Roaming

What a charming graphic novel of the 2009 meetup of three women taking a weeklong break from college to explore New York City. The tension commences immediately because two, Zoe and Fiona, are meeting for the first time, and their locus is Dani, friends to both. We all know that trios never ever work out because one is always the third wheel, and as each personality emerges, the reader knows there's going to be trouble right away. Fiona is the most worldly, being familiar with the city and contemptuous of tourists like Zoe and Dani, and basically of everyone else in the world. She's the leader of the off-road adventures and doesn't want to spend time in museums. They land at a funky hostel where there are about 1000 rules that Fiona is show more intent on breaking. The drawings are gorgeous, so much so that the words seem almost superfluous at times, but it all works perfectly. A fantastic gift for anyone who is in that same phase of life, who remembers when, and anyone who still marvels at the entire world that is New York City. show less

Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki’s Roaming tells the story of Zoe and Dani, Canadian first-year college students who were friends in high school and arrange to meet up in New York City to fulfil a childhood dream of visiting the city. Joining them is Dani’s classmate Fiona, an art student who affects a too-cool-for-you attitude and seems more confident than them both. Zoe, recently discovering more about her identity, begins to crush on Fiona, who enjoys the attention and begins monopolizing Zoe’s time to the point that Dani often finds herself on her own. Their trip reveals how Zoe and Dani have begun to grow apart, though they work to maintain their friendship.

Set in 2009, the story also represents a time capsule of being a show more tourist at that time including printed-out MapQuest directions, limited Wi-Fi connections, concerns about roaming charges and cell phone use, as well as the need to make detailing rendezvous plans as one cannot necessarily text to find their companion’s location. Jillian and Mariko Tamaki perfectly capture the uncertainties and insecurities of being 19. In addition to the narrative strengths, the art is gorgeous, using expressionist styles to evoke the montages of a road trip film. show less

High school best friends Zoe and Dani always wanted to see New York City, and now they're meeting up there for spring break during their freshman year of college. Fiona, a college friend of Dani's, tags along. They see the sights and eat so much pizza. There's some tension about whether to hit all the tourist spots versus trying to hang out like locals, and then the tension mounts as Zoe and Fiona hook up. Feeling left out, Dani ditches the other two for more of the sightseeing she's always wanted to do, leaving Zoe concerned for Dani's safety alone in the city. Will they be able to sort things out before it's time to return home?

This graphic novel has some great things to say about growing up, changing friendships, peer pressure, and show more the difficulties of traveling with a group. I thought the ending was a little weak, if realistic. The artwork, though, is amazing. show less

It’s Spring Break 2009 and three friends have five days in New York City. Over the course of their time there a fling blossoms between two of them, which causes the long-term friendship to be thrown off-balance.

Don’t know why I’ve found myself in books running around New York City with young adults, but I’m okay with it. It was actually kind of nice reading the graphic novel since it had a few places that were mentioned in my first book so I got to see them that way.

Everybody knows a Fiona - who is literally the worst and sucks the fun out of everything. Which is what drove me nuts about her and Dani’s fling. But, I will give the authors the credit in truly capturing the annoyance of Fiona as a whole.

On top of hating Fiona, I show more did find the ending just as unsatisfying. I was expecting maybe Fiona acknowledging how shitty she was - or at least giving a thank you for Dani and Zoe helping her out, or more of the group separating at the airport and going their separate ways. I get the symbolism of the ending - but I just wish there had been more.

Overall, it’s a good story about a group of friends on a trip one of them always dreamed of and it is not going exactly as planned. Wonderful depiction of that difference you have with your high school friends after going away to different colleges/universities. show less

Some Canadian college students spend spring break touring Manhattan. It's a thick book but a thin story, as a third wheel on the trip helps makes things a little messy between two lifelong friends. The messiness is pleasant enough to take in in its low-stakes way, but won't leave a lasting impression I fear.

The best part of the book is figuring out the many different ways the well-chosen title applies to the story, literally and figuratively.

(Best of 2023 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one of more of these lists:
• Washington Post
• NPR's Books We Love 2023: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made both lists.)

Beautifully drawn, and it just perfectly captures early college nostalgia/adventure -- friends going to a city to explore, finding new connections and flirtations, having some conflict and adventures. It's sassy, fun and all about cheap food in NYC. Very cool.

So gorgeous, the perfect encapsulation of turbulent teenage friendships and identity crises. Plus they have outDONE themselves with the art here!! The tamakis always bring the quality (also I got a cute extra drawing with my copy of the book which I will treasure forever)