Token, written by Alisa Kwitney and drawn by Joëlle Jones, is one of the last Minx books that we'll ever see, because DC has decided to shut down their young-adult line. That's very sad, because I have really enjoyed the Minx books I've read. I know they are targeted to younger (primarily female) readers, but for some reason I've really enjoyed them.
In Token, Shira is a 15 year old girl living in Miami. The story is set in 1987 and I didn't really understand why. I mean, why not set it today? There wasn't anything relevant to the time period that wouldn't have been relevant today. That just seemed a little odd... but I digress.
Shira's mother died many years ago and her father has always treated her like a princess... until he starts to fall in love with his secretary. Shira feels like she is losing her father because he is simultaneously becoming more critical of her and spending less time with her. Shira doesn't fit in at school and doesn't have many friends. Her best friend is an eighty year old woman.
Feeling lost and getting more and more lonely, Shira falls for a boy she barely knows and falls into some bad habits.
I enjoyed the story, but felt a little lost in the ending. I would have liked to see a little more resolution in plot elements. But don't get me wrong, it was a very fun book. It is a good exploration of the uncertainty in life that teenagers have.
The art is fantastic. Joëlle Jones is a local Portland, Oregon artist, but I had never heard of her before this book. I will be looking for other books she has drawn, because I really enjoyed the art in this book. Very well done.
I'll put this book on the shelf and probably read it again in a couple years. It would be a good book to introduce someone to the comic world with. It is about as far away from the stereotypical comic book as they get.
B+/A- : I really enjoyed the story, but I thought it ended a little weak. The art was very solid and Jones really showed she could draw a variety and do it well. Recommended.
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