What do you think?
Rate this book
Tinderella
Tinderella
This is the debut graphic novel from M.S. Harkness, who has been self publishing work in Minnesota for a number of years now. Tinderella is an autobiographical comic about online dating, living poor and being a dumb 20-something. Over confident and crude, Harkness's work is hilarious and emotionally agonizing to sit through.
120 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2018
1 person is currently reading
110 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 13, 2022
This autobiographical look at Tinder dating is overflowing with wild energy as M. S. Harkness keeps her nose to the grindstone for her college classes, grinds in the gym, grinds it out with her casual sex partners, and grinds her teeth when thinking about her father. It's all very angry and a bit self-destructive but still very fun and sex positive. I'm putting a hold on the sequel at my library.
August 30, 2020
"I got frozen pizza and bourbon. They are my family now."
M.S. Harkness is a Minnesota cartoonist and. . . I guess, bodybuilder. This is her first book, abuot her late teens and twenties when she was working out a lot and into a lot of sex, with particular kinds of guys: Bearded, beefy. She makes some bad decisions along the way. She's addicted to social media, but particularly Tinder, where she finds her men. She's still pretty connected to her Mom and bro, and has a supportive roommate.
It's not all fun and games, though some warmth in her (completely intense) personality comes through. And some self-deprecating humor, too. The art style and brutal honesty of it rminds me of Charles Forman's This is Not Okay with Me. There's some internet dating comics memoirs that are similar. There's a pretty high level of rage and desperation and honesty in this that made me sad and like her, and will make me read her next work, for sure.
Get this: Harkness treats her own conjunctivitis (pink eye) with her own urine. Hints from Harkness?
M.S. Harkness is a Minnesota cartoonist and. . . I guess, bodybuilder. This is her first book, abuot her late teens and twenties when she was working out a lot and into a lot of sex, with particular kinds of guys: Bearded, beefy. She makes some bad decisions along the way. She's addicted to social media, but particularly Tinder, where she finds her men. She's still pretty connected to her Mom and bro, and has a supportive roommate.
It's not all fun and games, though some warmth in her (completely intense) personality comes through. And some self-deprecating humor, too. The art style and brutal honesty of it rminds me of Charles Forman's This is Not Okay with Me. There's some internet dating comics memoirs that are similar. There's a pretty high level of rage and desperation and honesty in this that made me sad and like her, and will make me read her next work, for sure.
Get this: Harkness treats her own conjunctivitis (pink eye) with her own urine. Hints from Harkness?
June 24, 2023
It wasn't bad, but a bit crude for my tastes.
2nd read. Still not my thing, but it got a laugh this time, at least. Recommended for someone that's not a prude like myself. Haha
2nd read. Still not my thing, but it got a laugh this time, at least. Recommended for someone that's not a prude like myself. Haha
June 25, 2018
This book has a completely different perspective than most comics you read about dating, love, etc. The protagonist is female, but she is as sexually aggressive, whatever the opposite of "misogynistic" is and as controlled by her base desires as we tend to think most men are. There are occasional peeks at a desire for more intimacy than random hook-ups can provide, but Harkness doesn't dwell overly long on it.
I should also mention that the artwork is very appealing with clean line work and a cartoony style. I'm gonna have to dig into her back catalog!
I should also mention that the artwork is very appealing with clean line work and a cartoony style. I'm gonna have to dig into her back catalog!
May 11, 2020
The way this author draws herself, whoah. I could stare at it for hours. Really grim, raw, horny little tale here, I look forward to more.
December 11, 2021
tinderella was an entertaining, quick read! it's an autobiographical work on some of harkness's experience with tinder, men, and a bit about her family. a few parts of the comic were kind of "choppy" which threw me off a bit. i love this type of cartoon-y artwork, and would really love to read her other comic, desperate pleasures, if i could get my hands on it, along with any other works that she has published.
December 29, 2024
2.5, in realtà...
December 29, 2020
Hilarious and raunchy! Not your typical autobio comic and not just about dating. I love how weird and messy the protagonist is.
March 5, 2020
There’s something about autobiographical comics that separates them from other autobiographical works, like memoirs or movies. They’re rawer, I think. The creator’s ability to present themselves in both words and pictures gives the story an added edge; they’re able to give a more complete version of how they see themselves and it tends to be a much truer and more vulnerable product. I guess that’s all a fancy way of saying that, more so than any other medium, autobio comics go hard as fuck. Case in point: “Tinderella,” the razor-sharp debut graphic memoir from bodybuilder badass and comics renegade, M.S. Harkness.
“Tinderella” mines some pretty familiar indie comics territory - the awkwardness of online dating in the age of hook-up apps - but I can promise you that you’ve never seen it quite like this. Harkness’ cartoony avatar is a force of nature: outspoken, blunt, ambitious, horny, and uncompromising. Her search for a casual relationship, however, is just the story’s skeleton; the muscles are her struggles to establish herself as a functioning adult, finding her niche in the art world, coming to terms with her dysfunctional childhood (and how that affects her interactions with men), and making time to kick ass and take names. She is honest about it all. Brutally honest. Harkness leaves absolutely no doubt that she’s the type of woman who owns her successes as well as her failures. Her cartooning style is a little rough around the edges but what else would you expect? Everything about “Tinderella” screams “gritty!”
There’s keeping it real and then there’s keeping it REAL and “Tinderella” keeps it fucking REAL. Harkness - her comics as well as her self, I’d guess - seems to be all hard, take-no-prisoners exterior but that protects a squishy center full of tenderness and self-deprecating humor. There are very few comics creators that announce themselves so boldly and so fully-formed in their debut. Watch out, world! M.S. Harkness is coming and nothing is gonna stop her!
“Tinderella” mines some pretty familiar indie comics territory - the awkwardness of online dating in the age of hook-up apps - but I can promise you that you’ve never seen it quite like this. Harkness’ cartoony avatar is a force of nature: outspoken, blunt, ambitious, horny, and uncompromising. Her search for a casual relationship, however, is just the story’s skeleton; the muscles are her struggles to establish herself as a functioning adult, finding her niche in the art world, coming to terms with her dysfunctional childhood (and how that affects her interactions with men), and making time to kick ass and take names. She is honest about it all. Brutally honest. Harkness leaves absolutely no doubt that she’s the type of woman who owns her successes as well as her failures. Her cartooning style is a little rough around the edges but what else would you expect? Everything about “Tinderella” screams “gritty!”
There’s keeping it real and then there’s keeping it REAL and “Tinderella” keeps it fucking REAL. Harkness - her comics as well as her self, I’d guess - seems to be all hard, take-no-prisoners exterior but that protects a squishy center full of tenderness and self-deprecating humor. There are very few comics creators that announce themselves so boldly and so fully-formed in their debut. Watch out, world! M.S. Harkness is coming and nothing is gonna stop her!
September 18, 2018
The subject matter is timely--dating in the age of Tinder. M.S. Harkness writes this as an autobiographical comic, although I suspect a lot of it is fictional. I mean, in the first scene in the book, she picks up a "muscle hottie" at the gym and they fuck on the tanning bed, leaving her half burned/half pale. And it is perhaps a little weird for me (as a guy) reading about a woman who thinks about potential sex partners more or less the same way men do--looks are the first criteria. But in a way, that's what Tinder forces its users to do--you judge people by their photos, after all. This takes place during the last year of college and as she becomes independent. There are interesting bits about her mother, but she's not fleshed out. It's mostly about Harness's ongoing attempts to get laid by a muscular bearded hottie.
I wasn't wowed by it, even though there were entertaining bits. I don't like her art--it reminded me a little bit of the art of Pete Sickman-Garner, a largely forgotten cartoonist from the late 90s and early 2000s. I don't know if Harkness is destined to become a forgotten cartoonist from this era much as Sickman-Garner is from his, but her art is, like Sickman-Garner's, second rate and lacking in an interesting style.
I wasn't wowed by it, even though there were entertaining bits. I don't like her art--it reminded me a little bit of the art of Pete Sickman-Garner, a largely forgotten cartoonist from the late 90s and early 2000s. I don't know if Harkness is destined to become a forgotten cartoonist from this era much as Sickman-Garner is from his, but her art is, like Sickman-Garner's, second rate and lacking in an interesting style.
September 23, 2018
Sincere but honestly pretty dull- a few not very interesting anecdotes from the author's life circa winter 2015, basically the author is horny and has sex with one guy who ghosts here, and then has unsatisfying sex with another guy on Christmas- with a few flashbacks to her past thrown in. Great comics have been made out incidents as mundane as the ones recounted in this comic-but nothing about this hooked me or made me feel it wouldn't have worked better as a long FB post. Feel bad for saying it, but definitely not recommended.
