American Born Chinese / Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese is a very interesting graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. The book works as three separate stories told alternately throughout the novel. All three stories come together in the last chapter when we find the characters are actually integrated with each other story. One story appears to be a Chinese legend of a monkey king who wanted to become a god, while the other two stories appear to be of a typical American teenager stories. The young adult stories are with male main characters and they include themes of racism among Asian children living in mainly white communities.

American Born Chinese is an intriguing book, because it weaves three stories that show parallels between Chinese legends and teenagers of today. All characters have a mix of desires, strengths, weaknesses and frailties which are shown in their relationships with friends, schoolmates, and the gods. American Born Chinese is interesting, because it seems to be directed toward male teens and it deals with some of their issues like dating, being bullied, anger, frustration and embarrassment. The illustrations are well done and paint extra food for young and old minds to digest while reading this excellent story.

Yang, G. L. (2006). American born Chinese. New York : First Second.

Ghost World / Daniel Clowes

Ghost World is a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes about the relationship between a couple of teenage girls. The two girls spend time at home and in their communities talking about their friends and their own lives. Enid and Rebecca spend time together complaining about their lives and the oddities of the friends and strangers who pass their paths. The girls create stories for people they see in restaurants and on the street and occasionally make prank calls. Much of their discussions are about their love lives or the lack of their conquests.


Ghost World is explicit about masturbation and sex and the girls find themselves wondering if the are lesbians or not. The language is graphic and the girls are cruel in their criticisms of friends and strangers alike. This book is probably a close parallel to the lives of some girls, but I find it very dark and depressing. This book has a place in a library if not to show that other girls have the same thoughts and concerns as the two characters in this book, but it also allows teens to look at themselves from the outside to lay a critical eye on their own thoughts and behaviours.


Glowes, D. (1997). Ghost World. Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books.

Zel / Donna Jo Napoli

Zel is a new version of the old fairy tale Rapunzel as it is imagined by Donna Jo Napoli. The tale is expanded and given more symbolic detail than the original tale. The story of Rapunzel is often modified to be more suitable for younger children, but Zel has more mature content and is suited to a young adult or adult audience.

It is not clear that Zel is the story of Rapunzel until one gets well into the book and the story gives life and imagination to the thoughts and desires of the three main characters. The themes in Zel include jealousy, deception, love, lust and desperation. The themes of this story I feel combine to produce a powerfully emotional and compelling story that I thing would be very meaningful to young adults of today.

Napoli, D. J. (1998). Zel. Toronto: Penguin Group