Skim
By Matt Berman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Graphic novel of teen misery -- authentic but mature.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
Kim, called Skim, is not happy. Her parents are unpleasantly separated, her arm is broken, her best friend is turning nasty, a boy in her class committed suicide, and she has a crush on a female teacher. She tries dressing like a goth, she tries out a wiccan ceremony, but she just sinks further into depression and existential misery. But there are no happy endings, nor sad ones -- adolescence is something to be endured with as much grace as possible, in the hope that it will eventually get better. And it does.
Is It Any Good?
There's not much of a story in this b&w graphic novel, and what there is seems pretty familiar -- there's no shortage of teen misery in print. There are two things that make this stand out. One is the voice: this is about as close to the way teens speak and think as you will find anywhere in literature. Author Mariko Tamaki has a golden ear for the rhythms and cadences of teenspeak, the shifting emotional content, the sometimes abrupt, sometimes laconic, usually verbally inadequate expression of deep feelings.
The second is the incredibly expressive drawings, done in long, sinuous pen-and-ink lines that perfectly capture the body language of adolescents. The wary expressions and hunched shoulders of teens just trying to get through another day add layers of meaning and understanding beyond the text. Together, text and drawings capture a portrait of a developmental stage that will make adults wince with rueful memory, but that teens will recognize instantly.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the graphic elements of this book. Do they add or detract from the story? Why do you think graphic novels are so popular right now?
How would this novel have been different if it had been written in a more traditional fashion? Would you have been as interested in Kim's story?
Book Details
- Author: Mariko Tamaki
- Illustrator: Jillian Tamaki
- Genre: School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Groundwood
- Publication date: February 1, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 14
- Number of pages: 141
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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