-age story, her actions will catch up with her and she'll have to find the maturity to deal with the consequences. Kwitney also gives us an added layer, with the young girl facing her own issues over growing up while simultaneously seeing her older friend deal with issues that come with growing old. (Note: The title Token might mislead some to think that it refers to Rafael as a "token" person of color. This is not the case, it refers to a gift Minerva gives Shira, a "token of affection." If I had one complaint, it's that maybe the other connotations of the word could have been weighed heavier when choosing the title. Well, that and the awful cover.)
I like that Kwitney sets her story in the '80s but never hits her reader over the head with it. The past she and Jöelle conjure up is not some alien world that is so overbearingly "period" as to have no sense of normalcy. Not everyone wore day-glo or had Jersey hair, and by staying grounded closer to the truth than most other efforts of this kind, the creators give their audience something it can relate to even if the individual reader didn't grow up in the Me Decade. Given how grounded Kwitney's story is, it would have been a mistake to do otherwise. Token is easily the most true-to-life comic in the Minx line, not relying on any high-concept or fantastical elements. It's simply a story about real people. This is where Jones as an artist really makes the book shine. One of her greatest strengths is in her acting, how she captures emotion on a face or in a gesture. The people she draws are very much alive, and they look like the well-written dialogue is actually coming out of their mouths. Joëlle also has an amazing knack for creating a sense of place, and the Miami of Token is no generic Hollywood version--it's really Miami! I like to linger on her smaller details, the sketchy extras in the backgrounds, or the pose of a body in action (the volleyball and swimming scenes are really impressive, as is the way she draws water).
Token is a fully realized story, packed with romance, humor, and genuine human problems. I know I'm biased, but I've read almost all the Minx books, and this one is far and away the best of the lot. It's a comic with broad-base appeal, moving beyond the teen demographic for a story that traverses generations.
March 25, 2021
Excellent writing by Alisa Kwitney and brilliant art by Joelle Jones. A delightful YA story.
November 11, 2009
Beautifully average book. The main character is sweet, but ignored by her father who only sees her faults (mainly that she's not his little girl anymore) and never spends any time with her. Her grandmother is sweet but, like a typical grandma/mother, knows how to embarrass without even meaning to. Her best friend is an 80 year old faded starlet, who understands Shira better than she understands herself.
Problems really start to arise when her dad gets involved with his secretary (the mom has been dead for years) and she makes some bad decisions.
The art is really sweet and I especially love the way her grandmother and best friend are drawn (I also love Shira's hair!). I also like that you can tell that the book is supposed to take place in the 80s.
(After looking back at the art, I decided to give the book four stars instead of three).
I think there are certain places where the story is lacking, which is why I only gave it three stars. Shira seems like a pretty bright funny girl, and its hard to imagine that she wouldn't have any friends her age. Everyone automatically assumes that the love interest is a hoodlum.
Quick, Cute and Quaint.
Problems really start to arise when her dad gets involved with his secretary (the mom has been dead for years) and she makes some bad decisions.
The art is really sweet and I especially love the way her grandmother and best friend are drawn (I also love Shira's hair!). I also like that you can tell that the book is supposed to take place in the 80s.
(After looking back at the art, I decided to give the book four stars instead of three).
I think there are certain places where the story is lacking, which is why I only gave it three stars. Shira seems like a pretty bright funny girl, and its hard to imagine that she wouldn't have any friends her age. Everyone automatically assumes that the love interest is a hoodlum.
Quick, Cute and Quaint.
March 30, 2009
Miami girl's father gets a new girlfriend - and changes his attitude toward her.
Pretty standard coming of age title. Liked it better than some Minx titles, and that may have something to do with the fact that the creators are both female (not that I'm biased). I wanted a bit more resolution at the end - I'm a little bored of the plotline the romance takes in this (not that I'm spoiling). Enjoyed the relationship with the elderly women, but wanted more from this and the father issue. Also couldn't quite believe that she (as drawn) was disliked at school (there were only occasional reminders of the eighties setting).
Come to think of it, I think I would have focused more on the familial relationships and cut out the school, romance and klepto plotlines entirely. Touches on some unique issues (father jealousy, unique friendships), but doesn't quite go deep enough in this format/length.
Pretty standard coming of age title. Liked it better than some Minx titles, and that may have something to do with the fact that the creators are both female (not that I'm biased). I wanted a bit more resolution at the end - I'm a little bored of the plotline the romance takes in this (not that I'm spoiling). Enjoyed the relationship with the elderly women, but wanted more from this and the father issue. Also couldn't quite believe that she (as drawn) was disliked at school (there were only occasional reminders of the eighties setting).
Come to think of it, I think I would have focused more on the familial relationships and cut out the school, romance and klepto plotlines entirely. Touches on some unique issues (father jealousy, unique friendships), but doesn't quite go deep enough in this format/length.
March 30, 2009
2.5 stars. By Minx standards, this one wasn't too bad. Then again, it's Minx, so the bar is pretty low. Set in Miami Beach in 1987, the story revolves around Shira, a Jewish teenager who's a social outcast and daddy's girl. When her dad starts romancing his secretary, Shira feels displaced and takes up shoplifting to ease the pain. There's a mysterious, cute, foreign boy love interest, some bitchy mean girls, and about a thousand other cliches from teen fiction. Ho hum. The art's alright, though.
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July 28, 2011Another meh offering from Minx. Honestly, this story doesn't make a lot of sense. The main character is hard to follow and unrealistic, the boyfriend is paper thin, and the plot is both dull and unbelievable (yeah many teens have secret boyfriends who get sent back to Spain). In the end, the main character hasn't achieved anything but is somehow magically changed (through the power of shoplifting?). Oh Minx, I want to like your line of teen girl graphic novels but alas all I am left with is another disappointment.
August 2, 2009
oh, minx comics... i want to love you, but why do you always underestimate the multi-dimentional levels of teen girl's personalities? this comic is basically about shira chasing a boy, and being obsessed with material goods and old movies. WHAT IS NEW HERE?
first book read for thesis curriculum proposal. determined: not useful.
positive aspects: shira's relationship with her grandmother. and the illustrations were great.
first book read for thesis curriculum proposal. determined: not useful.
positive aspects: shira's relationship with her grandmother. and the illustrations were great.
May 4, 2009
OMG i am in love with this book because is so like weird because the things that happen in the book could happen to anyone like teenagers and in one part i felt like going in the book and smacking her dad and stepmom. she is like dorky and percictene because when she meets rafael she would do anything to not let him go to barcelona and she was still a virgin until she met rafael.
March 27, 2012
This graphic novel is about a girl struggling with adulthood, boys, and family. It was very endearing and her struggles were realistic. I really enjoyed the cast of ancient lady characters.
December 13, 2018
Me ha gustado mucho pero no puedo ponerle un 5 porque tiene algunas cosas que no me gustan. Básicamente relacionadas con el hecho de que la gente de Estados Unidos no tiene ni idea de que los españoles no tenemos las mismas costumbres, cultura, etc que la gente de Latino América. Por ejemplo, creen que en España se celebra la fiesta de la quinceañera. Y que yo sepa las únicas personas que lo celebran en España son las personas que en su país de origen lo celebran. Aquí eso no se hace. Y esa confusión viene por la desinformación de los estadounidenses. Y me da rabia que no se informen a la hora de escribir un libro o cómic.
Una cosa que me sorprende es que a los italianos los consideren latinos también, no lo entiendo muy bien la verdad. Es la primera vez que veo en algún sitio que se les considere latinos. Es muy raro.
Por último destacar que creen que tanto latinoamericanos como españoles somos iguales no solo en cultura sino en rasgos. Porque sino no me explico el echo de que solo ver al chico ya sepan que es latino. No parece que tenga la piel oscura ni que sea muy diferente a la chica. Quizá si es un poco diferente en rasgos pero no creo que se note tanto que es español. Pero aún así a el le discriminan. Cuando le ven junto a la chica piensan que la está molestando. Me parece bastante raro. Pensaba que solo discriminaban por el color de la piel a la gente muy diferente a ellos. Pero se ve que no. Aunque si eres un turista entonces da igual de donde vengas eso si. Pero si vives allí y no eres de los suyos... Aunque bueno también puede que sea por la diferencia de clase social. Porque ella es de familia acomodada y el de familia obrera. Aunque no se nota tanto a simple vista. Al menos es lo que yo pienso. No se, eso me ha sorprendido, me ha parecido raro.
Pero bueno no todo son cosas negativas. La historia en si me ha gustado mucho así como los personajes, tienen todos mucho carácter. Además el dibujo es único, me gusta bastante que sea tan diferente. Quitando todo lo mencionado antes la he disfrutado mucho. Si las autoras se hubieran informado un poco para caracterizar mejor al chico español y se viera que no es lo mismo un español que un latino americano no solo en cultura sino en rasgos y en todo, todavía estaría mejor. Pero es lo único malo que le veo. Y me parece malo porque parece que al meterlo todo en el mismo saco y pensar que los españoles tienen las mismas costumbres y la misma cultura que los latinoamericanos desmerecen la cultura española. Es como si España formara parte de Latino américa y no tuviera su propia cultura y tradiciones (he visto novelas o series donde es al revés y también me parece mal. Ni en España lo típico son los mariachis y los sombreros mejicanos ni en Latino América son típicas las sevillanas. Ojala se informaran antes de escribir porque es una pena).
Una cosa que me sorprende es que a los italianos los consideren latinos también, no lo entiendo muy bien la verdad. Es la primera vez que veo en algún sitio que se les considere latinos. Es muy raro.
Por último destacar que creen que tanto latinoamericanos como españoles somos iguales no solo en cultura sino en rasgos. Porque sino no me explico el echo de que solo ver al chico ya sepan que es latino. No parece que tenga la piel oscura ni que sea muy diferente a la chica. Quizá si es un poco diferente en rasgos pero no creo que se note tanto que es español. Pero aún así a el le discriminan. Cuando le ven junto a la chica piensan que la está molestando. Me parece bastante raro. Pensaba que solo discriminaban por el color de la piel a la gente muy diferente a ellos. Pero se ve que no. Aunque si eres un turista entonces da igual de donde vengas eso si. Pero si vives allí y no eres de los suyos... Aunque bueno también puede que sea por la diferencia de clase social. Porque ella es de familia acomodada y el de familia obrera. Aunque no se nota tanto a simple vista. Al menos es lo que yo pienso. No se, eso me ha sorprendido, me ha parecido raro.
Pero bueno no todo son cosas negativas. La historia en si me ha gustado mucho así como los personajes, tienen todos mucho carácter. Además el dibujo es único, me gusta bastante que sea tan diferente. Quitando todo lo mencionado antes la he disfrutado mucho. Si las autoras se hubieran informado un poco para caracterizar mejor al chico español y se viera que no es lo mismo un español que un latino americano no solo en cultura sino en rasgos y en todo, todavía estaría mejor. Pero es lo único malo que le veo. Y me parece malo porque parece que al meterlo todo en el mismo saco y pensar que los españoles tienen las mismas costumbres y la misma cultura que los latinoamericanos desmerecen la cultura española. Es como si España formara parte de Latino américa y no tuviera su propia cultura y tradiciones (he visto novelas o series donde es al revés y también me parece mal. Ni en España lo típico son los mariachis y los sombreros mejicanos ni en Latino América son típicas las sevillanas. Ojala se informaran antes de escribir porque es una pena).
September 22, 2022
Token is a coming of age book about a girl from Miami, Shira, she lives with her single father and grandma. There were many characters that were brought up and then never talked about again. Alisa Kwitney did not do a great job of explaining what happened to certain characters, the main character, Shira, magically changed her ways at the end. Joëlle Jones, the illustrator, did a fantastic job showing the emotions of every character.
I gave this book 2 stars because the beginning was boring, and it ended with many loose ends and questions unanswered. The middle however was very interesting and hard to put down expectantly with the illustrations they made the book easier to read. There were plot holes everywhere in this book. They never explained who Minerva was besides being Shira’s old lady friend. At the end of the book she really just disappears. I was really interested in her story line and I got nothing out of it.
Shira felt left out when her father started dating, he started treating her as second place and only pointing out the flaws. So she took to a life of crime and started shoplifting. Where she met a guy, fell quickly in love, but then he gets sent back to Spain and was never talked about again. It was disappointing to see their story end like that, I was hoping that they would change their ways together. Overall this story has way too many plot holes that it was very disappointing to see all the potential and get nothing from it.
I gave this book 2 stars because the beginning was boring, and it ended with many loose ends and questions unanswered. The middle however was very interesting and hard to put down expectantly with the illustrations they made the book easier to read. There were plot holes everywhere in this book. They never explained who Minerva was besides being Shira’s old lady friend. At the end of the book she really just disappears. I was really interested in her story line and I got nothing out of it.
Shira felt left out when her father started dating, he started treating her as second place and only pointing out the flaws. So she took to a life of crime and started shoplifting. Where she met a guy, fell quickly in love, but then he gets sent back to Spain and was never talked about again. It was disappointing to see their story end like that, I was hoping that they would change their ways together. Overall this story has way too many plot holes that it was very disappointing to see all the potential and get nothing from it.
June 24, 2021
I didn't get 1987 from this at all. Maybe the Woolworth's counter? But even then, I thought it was some Miami staple and not a 1987 thing.
The illustration was good and more in the style of a traditional comic book. I thought Kwitney captured a first crush very well - didn't understand the Mean Girl motivation. What was that about?
It's a little too sexual to share with my daughter, mostly because of the illustrations, honestly. With the way Shira was drawn, I expected her to get a lot more sexual harassment from her school mates and maybe even a bump in popularity vs. the bullying. Didn't make a ton of sense to the story line.
If more graphic novels by Kwitney appear in the library, I'll give them a shot.
The illustration was good and more in the style of a traditional comic book. I thought Kwitney captured a first crush very well - didn't understand the Mean Girl motivation. What was that about?
It's a little too sexual to share with my daughter, mostly because of the illustrations, honestly. With the way Shira was drawn, I expected her to get a lot more sexual harassment from her school mates and maybe even a bump in popularity vs. the bullying. Didn't make a ton of sense to the story line.
If more graphic novels by Kwitney appear in the library, I'll give them a shot.
January 13, 2018
Token is a short and simple coming-of-age story accompanied with beautiful illustrations.
In a very short story Alisa Kwitney covers a lot of different aspects of awkwardness and insecurities that comes with growing up. Shira is about to be sixteen with no mother, no boyfriend, and her father developing a relationship with his secretary. Among the confusion Shira starts shoplifting and possibly dangerous relationship.
The illustrations are bold and vivid and breathe life into this relatable story.
In a very short story Alisa Kwitney covers a lot of different aspects of awkwardness and insecurities that comes with growing up. Shira is about to be sixteen with no mother, no boyfriend, and her father developing a relationship with his secretary. Among the confusion Shira starts shoplifting and possibly dangerous relationship.
The illustrations are bold and vivid and breathe life into this relatable story.
March 31, 2022
This was a pretty decent graphic novel.
I really liked the characters. Shira was cool and I understand her frustrations with her life, I remember being 15! Not a fun time! Her nan and Minerva were amazing, it was real sad what happened to Min towards the end.
The love story interest felt very short and that was a bit disappointing as I would have liked that explored more. The illustrations were nicely done. I think this is a stand alone but would happily read more if it was a series.
I really liked the characters. Shira was cool and I understand her frustrations with her life, I remember being 15! Not a fun time! Her nan and Minerva were amazing, it was real sad what happened to Min towards the end.
The love story interest felt very short and that was a bit disappointing as I would have liked that explored more. The illustrations were nicely done. I think this is a stand alone but would happily read more if it was a series.
January 8, 2023
This is the story of Shira Spektor; it is 1987 and all she wants is for things to be the way they were. But her father is dating his secretary; her best friends are her Grandmother and her friend. And then she meets a strange guy. She could use some advice but her mother passed away when she was three. Between the conflict with her dad at home and the other girls at the Jewish school, Shira needs an outlet and she finds shoplifting. Yet she realizes that her life is spiraling out of control but does not know if she wants to put the brakes on.
Wonderfully written and illustrated, this is another example of a great graphic novel geared for girls. The MINX line was announced with much fanfare but DC Comics canned the line in less than two years and now has even removed the webpage supporting these great books.
Wonderfully written and illustrated, this is another example of a great graphic novel geared for girls. The MINX line was announced with much fanfare but DC Comics canned the line in less than two years and now has even removed the webpage supporting these great books.
September 12, 2018
A book about how miserable it is to be a teenager and how powerless you are in the hands of adults who have plans for you. I think it was probably well-written, although there was no resolution in the plotline about Shira and her father, and I liked the art, but I hated being a teenager and reliving it was not fun.
July 16, 2019
I mean all I really got from this book is she grew up and fell in love... Idk... I didn't look much into the meaning but it wasn't all that interesting. I like the art style though. It was kinda appealing when you got a visual of them looking face forward.
April 7, 2020
This is a pretty typical Minx imprint book. A young woman rebels against her situation and learns a lot about herself. Nothing wrong with that. The big draw here is early Jones art. She's not quite where we know her now, but she's getting there in this one.
December 23, 2017
Interesting...
January 19, 2018
This was quirky in a fun way
April 7, 2018
The first graphic novel I’ve read. It was a gift from a friend. Engaging story. Some gaps I’d like filled in.
March 22, 2020
My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtxm9...
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtxm9...
Enjoy!
January 3, 2021
Loved the art, the story was okay.
August 20, 2025
Got this book for free 🥰
October 20, 2011
Shira lives with he father and grandmother in some weird apartments on Miami Beach. Her best friend is eighty-year-old Minerva. She really doesn't fit in at school and at nearly sixteen, she has never been kissed. When she meets a boy in her pool, she is instantly drawn to him. He would be a better obsession than her new past-time of shoplifting. Things never work out the way you expect, but all Shira wants is her glamourous movie kiss. Shira feels like she isn't getting love from her family anymore so she will seek it out elsewhere.
Shira was a Daddy's Girl, which makes since considering her mother is dead. This was a very interesting novel about love and loss and life. Shira has so much to figure out and it's made more difficult by the fact that she has no one her own age to talk to. This was yet another life that I would no little about. The life of a Jewish girl in the 80's with a father trying to remarry. Shira was a fairly like-able character until she started going a bit rebel. I did like how glamorous parts of this were and Minerva was fantastic too. There were also so swoon-worthy and giggly parts. Make sure you pick this one up soon and was a fantastic read.
First Lines:
"Miami Beach. Maybe this is your idea of paradise. Sun, sea, sand. A little socially sanctioned exhibitionism."
Favorite Line:
"So you fantasize about latin lovers?"
Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1bM7...
Shira was a Daddy's Girl, which makes since considering her mother is dead. This was a very interesting novel about love and loss and life. Shira has so much to figure out and it's made more difficult by the fact that she has no one her own age to talk to. This was yet another life that I would no little about. The life of a Jewish girl in the 80's with a father trying to remarry. Shira was a fairly like-able character until she started going a bit rebel. I did like how glamorous parts of this were and Minerva was fantastic too. There were also so swoon-worthy and giggly parts. Make sure you pick this one up soon and was a fantastic read.
First Lines:
"Miami Beach. Maybe this is your idea of paradise. Sun, sea, sand. A little socially sanctioned exhibitionism."
Favorite Line:
"So you fantasize about latin lovers?"
Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1bM7...
May 18, 2012
Token was more real life connected than other book I’ve read. Not that other graphic novels weren’t about real life; but this one was more believable. It was about a teenage girl that lost her mother at an early age, and was raised by her father and grandmother in Florida. She was the average girl that didn’t get into trouble. When her father started dating his secretary, she was upset about it. The thought of losing her father to another woman was not what she wanted. Her father started to take the secretaries side over his own daughters. I feel like this happens a lot in real life. I had a friend back in Everett, MA where I grew up who had divorced parents, and her mother started dating a new guy, and whenever my friend would have a disagreement with the mother’s boyfriend, the mother would always take the boyfriend’s side. Anyway, when the daughter got upset about her father and the secretary, she started to shoplift. That’s when she met the pool boy. It was a boy she met at the pool, but he didn’t live in the complex she did. He just snuck in to swim in the pool. After that first encounter with him, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. They ended up dating and the daughter got more rebellious against her father because he wouldn’t pay much attention to her needs and wants anymore. I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who likes to read about real life situation between family.
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