Skim

by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

"A funny, poignant, memorable drama of navigating adolescence." Quill & Quire

After a boy at school takes his own life, teen-witch Skim's fragile world seems to topple and turn upside down too. In witty, moving and painfully honest diary entries Skim confides the frenzy of grief that surrounds her, while deep down she struggles with her own loneliness and the secret inner stirrings she feels when falling in love for the first time.

• ISBN10: 1406321362
• ISBN13: 9781406321364
• Publish Date: 4 May 2009 (first published 9 June 2008)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Walker Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 144
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

I enjoyed this. I read it in one sitting and easily wanted more. It's interesting, with a rarely seen MC who's fat, Asian, queer, and Wiccan.

I liked the art style in general, but the faces were weird. I mean, faces ARE weird, but I wasn't a fan of this version of them.

I was shocked with the teacher bomb and wish that had been dealt with at all head on.

It is got it really very right about how schools and groups of neurotypicals react to teen suicide. And how bad those that mean well handle it. Then there's the predator that did talk to Kim the right way, only to be a freaking predator!! UGH.

My favorite part though is how things changed between Kim and Lisa and Katie Matthews. That I can easily read a lot more of, TBH, to see if it changes some more.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

After the recommendation from Ilikey Merey, and a conversation with a work colleague about it, Skim found its way into my hands thanks to aforementioned work colleague specifically for LGBTQ YA Month (thanks, Lily!). Again, not generally being a fan of graphic novels, I was a little wary, but found I really enjoyed it.

A boy from Skim's school, John commits suicide, and the school suddenly becomes obsessed with grief. Skim is witness to the "coolness" that comes with dragging out John's death - memorials, the "Girls Celebrate Life" group that's set up, the constant smothering of the one person who is actually grieving, John's ex-girlfriend Katie. Skim sees it all, but doesn't join in. She has enough going on in her own life - like falling in love with Ms. Archer, her English and Art teacher, and the recent awkwardness between her and her best friend Lisa.

This isn't a book about suicide, being a teen witch, discovering your sexuality, or friend problems. It's about life, the life of Skim, and these happen to be the things that are going on in her life at the moment. There isn't really a main focus for the story, but Skim's growing attraction to her teacher is the focus for her. Ms. Archer is cool; she listens to her, and they end up having conversations outside of class, smoking together, discussing the books being studied. Ms. Archer doesn't treat her like a child or a student, but a person who's opinions are valid. Skim is flattered by the attention, and she finds herself falling in love with her teacher. It's never discussed though; she doesn't tell Lisa, she doesn't tell anyone. Skim deals with it all on her own. It felt to me much less about Ms. Archer, and more about Skim's self-discovery and falling in love for the first time. It was sweet in the only way confusion about love can be.

The story as a whole is great. I can't really talk that much more about it without spoiling it, but I can say that it's a story I would have automatically picked up to read without hesitation if it was a YA novel rather than a graphic novel. If I had to criticise, I'd say that I'd have preferred there be more description when it came to feelings, and I'd like to know more about what happened at certain times; what led up to it, the aftermath, rather than just an image. I know a picture can say a thousand words, but perhaps a thousand isn't enough for me sometimes. An awesome graphic novel, and a great story!