Mike Dawson (1) (1975–)

By no means bad, but I liked the first book better. I was waiting for the heart-to-heart conversation where Lori's mom realized she was being too hard on her/living vicariously through her, but it never came.

In a way, I think it's relatable for kids who are going through difficult situations with their parents. You may never get an apology.

Reading this book I felt like the author was just really still very angry about his time at camp. This book definitely shows boy scouts is not for everyone and just like everything else can definitely be corrupted. It wasn't your happy go lucky memory type book. I did like the artwork though. Not overly complicated but not too simple either.

This biography was a little bit confusing at times, such as when they randomly started following the history of Wham! or the sudden dream sequences (which I didn't always realize were dream sequences right away. However it wasn't all bad, their were some real insights into writing graphic novels and biographies and how people can feel very connected to their favorite singers. The reader just has to get past the mediocre to get to the really good.

In his autobiographical graphic novel, Mike Dawson illustrates his boyhood years and his experiences as a transplant from England to New Jersey. More importantly, and nearly as big an influence in his life, he is also a passionate fan of the band Queen. Mike's recollections of events and interactions in his young life are very often tightly entwined with Queen's own history and songs.

Freddie & Me especially resonated with me because I, too, am (or at least once was) a Queen "superfan." Mike show more and I appear to share a number of the same experiences (and frustrations), including being the same age and therefore both being sophomores in high school the morning when we learned of Freddie Mercury's untimely death. We both regret never having the opportunity to see Queen live, but both saw Queen + Paul Rodgers in concert in 2005 as a sort of consolation. We both appreciated "deep" tracks more than the singles that went on to be their greatest hits, and we both had mixed feelings about how the film Wayne's World brought Queen to the forefront of American teenage consciousness but regretted that no one seemed to appreciate the genius beyond that single song. Finally, on one of Mike's high school panels he's wearing a Tommy t-shirt, and I wonder whether he, like me, also went to see that musical.

Having said all that, Freddie & Me may not hold a great deal of appeal to readers who are not fans of Queen or not already followers of the author's previous work. The more everyday aspects of the story were in themselves not particularly fascinating. show less