February 1, 2021
M.S. Harkness experiences triumph and tragedy (mostly the latter) in her dating life in Tinderella. She doesn't really have it together in her normal life either. Basically, if you're interested in following the low-key adventures of a directionless twenty-something, Tinderella is for you. It wasn't for me. I think I need a little more plot and self-reflection in my graphic memoirs.
October 23, 2022
Divertente e con una protagonista insolita. Una donna che prova a capire, anche tramite Tinder, cosa cerca dalle relazioni. Amo il suo essere l’esatto opposto di una principessa. Carino, ma niente di indispensabile.
April 5, 2023
Wow whoa!
January 27, 2025
Graphic sicuramente non delicata, narra di alcuni episodi autobiografici dell'autrice, focalizzandosi in particolare sulle sue esperienze su Tinder nei suoi vent'anni.
Lo stile è particolarmente graffiante nei disegni, che non sono a colori ma i bianco e nero, con poco testo. Parla molto per immagini.
La storia è carina, però non mi ha entusiasmato particolarmente, quindi si colloca un po' nel mezzo.
In realtà mette anche tristezza, perché mostra in parte quello che noi nati con Tinder viviamo nel quotidiano: il destreggiarsi tra relazioni veloci e fugaci, lo sparire appena le cose si fanno più serie e quindi più complesse da gestire.
Lo stile è particolarmente graffiante nei disegni, che non sono a colori ma i bianco e nero, con poco testo. Parla molto per immagini.
La storia è carina, però non mi ha entusiasmato particolarmente, quindi si colloca un po' nel mezzo.
In realtà mette anche tristezza, perché mostra in parte quello che noi nati con Tinder viviamo nel quotidiano: il destreggiarsi tra relazioni veloci e fugaci, lo sparire appena le cose si fanno più serie e quindi più complesse da gestire.
December 26, 2018
Spectacular. Beautifully drawn, subtly written, effectively paced, Harkness does everything to needle-sharp effect. The tight lines, exacting detail, and natural dialog allow the underlying emotions to permeate the world, giving the protagonist means to be funny and lonely and angry and open and human. Looking forward to more from this exciting talent. Worth it for the cat, for the backyard page, and for the clown page alone.
July 22, 2019
I didn’t realize this was a memoir at first. Interesting look at online dating (specifically Tinder which is its own special type of dating) and just mundane life as an adult trying to come into ones own. I guess I’m more curious about the parts of the story that were giving in brief flashbacks. The main character is kind of cringey but like that’s life.
September 3, 2024
Solid enough but mostly makes me appreciate how much Harkness has developed since. There are flashes of the rawness and playing with time that she shows in Time Under Tension but for the most part this is pretty standard young-person autobio, and even the cartooning style here isn't quite as confident.
November 30, 2018
Well, that was not what I expected. The narrative was rather (distractingly) disjointed, and the art is far from what I usually go for, but it felt honest and sincere. I’m curious to read more of their stuff.
November 23, 2019
Dating in the internet era is really, really hard. This comedic semi-autobiographical(?) look at a young woman and her struggles is filled with cursing, sexual tension, visual exaggerations, and other cool elements of comic making that tell a story anyone can relate to.
October 25, 2020
A perfect snapshot of millennial dating life in the city. Harkness presents self love/betrayal, family dynamics, and broke college life in a very raw, very real way. Quality black/white/grey art. I'll be looking forward to the sequel.
December 27, 2020
Autobiographical story about a twenty-something woman discovering the many pitfalls of online dating. This was a good tale, but it just stops in the middle of the story. Maybe the second book will bring some closure?
December 4, 2021
I read desperate pleasures first. This book is kind of a mess and I feel like the follow up is a better development of the good parts of this book. So skip this one and go straight to desperate pleasures
December 15, 2023
Era promettente ma davvero troppo breve, non solo come numero di pagine ma anche come densità di contenuto. Inoltre, dato il titolo, mi aspettavo che il dating su Tinder fosse trattato meglio e più ampiamente quando invece alla fine è solo marginale. Peccato!
August 12, 2020
A semi autobiographical story about dating, sex, working out and trying to make ends meet. The main character is caustic and hard to love, but easy to identify with.
September 18, 2020
Wild, vicious in the best way, & exciting, though probably not one to read at work! Looking forward to the follow-up!
April 3, 2021
Very accurate to the struggles of online dating and hookups
July 21, 2021
Short read. Hillarious, relatable. Enjoy the illustration style.
January 31, 2023
Lots of funny online dating anecdotes but a bit harsh for me overall.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews