Page By Paige

by Laura Lee Gulledge

Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.Laura Lee Gulledge crafts stories and panels with images that are thought-provoking, funny, and emotionally resonant. Teens struggling to find their place can see themselves in Paige's honest, heartfelt story.Praise for Page by Paige“Gulledge's b&w illustrations are simple but well-suited to their subject matter; the work as a whole is a good-natured, optimistic portrait of a young woman evolving toward adulthood.” –Publishers Weekly

• ISBN13: 9780810997226
• Publish Date: 1 May 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Abrams
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

Can't wait to share this with my daughter

I love the art, characters, and story.
Causes The Feels. Adorable innocent dating.
Love and respect how Jules's private issue was handled.
Beware the use of "exotic" to describe people. Thankfully only once.
Touching mother-daughter moments. The metaphor about the dots and the lines was brilliant.

As a quiet introvert who moved in my teen years, this spoke to me. As the mother of a shy artist, I hope this inspires her to step out of her shell and listen when we compliment her work.

As I'll be telling my daughter though, somethings that sound or look like typical teenage angst is deeper than that. Paige meantions her social anxiety and the worrying issues. Some have minor instances they can overcome. Some will struggle with it their whole lives in therapy and on medication. You are not a failure if you can't improve yourself on your own like Paige. And as Paige discovers, asking for help isn't a weakness or failure.

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Absolutely love the artwork! The approach is very introspective and Paige's thoughts are laid out across the pages in a surrealistic style. This is further accentuated by metacomic moments as what she draws in her sketchbook is also the graphic novel itself. I'm usually very taken in by metafictive elements when done well, so props for that! The only thing that bothered me was the flat plot. I wasn't swept away by the story. But the individual moments were so strong and the characters distinctive that I still came to enjoy Page by Paige.

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

First impressions: This book stands on its art, which can be variously beautiful, disturbing, and clever. The storyline, however, is annoying, focusing on Paige's extensive insecurities and her quest to use her friends to overcome them.

Full review to come.