Jane finds a creative way to fit in when her parents move the family to the suburbs.
This isn't a new story, but the author manages to put a nice twist on the usual tribal drama. The idea of a renegade group of girls forcing art on an unsuspecting town is both exciting and different. It would be good in a standard novel form, but the graphic novel format really brings the whole thing to life. The Janes have a true chance to become superheroines, and it is delightful to watch them come into their own. The parents do seem a bit intense and they overreact to the point of making the reader grit teeth, but it is a YA novel, so some angst is to be expected.
This is a great addition to any graphic novel collection, especially considering how few graphic novels for girls are out there. ( )

This fascinating and cleverly done graphic novel follows the story of Jane as after a bomb explodes in her city, her family moves to the suburb to be safer. Jane narrates the book through a series of letters that she writes to a John Doe who was knocked into a coma during the same explosion and that she feels she has a connection with. The John Doe had been an artist and so when Jane has trouble fitting in at her school, she connects to a group of girls also called Jane and they plan art attacks.

These simple acts of art end up transforming the town and how people think as Jane becomes more comfortable in her new home. In this work, the graphic novel style suits the story and the striking black and white illustrations move the story to a stronger place as we see transformations in people and places.

Due to the hard subject matter that is dealt with in terms of the violence and the struggles of high school, this book would work best for a high school reader and could be very effective as a way to open up a discussion about how disasters and moving can change and affect us. Though the violence is dealt with from a slightly indirect viewpoint as Jane works to a point of being able to deal with it herself which means that a younger but mature reader but also find a connection. ( )

After surviving a terrorist attack in Metro City, Jane is shocked by the cruelties and pains of the world. She responds to these cruelties with an attempt to redefine herself by chopping off her hair and embracing alternative values. Jane is inspired by a sketch books with “Art Saves” embossed on the cover. She found the book discarded in front of her amidst all of the madness and confusion during the terrorist attack.As a result of the terrorist attack the books owner, a John Doe, is trapped in a coma in the Metro City hospital. Jane often visits him to read to him and express her inner conflict and frustration with the world. She wonders to herself, “Can art actually save people?”.Jane decides to find the answer to this question, after her family decides to leave Metro City, for the safe suburban confines of Kent Waters. Jane finds comfort in her foreign setting by forcing her friendship upon a unique assortment of “individuals”, all of whom are named Jane. With help from the bookish, Brain Jane, the dramatic thespian Jane and the jock/sporty Jane, Jane forms P.L.A.I.N. People Loving Art In Neighborhoods, a secret group that conspire to create acts of art sabotage in their community.

I liked this graphic novel, and was impressed by the manner in which the author approached teenage rebellion. There were no drugs involved, no acts of violence or overly emotionalized responses to the cruelties perceived through the teenage world view. Even the mischief they caused through their artistic terrorism was harmless, resulting in property damages that were not destructive or permanent. Their art sabotage served a purpose which was to promote beauty in their setting. A refreshing contrast to the oppressive and constant reminders of the mediated fear and uncertainty present in a post 911-like world. ( )

After Jane is injured in a random bombing in Metro City, her parents freak out and move to the suburbs, where they imagine life will be safer.

Jane feels totally changed by her experience and connected to "John Doe," the guy whose life she saved after the bombing. He had no ID, only an art portfolio titled "Art Saves."

When Jane meets three other misfits at her new school who share her name, she feels like she has found a place to belong. She creates a secret club called P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods) and she and the other Janes commit acts of artistic terrorism that have the town on edge. ( )

This is the first graphic novel I’ve read, and, after growing accustomed to the format, I rather enjoyed it. The story was a little on the weak side and needed the art supported it. I don’t feel the story would stand on its own. The reader is left hanging a bit at the end, but all in all an enjoyable read, particularly for reluctant readers. ( )