Girl Town

August 27, 2018
The first story in this magical collection of short comics opens on a group of female pals who “all got kicked out of astronaut school for being too good looking to be sent to space.” This sets the tone for the entire escapade, which mixes elements of fantasy and science fiction—enchanted pork pies, android boyfriends, underwater hotels—into a contemporary young-adult milieu of zines; podcasts; sleazy gaming guys; sarcastic roommates; and smart, cool, insecure women. Two friends confront their doppelgängers; a girl is fitted with an electric prosthetic tongue; a young divorcee travels to her parents’ lake house with her new girlfriend. Though the plots are eclectic, the stories share a common thread in their exploration of memory and self, themes that mesh with the melding of fairy-tale past, millennial present, and cybernetic future. Nowak switches up her visual style for each piece, but her art is consistently appealing, with relatable funny-faced characters inhabiting imaginatively detailed settings, all drenched in bright broad-paintbox colors. Two of the stories won Ignatz Awards, and the full collection represents the emergence of a promising new comics talent. Agent: Jennifer Linnan, Linnan Literary Management.

Starred review from December 1, 2018

Nowak (Lumberjanes) tosses off more wildly imaginative ideas per page than some creators have over their entire careers in this invigorating collection of short stories. In the opening piece, a woman kicked out of astronaut school for being too attractive pines for her neighbor, whose arm mysteriously vanishes overnight. The next story, which follows two friends as they shop at a market specializing in fantastic goods and bizarre attractions, is charming and funny right up until the end, when it becomes extremely poignant. The standout piece follows and stars a woman with an electric tongue (she lost the original in a motorcycle accident) who attempts to get over her ex by purchasing a robot boyfriend. That might sound like a premise straight out of Black Mirror, but Nowak makes it her own by eschewing heady speculation about artificial intelligence in favor of a probing yet tender character study. VERDICT Nowak's characters banter, bicker, and yearn for love, connection, and acceptance. Their world isn't quite ours, but their struggles are familiar and very entertaining.--TB

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 21, 2018

This anthology gathers five stories, including one previously unreleased tale and two Ignatz Award winners. Though the entries cover a range of genres (sci-fi, realistic, horror, and more) and topics (astronaut school rejects, an emotional house-sitting stint), all explore discovering and accepting oneself. Refreshingly, female characters express vulnerability and strength. Relying on sturdy, at times unpolished linework and a palette of pinks and purples, the art depicts people of different body types and sexualities. The minimalist backgrounds and shading of many of the tales reflect the character-driven storytelling, although "Radishes" and "Girl Town" provide numerous detailed backdrops, and "The Big Burning House" stands out for its text-heavy presentation intermingled with other visuals. The lettering throughout is difficult to read owing to its angled, handwritten, and inconsistently kerned style, but the dialogue, while sometimes absurd, is authentic. There is some cursing, nudity (including a bacchanalia scene), and limited, unrevealing sex scenes. VERDICT Empowering and beautifully haunting, this work will find its home among hard-core graphic novel fans and those seeking nuanced representations of women.-Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL