Crush

O.K., I Get It Now

This is the third book in the "Berrybrook Middle School" series, after "Awkward" and "Brave". I wasn't familiar with those books, but looked at some of their reviews and blurbs before reading "Crush". The reviews are wildly favorable, (there are hundreds just on the Amazon site), and the fans are pretty intense. "Awkward" has over 19,000 ratings and almost 1,500 reviews on Goodreads, and I'm not sure I've ever seen a book with that many ratings that averaged over four stars. So, I was intrigued by this chance to read "Crush", even though a middle school story about crushes and dating didn't seem to promise all that much. Well, now I've read it and now I get it. This book was an unalloyed delight.

So, what distinguishes this book? Well, first and foremost, the book is, from page to page and even from panel to panel, consistently authentic. There is not a single odd tone or false note, even though there are at least a dozen different developed characters and at least a half dozen running themes and sub-plots. None of it is phony or exaggerated or overcooked. Each kid feels real and the situations and their resolutions are realistic and relatable. Usually you expect at least one or two threads to wander off into the fictional underbrush, but everything here is tight and crisp and under control.

On top of that the characters are remarkably appealing. Big, sweet, quiet Jorge is the central heroic character and he carries the story and all of its spinoffs with ease. The female leads are strong and independent and stand up quite well on their own. Everyone else feels real, (teachers feel like the teachers I remember), and even passing and cameo characters are convincing. It was a stroke of genius to have not mean girls, but mean boys, as the villains and showing us frat boy peer pressure is a refreshing and instructive change of pace.

The book has a subtle generosity and good humor that is reflected in the artwork, storytelling, the characters and the dialogue. While there is drama and conflict, there is a fundamental sense of decency and fairness underlying all of the action. I'm all for realistic middle grade fiction, but sometimes a lighter touch is effective. You know that old line to the effect that tragedy begins well but ends badly and comedy begins with a complication but ends well? This is a comedy.

In this vein, it seems to me that the only unrealistic aspect of the book is, in a way, another of its strengths. Everything turns out just right, with each character ending up exactly where he or she deserves to be and with or without exactly what he or she deserves. Would that the world worked that way, but for a middle grade social novel I have no objection to happy, or at least deserved, endings. The other thing going on is that I had to keep reminding myself that these were middleschoolers. Everyone is way too consistently aware, insightful and articulate for that to be the case, but again, having young characters who are wiser than expected is not something I'd complain about.

The upshot is that this was often amusing, frequently touching, and consistently appealing. An excellent find.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

First, I love the positive male protagonist, Jorge. He is the perfect gentleman, that all middle school kids need to experience. I love that readers can see his thought bubbles to understand the confusion of doing the right thing versus hanging out with friends. There are so many positive experiences in this book that deal with bullying and body boundaries. I have already pre-ordered Crush for my middle school students!

Having a crush is so hard, and is is doubly hard for Jorge, especially since the girl he has the crush on has a boyfriend.

We "met" Jorge in earlier books in this series, but it is not necessary to read the other books, as each of them are self contained. Awkward and Brave build on each other, but you can pick any of the three books up and have a wonderful time seeing the drama that is middle school.

There are the mean boys, rather than mean girls, in this story, which is a refreshing change. But the mean boys really are just as bad as any mean girls, and the things they do to Jorge as a revenge are very mean spirited.

The dialogue is fun. The feelings are very raw and real, and the characters are typical middle grade kids, who like to play video games, instead of studying, and who forget their homework, and other charms of going to school.

Below are some sample panels of Jorge not knowing what to do or say when he is by his crush.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-07-at-12.20.50-AM.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4529" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-07-at-12.23.15-AM.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4528" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-07-at-10.53.02-PM.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4527" />

Love this series, and can hardly wait for me to get a physical copy of this book, and then, hopefully await the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest reveiw.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved this graphic novel from Chmakova, as well as her first novel Awkward (I have not read Brave). The flow of this graphic novel is one that is easy to follow, with simple, yet beautifully crafted illustrations. Middle school students would highly relate to this book and the troubles that are within it.

Another great read.

I absolutely loved this book. It's middle school so of course nothing, and no one, is perfect. We follow Jorge, who at the beginning of the book doesn't understand why everyone around him is suddenly coupling up. That is until he realizes the reason he can't talk when Jazmine is around is because he has a crush on her. Jorge is a very likable character, who is surrounded by other likable and not so likable characters. I think a lot of tweens will be able to relate to this book. It made me laugh, which is also good! You don't have to read Awkward or Brave before reading this book but both are also really good!

Crush by Svetlana Chmakova was a gem of a middle grade graphic novel. This is actually the third of a series, but the first I read. I got a sneak peek thanks once again to my pals at NetGalley. I loved this one y'all. This one revolves around Jorge who is navigating the mess that middle school can be. As he goes through his days, he realizes that he has his first crush. The feelings he experiences in this were too real. Even all these years later, I still totally identified with what Jorge was going through. Jorge, along with his friends, are also navigating changing friendships and the quest for popularity. This story was too real - in a good way. It perfectly captured the feels of middle school. There is that want to fit in, that want to find love, and that want to just figure out who you are. This was just one of those stories that put a smile on my face.

This comic was so cute and perfect!
The drawings were beautiful, the story way too cute, and I smiled way too much while reading it. Loved it and definitely going to read the previous ones!

4 Stars ****

I don't feel that I could ever give a negative rating to a graphic novel because I always think of how much work they must be to create. I also enjoy reading them so much because they're fast and easy reads.
This graphic novel "Crush" is about middle school children so I do feel like I'm too old for it but I still related in a reminiscent way. Jorge is the main character and obviously has a crush on a girl. The story is about him dealing with his fear of talking to girls and also dealing with middle school gossip and drama. Overall the characters were great and the story was cute and enjoyable.

Special thanks to Netgalley and JY for allowing me an advance read copy in exchange for a honest review.

THIS IS THE CUTEST DANG THING I'VE READ IN A WHILE. Seriously, I'm in love with this graphic novel. I think it's the best one in the series yet! I love Jorge! (He's my favorite character!) I love how independent and strong the girls are in this book! I also love how the the various dilemmas and problems in this book were resolved in the end. I cannot wait to buy this when it comes out!

Jorge Ruiz is a tall, big, tough middle schooler. Everything seems fine. He is on the baseball team; he has friends. Then he gets to middle school and things get confusing. As Jorge navigates through his first crush, he also has to face bullying, misogyny, and drama. All along Jorge stays true to himself.

Jorge's kind, compassionate, and loyal. As someone who looks intimidating, Jorge uses that to his advantage. He will break up fights or stop bullying. He does this so often that the other kids call him sheriff. He is just so likable that I loved watching Jorge navigate the sometimes rough waters of middle school. This book had a freshness about it. It is unusual to see a male main character who witnesses sexism and mild assault and stands up to it.

This is a timely book that will be very beneficial to middle schoolers. It shows you do not have to go along with the crowd. You don't have to do what the popular people do. You can be yourself and be liked and respected for it. And you can use that respect to teach others how to treat their fellow people.

I loved this book -- maybe even more than Chmakova's other two books in the "Awkward" series. Highly recommend!!

**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**

Once again, Svetlana Chmakova has made a cute, inclusive, and most importantly, heartfelt graphic novel that I will be glad to talk up in the library. While Jorge was a clear champion of the people and a relatable protagonist, Chmakova still made sure that every character was fully fleshed out with clear motivations and personalities. I thought Awkward and Brave were good, but Crush has become my favorite of the three. With realistic middle & high school situations and teachable moments that weren't didactic, this was a winner.

I sped right through Crush and then proceeded to make sure that I had at least 2 copies pre-ordered for my library's collection, because while I love Awkward and Brave, Crush might just be slightly above those for me.
All of Chmakova's work has been incredibly popular in my library and I know that Crush will be as well, even though my tweens don't seem to be in love with love stories.