Tina’s Mouth: an Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap Illustrated by Mari Araki YP FIC KASHYAP

Read through the pages of Tina Malhotra’s existential diary, a high school assignment to answer the all-consuming question: who am I? Well, for Tina it’s complicated.  She’s a non-religious East Indian-American, she’s looking for a use for her mouth, she’s in love with the father of existentialism Jean Paul Sartre, and she’s about to learn more about herself and life then she ever thought possible in one year. 

Think a high school, demented, profound, slightly profane, edgy, existential Diary of a Wimpy Kid with a totally awesomely out there female protagonist and you start to see the appeal of Tina’s Mouth.  The book is marketed as a good companion to the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (YP FIC SATRAPI or DVD PERSEPOL), but it really is quite a stretch.  Both are about young women coming of age and both are quite good, but that’s the only comparison point.  Mari Araki makes a great artist for the book.  The designs are simple and you can really believe the book is written and drawn by an artistically-inclined, inward-seeking teenage girl.  That leads to some of the books weaknesses.  Tina’s views on life, love, friendship, and cliques are witty and feel honest, but hardly groundbreaking or original.  The fact that this feels like it is a honest look at high school means that much of the ground covered has been covered (and sometimes better) by plenty of YA novels.  The saving grace is that this is a graphic novel diary and that elevates the occasionally unoriginal material to something fresh and new.  Not for all comic fans, but if you want something funny and unique in your comics this is a good, quick read.

Check our catalog for Tina’s Mouth here.

Pieces of Georgia

Pieces of Georgia
by Jen Bryant


Georgia is a seventh-grader who lives alone with her widowed father. Georgia's mother had been a talented artist, like Georgia. Now, Georgia hides her talent from her father who is still mourning her mother. At School, Georgia is shy and not very talkative. Her guidance counselor offers her a deal: if she will write to her mother every night in a journal, then Georgia won't need to come in for counseling sessions as often. Then, just after her birthday, Georgia receives a mysterious gift.

Georgia is very aware of the people around her and how they're feeling, but she is much less aware of how they feel about her. As a result she is sometimes surprised by things that won't surprise the reader. Bryant wrote Pieces of Georgia in verse, and while the poetic line breaks don't seem to add much to the overall story, they don't really hurt it either. The diary-style reads as though Georgia is speaking directly to the reader. Her voice and character are distinct througout.

Georgia is a positive character who manages to lift herself above her own problems and accept the people around her with kindness and grace. A fun read!