Publication Date: January 7th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel
Source: The NOVL
Synopsis:
Meet the Plain Janes–teenage artist activists on a mission to wake up their sleepy suburban town in this graphic novel bind up, perfect for fans of This One Summer and Awkward.
After getting caught in the midst of a terrorist attack on Metro City, artsy misfit Jane Beckles is forced to leave her beloved bustling metropolis for the boring suburb of Kent Waters. At first Jane thinks her life is over, but then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by only two things–a shared name and an all-too-relatable frustration with the adults around them–the girls form a secret club dedicated to waking up their fellow citizens with guerrilla works of art scattered around town.
But for Main Jane, the group is more than just a simple act of teenaged rebellion, it’s an act of survival. She’s determined not to let fear rule her life like it does her parents’ and neighbors’. Armed with her sketchbook and a mission of resistance, she’s out to prove that true passion and a group of good friends can save anyone from the hell that is high school.
Includes the original two installments of the cult classic graphic novel The Plain Janes–The Plain Janes and Janes in Love–plus a never-before-seen third story, Janes Attack Back. And it gets even better: In the final book, each part will be printed in its own distinct color, because there’s nothing plain about these Janes.
*The ARC I received only included a sneak peek of the third installment so note that is all my review will cover*
I feel like I should preface this with as much as I try, I just do not think I will ever be a graphic novel person.
The Plain Janes is a compilation of the first two installments of the original stories plus a brand new never before seen story!
The stories are based on a group of girls named “Jane” and follows the girls as they carry out some artist activism throughout their small town. It covers some hard hitting topics, PTSD and terrorism. After being affected by a bombing that took place in the city, Jane Beckles and her family move to a small town. Jane is really affected my the attack and is questioning everything about her life and the world around her. She wants more from her life and discovers a group of girls at school she decides will be her friends. Jane encourages the other girls to join her in creating art installations. The girls are trying to do what they can to make their town better and bring some love by their art installations.
I found the stories to be cute and have so many great messages for teens. Castellucci does a fantastic job at sharing girl empowerment, inclusion, diversity and being who you are no matter what. The Janes stick together through everything and support each other through all of their differences. These girls ( and lets not forget the few guys involved) show great strength and bravery. They never gave up and made sure to see all their plans through.
Although I thought it was cute and had great messages that are great for teens, that can easily be taken away from this fast read. I had some issues with the pacing and some of the writing. I found some of the dialouge/captions to be too corny. Like it made me cringe kind of corny. There were times that the story kind of lost me because it jumped around in place/time. I am not sure if this was because I do not read graphic novels as much and this is a common occurrence. I was also a little thrown by the sneak peek of the third installment. This might be because it was very short and I did not get the whole story.
Overall I found this to be a super quick read that was cute and fun. I think some of the issues I had are fully personal. Castellucci created some dynamic and unique characters that added so much to the story. It reminded me of the female power and activism found in Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu! The Plain Janes covered the topics of PTSD, grief and handling trauma in a way that made it more comprehendible for someone who has not experienced something like that. If you are looking for a fun book about art, friendship and activism this book is for you!
