Emiko Superstar (Minx)

If I had read this BEFORE reading "Skim" and "This One Summer," I may have been more generous with the stars. Real rating 3.5. I really love Tamaki's characters and there is always something in them that I *get* (which makes me think maybe she and I had similar teen years. ;D) BUT this one is not as good as the others. It feels more childish, less poignant, which may be the point, I don't know. Twelve or thirteen year old me probably would have adored it.

It is also sadly lacking in Jillian Tamaki's beautiful art, which was a shame. The two together for "Skim" and "This One Summer" are definitely graphic novel magic. :)

Emiko Superstar could easily be dismissed as an angsty teen attempts to find out who she is over the summer tale, and yet it's manages to be more. Yes, we start out with Emi - shy, awkward Emi who's biggest act of rebellion to date has been skipping Young Entrepreneur Camp with her geek friends because she wasn't fully committed to being a geek anymore.

When Emi discovers a group of performance artists at "The Factory," this is where lesser stories would fall down. Lesser stories would merely have Emi blossom as she discovered her true path. Instead, this is a rich little story where it isn't just about blossoming - it's about flaws, missteps and successes.

This is up there with The Plain Janes as one of my Minx favourites. There are two levels to the story - Emily's and that of her bosses' marriage. It's a classic coming of age story, and the best bit about it is that the "catalyst" for that coming of age isn't a relationship. Emily finds art and friends and meaning for herself, not through a boyfriend or first love.

Am I the only one who thought the Curator looked somewhat like Destruction of the Endless and that Poppy not only looked like but definitely was Delirium?

But yeah, great book.

I was kind of..."meh" on this one. Emiko, while babysitting one summer, finds the diary of her employer and, instead of LEAVING IT WHERE IT WAS AND NOT READING IT, not only reads it but copies several entries and READS THEM ONSTAGE at a performance art showcase.

Yes, there are mild consequences, but wow, was I uncomfortable with it all...

Emily is a lonely geek, who discovered the Freak Factory, a dumpy, garbage strewn hangout, where people come to perform and let their weirdness shine. Enamored by the dancer Poppy, Emily finds courage to take the stage and become Emiko the superstar, even if only for a short while.

This is definitely a young adult comic/graphic novel with a simple, uplifting storyline. It's not deep and there is no sense of complexity. But it's a well put together story and Emily is likeable. And like Emily, I could fall in love with Poppy and her sense of freedom, too. The art style also supports it well and I like that a variety of body types are shown.

Loved this title. The art and writing blended well and the characters were genuine even when they were also completely wild and unbelievable. Charming! Would highly recommend.

Emily’s life is completely humdrum from the A in chemistry to the stupid job as a coffee drink mixer. She doesn’t even join her geek friends when they go off to spend the summer at the Young Executives Retreat. Then, when she’s at the mall one day a flier the Freak Show at the Factory just flutters into her hand. There Emily discovers a world of self-expression that opens new doors to her hidden artistic side. But in an effort to express herself Emily finds herself stealing another person’s identity in an attempt to find her own. A sweet and sincere coming-of-age tale.