A review by crayolabee
Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible by Suzanne Kamata
Did not finish book.
I wanted to like this book, but I just Did Not Get It. and thus, I Did Not Finish either. (I made my DNF shelf here just for this book, lovely.)
1. The manga connection is weak and unconvincing. To be frank, her manga Gadget Girl doesn't sound very interesting or good at all. Additionally, references to other manga/anime series are either uninspired and obvious, like Hayao Miyazaki, or just plain wrong, like when she and her friend play Sailor Moon, with one as "Sailor Moon" and the other as -- get this -- "Venus Moon". Bro, do you even manga???
2. It's weirdly anachronistic. She's watching hit counts on her web page? Far, far more likely to watch Likes on a Facebook page for this kind of thing. Actually, a social media aspect might have been just the update this book needed. It would be anonymous! current! social! It also allows for discussion/queries about Gadget Girl's author. (For an example of a really good novel with anonymous manga-ish comics, read I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest.) Her friend also rents DVDs. I guess people still DO that, but I don't know anyone who says "I rented a movie" these days, especially not teenagers. More "I got a movie from RedBox/the library" or "this movie's on Netflix". I understand this book was originally published as a novella in 2008. However, if it's set in 2008 or earlier, I think it should name itself as being set in 2008 (or whenever). This story could have benefited a lot from an update.
3. I had to put it down when I got to the part where they're watching a movie about Saint Bernadette, who was cured of her chronic disease after witnessing a miracle. And this somehow gives her hope about curing her cerebral palsy? seriously? I think there's definitely a place for "maybe this will be a cure" in books with disabled protagonists, but inspired by a dumb movie? That is, frankly, absurd. And a little insulting. I was considering recommending this book to another person I know who has cerebral palsy, but there is no way I would do that now.
To be clear, I don't hate this book. The parts just don't add up to a cohesive whole, in my mind, and I can't get past that.
Though really--as a Sailor Moon fan, the "Venus Moon" thing is rather unforgivable. (Actually, for that matter, the idea that no one else knew who Sailor Moon was in their town is kind of odd. IT WAS ON TV, Y'ALL. It's not exactly an obscure 3-episode never-translated-or-licensed OVA.) I probably should have dropped it after reading that, but that was page 14 and I wanted to give it a chance.
1. The manga connection is weak and unconvincing. To be frank, her manga Gadget Girl doesn't sound very interesting or good at all. Additionally, references to other manga/anime series are either uninspired and obvious, like Hayao Miyazaki, or just plain wrong, like when she and her friend play Sailor Moon, with one as "Sailor Moon" and the other as -- get this -- "Venus Moon". Bro, do you even manga???
2. It's weirdly anachronistic. She's watching hit counts on her web page? Far, far more likely to watch Likes on a Facebook page for this kind of thing. Actually, a social media aspect might have been just the update this book needed. It would be anonymous! current! social! It also allows for discussion/queries about Gadget Girl's author. (For an example of a really good novel with anonymous manga-ish comics, read I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest.) Her friend also rents DVDs. I guess people still DO that, but I don't know anyone who says "I rented a movie" these days, especially not teenagers. More "I got a movie from RedBox/the library" or "this movie's on Netflix". I understand this book was originally published as a novella in 2008. However, if it's set in 2008 or earlier, I think it should name itself as being set in 2008 (or whenever). This story could have benefited a lot from an update.
3. I had to put it down when I got to the part where they're watching a movie about Saint Bernadette, who was cured of her chronic disease after witnessing a miracle. And this somehow gives her hope about curing her cerebral palsy? seriously? I think there's definitely a place for "maybe this will be a cure" in books with disabled protagonists, but inspired by a dumb movie? That is, frankly, absurd. And a little insulting. I was considering recommending this book to another person I know who has cerebral palsy, but there is no way I would do that now.
To be clear, I don't hate this book. The parts just don't add up to a cohesive whole, in my mind, and I can't get past that.
Though really--as a Sailor Moon fan, the "Venus Moon" thing is rather unforgivable. (Actually, for that matter, the idea that no one else knew who Sailor Moon was in their town is kind of odd. IT WAS ON TV, Y'ALL. It's not exactly an obscure 3-episode never-translated-or-licensed OVA.) I probably should have dropped it after reading that, but that was page 14 and I wanted to give it a chance.