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Fool's Gold #1
Fool's Gold, Vol. 1
Everyone knows that--with rare exception--girls are fatally drawn to jerks! Upon discovering this sobering truth, Penny takes it upon herself to form her own underground club to identify these boneheads and cure her girlfriends of their addiction to them! But starting a school-wide revolution may be more complicated than she thought! Designing clothes is one things, but designing a new standard for the battle for the sexes may be beyond even Penny!
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2006
3 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Amy Reeder
143 books114 followersAmy Reeder is an American comic artist known for her work on titles such as Fool's Gold, Madame Xanadu, and Batwoman.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 3, 2020
I like Amy Reeder's recent output, especially her art, but this first effort from back in 2006 shows she still had a lot of growing to do as a writer and artist.
Anyhow, a high school nonconformist finds herself in the center of the school social scene when she creates a secret club where girls can accuse and blacklist boys who behave poorly toward them. Bad boys are rated pyrite -- fool's gold -- to be avoided. Things of course go awry in obvious and silly ways.
I know I read a more recent graphic novel with the same concept in the past few years, but I cannot remember the title. Ring a bell with anyone?
Anyhow, a high school nonconformist finds herself in the center of the school social scene when she creates a secret club where girls can accuse and blacklist boys who behave poorly toward them. Bad boys are rated pyrite -- fool's gold -- to be avoided. Things of course go awry in obvious and silly ways.
I know I read a more recent graphic novel with the same concept in the past few years, but I cannot remember the title. Ring a bell with anyone?
October 11, 2012
Like all TokyoPop books this one was fun and silly and you know it's all going to fall apart somewhere. I loved Penny's plan & how all the girls stick together, but I've got to say, I'm curious about Blake!
September 6, 2023
"It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a girl in highschool, will often fall in love with a jerk."
Published by TokyoPOP in 2006, Fool's Gold was the debut of Amy Reeder Hadley, and the first in a planned trilogy. Only two volumes would ever be published. Hadley has since admitted that she had no concrete plans for the conclusion and had no idea how she was going to wrap up the series, and that she was even relieved that the third volume had been cancelled.
Still, it's interesting to re-read the volumes that were published. I read this when I was in highschool, and re-reading Fool's Gold at age 30 allows me to appreciate it again.
Fool's Gold follows highschooler Penny, who loves designing clothes, and hates seeing her friend be used by a jerk-hole boyfriend who doesn't deserve her. So what does she do? She starts a school-wide secret movement amongst the female student body to unite and boycott bad boyfriends. But can we really trust highschool girls to make permanent judgements of someone's character?
Hadley's artstyle is very western, more reminiscent of comic books than traditional manga. It's cool to see, since Hadley went on from Fool's Gold to work on comics, such as Batwoman and Supergirl. The page composition and posing is quite ambitious, especially compared to other western manga published by TokyoPOP.
The plot is also ambitious, perhaps too ambitious as Hadley admitted they had no idea how to resolve the story they set up. A lot of Fool's Gold went over my head as a kid (I had no idea there were Pride and Prejudice parallels, even with the very obvious nods). I remember as a teenager feeling a little confronted by the idea of judging someone as a jerk and then never allowing them room to change. I didn't realise at the time that feeling that way was the point.
It's definitely not a terrible read. TokyoPOP categorized it as Comedy/Romance, but it's honestly more Drama/Romance.
★★★☆☆ 3/5. Knowing there is no real pay-off or closure—a bit like riding a rollercoaster that only goes up, but then you have to get off at the top—does deflate some of the enjoyment, but it's still a nice view.
Published by TokyoPOP in 2006, Fool's Gold was the debut of Amy Reeder Hadley, and the first in a planned trilogy. Only two volumes would ever be published. Hadley has since admitted that she had no concrete plans for the conclusion and had no idea how she was going to wrap up the series, and that she was even relieved that the third volume had been cancelled.
Still, it's interesting to re-read the volumes that were published. I read this when I was in highschool, and re-reading Fool's Gold at age 30 allows me to appreciate it again.
Fool's Gold follows highschooler Penny, who loves designing clothes, and hates seeing her friend be used by a jerk-hole boyfriend who doesn't deserve her. So what does she do? She starts a school-wide secret movement amongst the female student body to unite and boycott bad boyfriends. But can we really trust highschool girls to make permanent judgements of someone's character?
Hadley's artstyle is very western, more reminiscent of comic books than traditional manga. It's cool to see, since Hadley went on from Fool's Gold to work on comics, such as Batwoman and Supergirl. The page composition and posing is quite ambitious, especially compared to other western manga published by TokyoPOP.
The plot is also ambitious, perhaps too ambitious as Hadley admitted they had no idea how to resolve the story they set up. A lot of Fool's Gold went over my head as a kid (I had no idea there were Pride and Prejudice parallels, even with the very obvious nods). I remember as a teenager feeling a little confronted by the idea of judging someone as a jerk and then never allowing them room to change. I didn't realise at the time that feeling that way was the point.
It's definitely not a terrible read. TokyoPOP categorized it as Comedy/Romance, but it's honestly more Drama/Romance.
★★★☆☆ 3/5. Knowing there is no real pay-off or closure—a bit like riding a rollercoaster that only goes up, but then you have to get off at the top—does deflate some of the enjoyment, but it's still a nice view.
April 3, 2023
I went into this without having ever heard of this, but I really enjoyed it! I liked the idea of high school girls becoming friends and keeping each other safe from abusive guys, and I completely loved all the costume designs.
October 30, 2018
A cute and fun book for teens with positive messages. I would recommend it except that the series was never finished.
November 24, 2020
I am sure that I would have appreciated this better under the title of Pyrite, but underdogs get power and then abuse others. Welcome to the new boss same as the old boss
January 11, 2022
A very fun book! The characters and premise are super enjoyable! I can’t wait to get the next book!
April 21, 2023
I have had this book for years and I figured I would pick it up again to see how it speaks to me as I’m attempting to thin out my bookshelves some. This story is a semi-spin on Pride and Prejudice, but it features sophomores in high school who are mainly interested in dating, popularity, and genuine hobbies, too.
The first book features Penny, her best friend Katie, a “pick me girl antagonist”, and some interesting commentary on the line between the need to advocate for your fellow woman against genuinely shitty guys, and judging people too quickly — or not giving people room to grow. Interesting concepts to play with in a manga for teens. It was cute to revisit
The first book features Penny, her best friend Katie, a “pick me girl antagonist”, and some interesting commentary on the line between the need to advocate for your fellow woman against genuinely shitty guys, and judging people too quickly — or not giving people room to grow. Interesting concepts to play with in a manga for teens. It was cute to revisit
April 19, 2016
Me discovering old OEL manga.
I love the art of this manga. The author did a wonderful job with the clothes and accessories; on the contrary, I don't think she's that good at drawing faces. Sometimes the character have a very weird expression.
I didn't like the plot that much. The main character, after seeing how a jerk mistreats her best friend, decides to create a geology club in which all the girls can complain and take action against the jerks in their school. In fact, jerks are like pyrite: nice on the outside and bad on the inside.
I didn't like the idea of this geology club. It's way over the top. And I don't exactly like the guy ... Way too weird for my taste.
OK, it's a short series: only two volumes. On to the next.
I love the art of this manga. The author did a wonderful job with the clothes and accessories; on the contrary, I don't think she's that good at drawing faces. Sometimes the character have a very weird expression.
I didn't like the plot that much. The main character, after seeing how a jerk mistreats her best friend, decides to create a geology club in which all the girls can complain and take action against the jerks in their school. In fact, jerks are like pyrite: nice on the outside and bad on the inside.
I didn't like the idea of this geology club. It's way over the top. And I don't exactly like the guy ... Way too weird for my taste.
OK, it's a short series: only two volumes. On to the next.
February 24, 2010
This is the first in a series of manga aimed at young women. The main character starts a club where girls tell one another about boys they know who are not nice to girls - are abusive, cheat, lie, or other various mean things. It's about empowering young women to stand up for themselves and see their own worth.
I liked the art work and the theme of this manga, and will be reading further books in the series. I'm anxious to see if the main gal gets any trouble for her little club, or if she takes it further in the future. So far I think it's a good message, though she has made some school mates angry and I have concerns she may take it too far. We shall see. :)
I liked the art work and the theme of this manga, and will be reading further books in the series. I'm anxious to see if the main gal gets any trouble for her little club, or if she takes it further in the future. So far I think it's a good message, though she has made some school mates angry and I have concerns she may take it too far. We shall see. :)
July 25, 2011
I'm rather surprised that this manga has been out as long as it has without my hearing about it, or without attaining an at least noticeable amount of popularity. This unexpectedly well-crafted manga features unique and well-realized characters, excellent art, and a sense of drama that, while definitely of the high school variety, is not as overbearing or annoying as many high-school-style dramas quickly become. (Character-wise, I particularly enjoyed the fact that its main character makes her own clothes and yet is not presented as a fruit.) Highly recommended.
July 24, 2022
7/22 3.5 Stars. Previously a favorite manga (most especially one of my favorite authors) from my teenage past, it was fun to read this again after all this time. Still love the art and all the fun outfits, and while the story was very teen realistic (complete with naïve, cringe-worthy decisions) it was still entertaining.
July 14, 2008
This OEL shojo manga is one of my guilty pleasures. I liked it very much, not sure why, artwork tends to be a little bit awkward sometimes but it doesn't matter, the story is lovely and I'll be sure to pick up next volume. *^_^*
January 4, 2015
Love the drawings and the suspense. The female lead was rather unexpected? I like how she's not your typical maiden in distress and shit. I really love this manga, but I'm really upset that it stopped after Vol. 2. & it was really hard to find! T__________T read it years ago,
August 8, 2009
So far, I'm learning that I seem to be pickier about OEL/global manga than Japanese manga.
[Further explanation in comments.:]
[Further explanation in comments.:]
April 9, 2008
I'm really interested in seeing where this series goes to. It's a high school drama with really pretty artwork. (I so love Amy's artwork!)
July 3, 2008
I love this graphic novel. The art is fantastic. The story is funny and it doesn't involve anything other than ordinary high school life, which is rare for the graphic novels I've read.
July 13, 2008
Oh dear god, it's the crystallization of the "girls like Jerks not Nice Guys" cliche in comic book form. I feel unclean.
June 27, 2014
This book was a great read! It was quirky and fun! And the designs for the clothes used in the book was a plus!
November 30, 2021
Je obrovská škoda, že u toho komiksu u nás nevydali pokračování. Dobrý námět na příběh a hlavně velice inspirativní kostýmy, oblečení a styl celé kresby.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews