The Stereotypical Freaks

3.5/5 stars

Short and Sweet:

I’ve been on a graphic novel kick lately, and I really enjoyed this one! This is a great read if you’re looking for something different and cool.
To Elaborate…

Though this isn’t the kind of premise I’m usually drawn to, a blogger friend recommended it to me, and her review won me over. This is the perfect reminder for me that I need to read both in and out of my usual spectrum because I liked this one so much. The story follows Tom as he and his friends form a band for the school Battle of the Bands contest. On the surface, the four high schoolers seem your run of the mill types (football player, smart musician, etc.), but the story soon delves into deeper issues.

As much as I enjoy reading kickbutt female characters, I had forgotten how important sensitive male leads are. All four of the guys are strong, mentally speaking, but they also have softer sides that they aren’t afraid to show. The story opens up areas of masculinity that aren’t presented often enough (in my opinion) in other stories, and it is so refreshing to see that here. This book offers up a strong chance to gain some empathy.

While I generally like the graphics (especially the incredible facial expressions and use of diversity), they do have kind of a raw, sketchy feel to them. I wanted to see a little more of a finished look in areas. The dialogue is also a bit stiff at times, but the majority of it definitely feels realistic and sincere.

Readers wanting an emotional, nicely off beat, and fun story can find an excellent pick in The Stereotypical Freaks. I definitely want to read more from this author, and I’m so glad I got to read this.

God, this book, sorry, too many emotions. Wow, just wow. I am still feeling like I want to cry, that ending, that story. :(

First of all, I was a bit worried about this book, I read the second book in this series some time ago and I didn't like it at all for various reasons. So I was worried that this book would be the same. I will post a small timeline on my feelings about this book. First part: Oh, guys and being outsiders, trying to make a band. *yawns* Middle part: *hears about what Jacoby has (had suspicions) and we also find out several other things*Book becomes better, insert me sniffling. Last Part: Oh no *cries*.

The first part of the book was pretty boring, there was some drama, some stereotypes flying about, 2 boys having a band and one of them wants to participate in the Battle of Bands of their school, but then we met with Mark, and we met Jacoby. A character I really grew to love. Immediately when Jacoby was introduced I just had that feeling that there was something wrong with him. There were the little hints. The things our main character and his friend talk about (Jacoby missing school often, suddenly living with his Aunt), but also what Jacoby said (stomach hurting (which he said, but before he said that you could see he was planning to say something else), calling his Aunt differently, the way he looked when he said stuff). And when a bit later we found out, it just broke my heart. And though I won't say much more, it also hit close home for me. After that the story quickly changed from quite light-hearted and filled with some daily drama, to a story filled with a guy living his life to the fullest, trying everything, doing everything, and also helping everyone else.

Because that is what Jacoby did. Instead of moping or crying or just doing stuff people often do when they hear the news that Jacoby got, Jacoby went to live his life to the fullest, he participated in the band, and he filled his friends with words of wisdom. Even helping them out with things. For instance Mark who wasn't sure to whom he should be loyal. To the band? To his jock friends? Jacoby had some great words that helped out Mark. Or Dan, whose dad is never around and instead sends the most expensive new gadgets he can. It was just absolutely fabulous and I was just sniffling and clapping for the guy who is so selfless and so wonderful.

Of course Jacoby's illness, and warning SPOILERS (as Netgalley doesn't have them I will just post it like this) death hit me hard. As the book continues you can see him get less and less in everything. Losing weight, becoming weaker and weaker with each day. He knew he was going to die, just not when, and it was heartbreaking to see him fight, to see him just want to do everything before he lost this battle he was still fighting, and it was even more heartbreaking at the end, when we knew that he wouldn't be able to fight any more. To know that he will be soon gone, gone from this world after a big struggle with the vicious disease that is cancer. I felt so sorry his 3 friends, who even went to see him, even if that meant flying and a big journey. All that just to see him, to see him one final time. They stayed with him, they watched a dvd of their band and they gave him the trophy they won. I just cried at that part, they knew that as soon as they went through his bedroom door, as soon as they went away from him, that they wouldn't see him again. My God, that just hit me so hard. Everything was already heartbreaking, and I can't imagine how hard it must be for 4 guys who got together, who became quick friends, to have to say farewell to one of them. To know that they will never see him, that this is truly the last, final time for them to say their things. END OF SPOILERS!!!!!

The other characters were also interesting. Tom was great, though I got a bit tired of him pining for a girl and never trying to talk to her or tell her his feelings. I didn't like how he kept moping about it. He had his chance, don't cry or mope or get angry when someone does talk to her and she likes him back. Mark was a good character though I didn't always like him, the way he tried to juggle his jock life with the band and his friends there. The way he talked. But as the story progressed I saw him change. Mostly because Jacoby tried to talk to him about stuff.
Then we have Dan. He was quite cynical at times, but also quite hilarious, and I loved how he was the one to try to push the band to perform. He wanted more for the band, more than being a basement band that was just doing songs that no one would hear. I also felt sad for him, the dad situation wasn't the easiest one and I can imagine he is sad and angry towards his dad. Wouldn't anyone?

The art was one of the thing (other than the slow start of the book) that prevented me from rating this book a 5 star. At times the art was pretty good, but quite often it looked like we just were reading something out of a sketchbook. There were helplines (or whatever the name of those lines are), it looked hurried and unfinished. At times stuff was drawn with black ink, at times it was just normal pencil strokes. Again at times it looked pretty good, especially closer up, but I think that in Graphic Novels the art is one of the most important things, next to the story. The art breaks or makes it. And I just feel that it could have been better in this one.

Would I recommend this one? Yes, though like I said, the book begins quite slow, but don't give up, just push through and you will be rewarded with an amazing book about a difficult and very sad topic.

At first, I didn't enjoy the art, but as the story developed, my enjoyment of the art blossomed. I really liked this heartfelt story of high school boys and friendship.

'The Stereotypical Freaks' is a graphic novel by Howard Shapiro. It's part of the Forever Friends trilogy. I read the second book first, but I think each volume so far stands completely on it's own.

Four very different young men come together to form a band for their school's battle of the bands contest. They each represent a different segment of their school, so they end up calling their band The Stereotypical Freaks. They have their clashes as a band and as high school students. One is a jock and he gets pressured by his friends about hanging out with seemingly uncool kids. One is a quiet foreign exchange student with a sad secret. As the day of the contest gets closer the secret is revealed and it helps form closer friendships and gets the band to the competition.

I liked the art a bit better in this volume, but it's black and white and since this was a I'm not sure if it's the final or just a draft. The story feels a bit dated, based on some of the music they guys in the band like, but it's still a good story. There are no superheroes here. Just a well told story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Animal Media Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I have read many a graphic novel over the last 6 months and this one is definitely my favourites. This one had all the good points to the story and I read it without stopping, taking about a hour and was deeply captivating. To be honest, the cover really attracted me to this graphic novel and I didn't really know much about it but it was definite a good one. I felt engaged by the plot that the graphic novel had and there were points to it that were quite unexpected and highly enjoyable. I also find the characters interesting and I give credit to the author for including a diverse characters something that I actively look for. I liked the art style but think that it could use some colour but over reading the colour didn't really bother me. Overall a very enjoyable graphic novel.

I have not read a lot of graphic novels but this one was very good. I really think reluctant readers, especially those interested in reading would enjoy this book as well as just about anyone else. The story is about 4 highschool boys who are trying to fit in. One is the jock (Mark/Marko/Marcel), one is the "exchange" student from Nunavut Iqaluit (Jacoby), one new to the school from Oshawa (Dan) and the last the smart kid (Tom). The school they attend is having a Battle of the Bands. Circumstances end up putting these four boys together and they begin to practice. They enter the contest and name themselves "The Stereoptypical Freaks". As the contest nears, Jacoby finally tells the boys he has terminal cancer, but he will be around to play. He manages a couple of situations to help the boys become the best they can be. It is a real tear jerker at the end, but a great story. The illustrations are Pen and Ink Drawings that some kids might have preferred a little colour but it works.

This is about four very different teenage boys (stereotypical freaks) coming together to make a band and compete in a battle of the bands. This is a very standard story that has been told a million times in many formats (The Breakfast Club). The artwork is very nice and the story was very emotional and I was impacted by it. However, it felt very Leave It to Beaver perfect and that annoyed me a bit. There was a nod to diversity, but I felt it was put in as a requirement because everything else was so perfect. Overall, it was worth the read and well done, but something felt amiss. Recommended for teens interested in realistic fiction graphic novels.

This is a great comic about life in the final year of high school. I don't normally read books or comics about American high schools because they always seem so angst filled and miserable, and worlds away from my own school experience, but this is quite a positive and engaging story.

The drawings are black and white and although I prefer colour comics I don't think this affected my enjoyment of the story. The dialogue between the characters is great and not too wordy for a graphic novel. The story is also easy to follow and one that both older and younger readers should be able to relate to and enjoy.

Tom and Dan are best friends starting their final year of high school. It is the turning point between childhood and adulthood and their last chance to make a splash in that small world that is school. Both of them have their own interests at school but they both yearn for something more, and both if them have hurts that they are grappling with. The chance comes to make a splash when they enter the battle of the bands and form a new band with new friendships.

All the four band members get to learn some important lessons about life, friends and facing life, and they also get to resolve their hurts as one of them faces a major crisis. I think it is a great story, very positive, and one both adults and children/young people would enjoy this. It is universally appealing.

Not the kind of thing that I would normally read but still very entertaining and well drawn. I enjoyed it.

Review will be posted September 11 The Stereotypical Freaks starts out as just Dan and Tom, who play guitar in Tom's basement. When Tom sees a guy ask out his crush of six years and then enter the battle of the bands that Dan has been bugging him about entering, Tom impulsively signs them up and then they need to look for 2 more band members.

They end up adding Mark, Tom's childhood best friend that drifted once he started playing football and Jacoby, an exchange student who is a great drummer.

I don't want to give too much away, but I thought that this was going to be just another book (comic book) about high school kids starting a band and winning the battle of the bands. Boy was I wrong, it was so much more than that and a very emotional journey.

I liked that before each chapter there were a couple of songs recommended for you to listen to. It ends up being a pretty nice playlist!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

This graphic novel was a lot different than I was expecting, not in a bad way. It was just different. I guess I expected more of a lighthearted, music based read. It had so much more than that.

The four main characters, Tom, Dan, Mark, and Jacoby, each came into the band with their own set of issues. Tom lacked confidence and change, Dan felt abandoned by his father, Mark was an athlete who didn't know how to be his own person, Jacoby was an exchange student with serious health problems. It definitely made for an interesting mix when these guys decided to enter the battle of the bands contest at their school senior year.

The characters were likable enough. I did have a hard time relating with Mark. While he was a nice guy, I didn't like his two-faced charade. I understand the pressures of high school, I just found it hard to relate. All of the characters did seem a little younger to me. They seemed more around 14 or 15 than 17 or 18.

I don't generally read a lot of graphic novels, so maybe the time jumps are a normal thing. I was a bit confused in the beginning when a month or two would pass in a page. Once I realized how it was being structured, this made a lot more sense to me.

The art work here was nice. I really enjoyed that each character had something that was theirs. They each had their own look and style that kept them easy to distinguish.

This was a really fun and fast read for fans of graphic novels.

This graphic novel had an interesting cast of characters and quite nice artwork but I felt that it could have used a little more work plot-wise. It's still a pretty enjoyable read though and I would recommend it to young people, especially those with a thing for music.

The Stereotypical Freaks is an important comic about hope, acceptance and friendship. It centers around four high school seniors of which two are friends already. The third is a former friend with whom the relationship needs to be built again and the fourth is a totally new friend but with a terminal disease. These four form a band and attend a band competition, but I'm not so sure why they wanted to do that in the first place. Reasons and such grown along the way especially when knowing one of them won't make it. I liked it how mundane the comic was and it was easy to relate to. Nothing spectacular happens in it, but it's more like a journey on which you grow up and realize things about the world and yourself. These kind of comics we need more especially for boys. The comic went over the top though, as it was kind of weird how our death-sick protagonist arranges everyone's businesses and patches things up too - it would'be been way much important that the characters would've come to that result on their own. This, because in real life you hardly have people like those.

The comic is black and white, but I'm not so sure if it's supposed to have colors or not. Some of the panels looked like rough sketches. Most of the art was clear and great looking, so this anomaly felt odd. The comic would've needed colors. For younger readers it would help understanding the story. There isn't hardly any shading either, so the panels look rough and not ready. Such an important comic needs more into it - especially if you want to get boys to read this and trust me, they'd like this surely.

The review on my blog link will be published on the 9th of November

The Stereotypical Freaks by Howard Shapiro is a graphic novel based upon a group of teens who come together to take part in a battle of the bands contest. The group all have different interests and social groups and other than the band itself not much in common with each other. I really enjoyed reading this and as i'm used to reading a lot of manga the black and white art style didn't bother me although I think it would have benefited from a bit more colour. Its quite short which makes it ideal for those who aren't big on reading. The ending is a bit of a tear jerker so you have been warned. The fact that its based on music is one thing that drew me to trying out this graphic novel, each chapter has a listening recommendation. I read other reviews where people had said the music was "old or outdated" - These people are either very young with no appreciation of good music as all the bands mentioned have in actual fact been/still are very well known or they don't like rock music. I very much enjoyed this quick read graphic novel and in some ways it reminded me of Scott Pilgrim. Rated 3/5.

I wasn't really too sure what I was getting into when I requested this book, but having been in a band (albeit briefly)while in high school, I thought it would be fun to read a new graphic novel that follows along with some modern high schoolers also looking to play in a band.

While the story is a little didactic, it is very appropriate for the target audience, which I take to be the middle school or junior high reader. Yes, it is about high school students, but most books for the younger readers feature stories of students just slightly older ... characters that they can look up to and emulate, rather than those in the same situations as the young reader.

The story primarily follows two young men in high school. They are nerds, geeks who do not quite fit in. One is totally smitten with a beautiful girl in his class but he's too shy to do much more than stammer when he's around her, though in his mind, she's his girlfriend (boy, do I remember those painful days). The other is an over-weight young man with a chip on his shoulder and sees the negative side of everything. They may be the only friend the other has, and the only thing that seems to get them through the day (other than the pining for a girl) is their music.

The school will be having a battle of the bands, and though it is some agonizing whether to sign up or not, the pair do get on the list, but they aren't quite a band. They still need a drummer and a lead guitar. Part of the story features the pair finding the two additions for their band. The rest of the story deals with the relationships of the four, each one of them 'stereotypical' in some way. But one of them has a deep secret, and when it is revealed, will make the others face some cruel realities.

I was quite impressed with the ease of the story-telling and how it caught me up in the story. The characters were indeed stereotypes, but at the same time, they were characters that all of us can identify with. There are people we know (if not ourselves) who embody the traits of these characters. The reality is that these four teens would probably not really hang out together and play in a band together, but being targeted toward a younger readership, it offers up some optimism and hopefulness.

The secret held by one of the young men is on the one hand a very real issue and on the other hand a bit over the top for sentimentality. Again, we have to look at who this was written for and adult readers will understand the desire to educate as well as entertain.

The art is clear, simple, black and white art. The characters are consistently drawn and the angles chosen by the artist(s) (not credited in my digital edition) keep the over-all appearance interesting. My one 'complaint' (though that seems too strong a word) is that I had no idea that one of the characters was African-American until it was mentioned in the dialog. It didn't matter in any way, but it took my out of the story for a moment when it was mentioned. I see on the cover that he is colored appropriately for this, but the interior art does not reflect this.

Overall, I was caught up in the story, learned a lesson or two about friendship and life, and finished with a feel-good attitude. That's a pretty good way to spend a little time, especially for the student readers who are struggling with some of these issues.

A nice addition is suggested songs to play while reading the different chapters. It definitely helped that this was generally music of my era and tremendously enjoyable. I can't help but wonder if the young readers will actually enjoy this classic rock or not. I'd also suggest, or recommend, someone make a Spotify playlist of the recommended songs. It would have been a heck of a lot easier to play one playlist than to search for each song individually.

Looking for a good book? The Stereotypical Freaks is a graphic novel that speaks to kids and offers up hope even in the face of tremendous adversity and is well worth reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Having read this after the middle book in the intended trilogy, it was nice to see it was just as good, if remarkably different. Without heralding the awkward hockey-based relationship and full-colour mediocrity of what follows, this is a lively and vivid retelling of a band of awkward friends trying to rock out enough to win the school's battle of the bands. The artwork has a vivacity to it, and the black and white works really quite well when some ghostly news hits the quartet. The characterisations are all strong, the plot fine – steering its way through stereotypes of its own – in fact, this must go down as the stronger of the two volumes so far. It can be quite repetitive at times, however. I will be on the lookout for the conclusion of the set.

This book was equally endearing while being equally thought provoking.

I really enjoyed the concept but found the characters to be unrealistic which made it difficult for me to buy in to the story.

Stereotypical Freaks is a book that I was excited for. The artwork is appealing and the recommended music list that goes along with the book is a fun idea that works well with the story. I had fun, kinda, with this, but I felt like there was plenty that could have been better. It was touching in parts and has a beautiful message and it will undoubtedly impress many people, but for me it wasn't anything more than a decent story. Not bad, at all, but not amazing.

Awesome story, great characters, and beautiful images.

I generally don't read graphic novels... or anything with pictures, really, but I wanted to check this out. I'm so glad I did! I couldn't put it down. It was actually pretty deep, wise, and emotional. Like I legitimately almost cried in spots. I absolutely loved the song recommendations, too! I'm definitely going to get some copies of this for my younger cousins for Christmas. I think people who aren't that into graphic novels will still really love this one.

I loved this from beginning to end. The first thing I noticed was the 'Recommended listening' the author put in at the beginning of each chapter. Some of the songs are familiar but I'll definitely take the time to go through them all.

This story was heartbreaking in the most beautiful way. It made me cry because I knew that ending was inevitable but it didn't make it any easier. I think the fact that it was a graphic novel and I could see the characters' faces is what broke me.

I loved every minute of it and can't wait to read more.

The Stereotypical Freaks is a graphic novel about a group of friends that must confront one of the hardest things in life. It begins with two young men deciding to participate in their school's battle of the bands contest. The only problem is that they need to find two more people to be in their band. Each of the four band members feels like a stereotype in some way: honor student, jock, goofball, and exchange student.

The characters are really well developed, and the relationships between the boys feel authentic. Their love of music brings them together. That is only the beginning though. We see damaged relationships get mended, passion and dedication to their music, and new relationships strained. Some of the dialogue can be cheesy, but it was never off-putting for me.

Two things about the format stood out to me. First, the beginning of each chapter has a title page with recommended music to listen to. This usually tied into the chapter in some way. Second, the art is all black and white, which I liked. The changes to the appearance of the characters over the course of the book is really well done.

Stereotypical Freaks has all the right components of a book for teens. They will be into the playlist and the story of how the guys become a band. But this book has more to share than just guys in a band, and that, too should attract readers. Thanks to Animal Media Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read this digital galley.

Four outcasts get together to form a band. They name themselves the Stereotypical Freaks, because they are all stereotypes. As the protagonist says "We have a braniac, a goof with zero social skills...we have an african-american football star and a tiny and very shy foreign exchange student"

But, despite them being stereotypes, there is a good story of friendship, and fighting, and dying.

High school stories always seem to be full of stereotypes, but in this case it works..

Lots of teenaged angst, music, and cancer. I liked it well enough and imagine the target audience would respond even more positively.

This was the first in a trilogy where I’d unwittingly already read the second, which did make it a little confusing, but not too much.
A young guy in high school who plays guitar but is otherwise a nerd is being goaded by his buddy to form a band so they can perform in the talent show, but he doesn’t want to play live. It takes seeing his crush going out with a stoner musician, and reconnecting with an old friend who years ago blew him off when he became cool, for him to be onboard, but even then they still need a drummer.
We’re off to an excellent start as each chapter has song recommendations, and the very first is “Subdivisions” by Rush. On the other hand, things are bound to take a dive from there.
So, Tom is a nerd pining for the prettiest girl in school. Dan wants his father to be around. Mark would rather be popular than friendly. But Jacoby makes their problems pale into insignificance, and when he eventually comes to grips with his problems, The Stereotypical Freaks become the band of brothers they knew they could be.
There’s a blurb on the back that talks about how most graphics today are about superheroes, zombies, and robots, so it’s refreshing to see a coming-of-age story. This is on the spot, and while there’s plenty of drama here, it’s not about the drama. A lot of people seem to have forgotten how they made friends back in school.
The drawings are black and white, sketchlike and stark, but in this case it works.

Senior class misfits Tom and Dan want to participate in their school’s Battle of the Bands. Dan plays a mean bass, and Tom is a whiz on both guitar and keyboard—but two people, unfortunately, don’t a band make. They still need a drummer and at least one more guitarist if they want a chance at beating the competition. That's when Tom reaches out to Mark, a former friend and now star athlete, for his mad guitar skills. Later, they’re joined by exchange student Jacoby, who proves to be formidable on the drums. And so is born a new band, the “Stereotypical Freaks.” As the night of the competition draws close, the four boys revel in their awesome new sound—until one of them comes forward with a heartbreaking secret. Will misunderstanding and tragedy unmoor their new-found sense of comradery? Or will it bring them closer together?

Oh, where to begin? The thing I liked most about this graphic novel were the lists of suggested songs at the beginning of each chapter. Since I was reading this as a galley on my computer, I was able to go to YouTube and listen to the songs as I read, which was really a nice touch. Supporters of the We Need Diverse Books movement will also be pleased by the inclusion of minority characters as key players in the story. Mark is black and has two mothers, while Jacoby is Inuit. However, that's where my praise ends. Although it’s a nice, well-meaning story with an important message, it also tends to suffer from preachiness and lack of subtlety. When the boys are discussing possibilities for their new band name, Tom muses:

“The name should be unique to us...who we are, what we are. And when people look at us I think they see four, I guess for lack of a better word, stereotypes… We have a brainiac, a goof with zero social skills […], an African-American football star and a tiny and very shy foreign exchange student… To them, that is who we are. The truth is, we’re not the stereotypes they define us as. In a way we are freaks...because we're not who we’re perceived as.”

This is where, as a writer, I’m going to on my creativity high horse and point out that in a good story, readers should be able to pick up on themes by themselves. If a story requires direct intervention by the writer, then the story isn’t as strong as it could be. And unfortunately, I think that’s the case here. Recommended for older teens, ages 16-Up.

"Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school's battle of the bands."

Amazing art, amazing characters, and amazing music. This is a fantastic graphic novel, about the smart kid, geek, star athlete and the quiet weirdo - the outcasts. They come together and form a band.

n emotional but amazing reading experience I definitely recommend it!

If you love rock and roll, you'll love this!

Although I was Unable to download this book, much to my disappointment, (I only have a Kindle and cannot get the PDF file) I did post for you, on my blog, and on Twitter. :) As part of my series called "New Meat Thursday".

4.5 stars

Introduction:

Now, Howard Shapiro’s graphic novel “The Stereotypical Freaks” has been around the comic book scene for years now, but I never had the chance to get around to reading it because of two reasons:

1. I was too busy reading other books at the time.
2. I was not interested in the book when it first came out.

However, when NetGalley recommended me this graphic novel, I decided to give this graphic novel a try and I was seriously surprised by the different genre that this graphic novel explored compared to most other graphic novels that I had read that were either adventure, action or fantasy genres and I was pleasantly surprised by the results of this unique graphic novel!

What is this story about?

Tom Leonard was your average high school senior who was pretty unpopular at his high school, his best friend Dan Roberts was considered a geek and he has a crush on a girl named Jaelithe, who does not even know he exists. Fortunately, Tom is an extremely smart boy and he is a talented rocker in his basement band. One day however, the school decides to hold a battle of the bands competition and even though Tom was reluctant at first to enter the contest, he eventually decides to enter the competition, along with Dan. But, there is one problem: Tom and Dan are the only members of their band and they need two more people to make their band complete. So they ended up recruiting Mark Bennett (formerly known as Marcel), who was Tom’s childhood friend until Mark’s football career caused him to break off his friendship with Tom and a shy quiet boy named Jacoby Nukik, who is a foreign exchange student from Canada who seems to be hiding a big secret from the band. Luckily, forming the band together caused the four boys to become fast friends and they decided to call their band “The Stereotypical Freaks!” Later on however, when one of the boys reveals a big secret that could tear the band apart, the four friends now make it their ultimate goal to win the competition to fulfill one of their friends’ wishes.

What I loved about this story:

Howard Shapiro’s writing: Wow! Howard Shapiro’s writing was simply beautiful and emotional! I never would have thought that I would read a graphic novel that was not focused on fantasy or action, but more focused on the developing friendships between the main characters and about how one school event brought them all together. I loved the way that Howard Shapiro wrote each character, as they did not act according to their stereotypes (Tom the Genius, Dan the Geek, Mark the Jock and Jacoby the Quiet Guy) and their growing friendship to each other felt so natural as they had to go through some hurtles in their relationships to become close. My two favorite characters were probably Tom and Jacoby as both characters tried to keep the group together despite the obstacles all of them had to face together. I loved the fact that Tom gave Mark and Jacoby a chance to prove themselves to be a part of the group since it shows that he bears no ill will towards anyone, no matter what their ranking in school is. I especially loved Jacoby as he is the quiet kid that I can relate to the most with since I was the quiet kid in high school; but once we learn about his tragic backstory, I really started to feel for his character and hope that he gets his wish fulfilled. I also loved the fact that Howard Shapiro was able to write a graphic novel that was about the normal everyday life of a high school student, instead of writing about superheroes or fantasy characters as it gives this graphic novel a unique tone and it was nice reading a graphic novel that was mostly an ordinary high school series.

Joe Pekar’s artwork: Joe Pekar’s artwork is gorgeous to look at as all the characters are drawn realistically and the black and white colorings of the artwork contribute greatly to the graphic novel’s mundane tone of the story. I also like the way that Joe Pekar does the characters’ facial expressions as they greatly convey the different emotions that the characters go through such as happiness, anger and sadness.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off half a point from the rating was because I felt that the pacing of the story was a bit slow at some points and there were times where I was struggling with finishing the graphic novel because there was too much exposition on the dialogues that tend to slow down the story.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “The Stereotypical Freaks” is a great story for anyone who wants to read about the true power of friendship and who wants to read a good old fashioned graphic novel about the trials of high school.

Highly recommend this graphic novel. Might need to supply tissue with this one!

The art is unusual (in a good way) and portrays the character’s emotions perfectly.

The characters themselves are interesting and the cast itself is very diverse.

The story is quite simple but that doesn’t make it any less compelling and emotional.

Another thing I’d like to mention is that every chapter starts with recommended songs, I found that an interesting detail that makes this book different from everything else.

I loved it. The story was beautifully presented and the plot unique for a graphic novel. I would recommend it to everyone. The book was a bit short but you emerge better for reading it.

Having recently (4 months ago) went through the experience of my daughter dying unexpectedly and abruptly, this was a surprising read and not at all what I was looking for when I downloaded it. Regardless, I did enjoy the read. I was not expecting the story line to turn the way it did. It seems normal enough, the cliques in high school that divided long ago friends, the group of "misfits" that forms from choices and situations. This was about 4 teen boys that learned a pretty heavy lesson their senior year of high school. When they started the year, they were on separate paths, each thinking about what the year would hold. Opportunity and chance threw them together. Over the course of their senior year journey, they each learned something about themselves that only a death can teach you. I would recommend this as a must read for pre-teens/teens when they start to try and figure out who they are. The characters are easy to identify with since each of their personal situations reflects common things kids experience, for the most part. I probably have a different view and emotional effect than others since I am going through my own unexpected tragedy but, I am happy to see that someone isn't afraid to approach the tough topics. The ones that leave unpleasant feelings and so we shield our children from them. Excellent read. We should use this as an example of how to show our children that not everything is rainbows and roses. It isn't so overwhelming that it would traumatize a person but it gets to the point in a gentle way. On another note, I do love the playlist suggestions at the beginning of each chapter. It helps to get the right feeling, in my opinion.

I received this in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of the story itself.

This amazing story just got me right in the feels!! I didn't expect from the title that there would be so many life lessons learned from the short graphic novel. Basically this is the story of four unlikely friends coming together to participate in a battle of the bands while overcoming personal issues at the same time.

The issues of terminal illness, dealing with high school drama, settling old grievances, overcoming fears in general, as well as family pressures are all addressed in this short story about friendship. Five out of five!! Go read now!!

This turned out to be so good! I was hooked, and could barely put it down. I really enjoyed the realism and character development of how they all came together to face their biggest challenge - and I feel that any high schooler (or anyone who's been through high school!) can totally relate to at least one of the four main characters (the jock, the smart one, the geek, the shy outsider). And I especially loved the "recommended listening" songs listed at the beginning of each chapter, even though I wasn't familiar with all of them and didn't track them down to listen along - I think played those songs would really add to the experience of reading this graphic novel!

Tom and Dan are friends who want to start a band to play in the battle of the bands at their high school. They consider themselves outcasts in school. When Tom starts tutoring his former friend, Mark, they ask him to join the band too. But then they need a drummer. Jacoby is the foreign exchange student from Canada, who is also an awesome drummer. They invite him to join, but he is distant at practices and doesn't seem to have much time to devote to the band. They name their band the Stereotypical Freaks, because they all fit stereotypes (nerd, goofball, star athlete, quiet foreign exchange student) but they don't fit in with the rest of the kids at school. However, when one of their band members reveals that he is dying of cancer, they have to decide if they still compete.

This graphic novel has a diverse set of characters. Mark is African American. Jacoby is an Inuit from Nunavut. This story shows one of the struggles that Inuit peoples face. Since Jacoby comes from such a small town, he has to move to Pittsburgh to get medical treatment for his cancer. I like that it brings some awareness to Inuit peoples of Canada.

I liked the style of art in this graphic novel. They are black and white sketches, rather than full colour pictures. This style fits with the indie band that the boys form.

I really liked this story and I'm excited to read the next graphic novel in the trilogy!

This review will be posted on my blog on May 5, 2017.

I thought the characters were endearing, and thought the inclusion of a playlist clever and engaging. The artwork was simplistic and didn't add to the storyline.

I am a reader through Netgalley. This book has a lot of promise, was well written and a fast read. It was not a happy go lucky ending, and that was unique. This book was poignant and makes one reflect on what is important in life, perspective on what you put importance on. The characters could have been given more depth, it was as if in some areas it was hinted at but not shown. Overall I enjoyed the book, and look forward to more from this author, Strong and powerful message.

Book – Stereotypical Freaks (Forever Friends Trilogy #1)
Author – Howard Shapiro
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 140
Cover – Great!
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – Young Adult, Comic


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


Personally, this was a tough one to read, so I have to start off with...

** There may be spoilers ahead. **

I don't know if what I'm about to talk about is meant to be a spoiler or not, so I'm being extra careful. The story deals with child/teen cancer and I found this difficult to read, having been a teenager with cancer. However, I can say that the topic was handled with care, sensitivity and respect. The way it was spoken about, dealt with and placed into the story was so realistic and genuine that I cried. A few times.

Beyond that, I loved the biographical format within the POV, leading us through the information we needed to know at the start, while delving straight into the plot and letting us know who the cast were. I also really liked the 'recommended listening' though I'm not so familiar with most of the bands/songs included. I'm more of a Classic Rock gal, so I wasn't really up-to-speed with the offerings or the favourite songs mentioned by the characters.

There were some small editing issues, but they didn't impede the understanding of the story or interrupt the telling.

Overall, this was a great story with a beautiful message. It made me cry multiple times, I loved the characters and the explorations of them, as well as the 20 year later Epilogue. It was a really well put together story that I just know kids will love, along with some brilliant illustrations.

I picked this up as what sounded like a fun story but I ended up living it much more than I thought I might. What the story illustrates so well is the healing power of friendship and the healing power of music. It doesn't matter what you think you know about a person, it matters most how you can connect.

I'm rating this a 3.5, because there truly were some touching moments throughout this comic. However, overall, this felt more generic and full of tropes than anything else.

You have two non cool kids, who are best friends. One is a chubby boy and one is a tall, lanky kid. They feel outcast bunt high school stereotypes so that play music in their parents' basement. One of the boys used to be best friends with the star football player until he became so popular, and then he was cast aside for the sake of being "cool". They decide to form a band, regroup with the football star, find another loner, and viola. They have a band.

However, as they're getting ready for their school's Battle of the Bands, life happens. They're forced to see the world in a different light, and grow a little in the process.

So I mean, was it horrible? No. Did I like it? Mostly, I suppose. But it wasn't super memorable.

The Stereotyipcal Freaks tells the story of 4 guys who are all different from each other: a smart kid, a geek, a star athlete and a quiet weirdo, but they know that they are more than just these names. Together they have a band and are going to participate in a band competition. Everything seems okay until they discover something terrible...

The Stereotypical Freaks is such a beautiful graphic novel! I really liked the way they designed it, even though sometimes I missed some colour. The Stereotypical Freaks are a bunch of friends that love each other and that's something beautiful! I also liked the fact that there's music involved. I love playing guitar and reading books/graphic novels about music and playing an instrument is something that I really like!

I really liked this graphic novel, I even cried a little, and I cannot wait to read the next one in the series!

I had read a little background info on this book before I came in, so one of the main plot revelations had been spoiled somewhat for me before reading. That did absolutely nothing to lessen the gut punch effect of this story. The writing by Howard Shapiro is wonderful. The art by Joe Pekar is clean and well inked. The characters' facial expressions and body language are such a significant part of the narrative adding to and filling out subtext between the characters. There are silent panels without dialogue that tell a whole story by themselves.

Beautifully written and provides a true window into daily life (as I remember it at least) in a typical American high school, including the jocks, the brains, the 'unattainable' girl, the shy overweight kid. Sounds pretty stereotyped and the danger here of course is that this book -could- easily have been two dimensional and flat. It was emphatically not that. Wonderful storytelling, wonderful story, believable characters, and dammit, it made me cry.

There were a few minor (minor!) penciling typo/editing problems (I read an ARC, so they might well have been corrected before publishing), but one of the characters is spelled Marcel and Marcell several places in the book.

Final opinion: gorgeous powerful story wonderfully illustrated and not to be missed. This one will be with me a long time.

Five stars, wonderful work

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.

Great depiction of High School days and finding your way. Good plot and story line. Much more complex than it appears on the surface. Looking forward to more in this series with the Hockey Saint.

This comic tells the story of four kids who form a band to participate in the battle of bands. The premise of the story sounded simple and interesting, which I really enjoyed.The illustrations are also amazing and so were the characters! I also found the song titles at the beginning of the chapters to be an interesting and great touch.The author did a great job on giving good background and info on school cliques and the stereotypes.

4 out of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of this book and it broke my heart. I almost cried. It was very impactful. The artwork was so simple yet it worked for the story. I really liked how there was recommended listening at the beginning of each chapter as well.

4.5
OMGGGG. I don't know why it took me ages to review this book. I mean, I read it in 2016. 2016. It was one of my favorite books of the year and it made me cry at that time. EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT.
So, I am here to finally write my review.
The story begins with four friends who create a band for a competition. The members name the band "The Stereotypical Freaks" because they are constantly labeled as weirdos, however they are more than a simple label and each of them has their own story.
The book is amazinggggg. I never imagined reading a graphic novel without fantasy or action and just talking about simple life. Life as it is, complicated, even more when you are a teenager. I loved that this book was unique and realistic. The artwork is simple but beautiful, I was expecting colors but it was okay because the lack of colors made the story even more powerful.
I thoroughly recommend this book to everyone!! If it's your first time reading a graphic novel, read this one! You'll love it!!

Such a touching comic book. I was really moved almost to tears while reading this comic book. The comic starts with 2 friends in a makeshift band. They want to enter a battle of the bands and during the process of looking for new members, they form new friendships with people they would never have guessed they would. While practicing and becoming closer friends they find out something tragic about one of their bandmate/friend that brings them all closer together and they learn to depend on one another while being a support. This was a great comic book with a storyline that was so unexpected. The graphics were great and everything was put together very well.

I don't read a lot of graphic novels but I did not expect to feel so much emotion and I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork. I definitely recommend this book to literally anyone. It's really empowering and moving!

Okay so this is simply amazing. It is definitely my top favourite graphic novels. Story is just heartwarming. I laughed and cried a lot while i was reading it. It is about friendship, music, choises we made and life. I love the song recommendations parts. Whatsername is my favorite song too.

Great for kids who love to read comic books but maybe gobbled up too much superhero stuff. Or, a way to get kids to read when they would rather not. They create a band to participate in battle of bands. The main character has a crush on a girl he views is unattainable.



He rejoins with his old best friend from elementary school and the school's exchange student. Together they bond over creating music. It's light, relatable and kids will or probably have enjoyed it.



It's available for purchase :)

The Stereotypical Freaks follows four high school seniors as they form a band and compete in their school’s battle of the bands.
I think it’s advertised as a lighter graphic novel about friendship and music, but we really delve into some deeper things with one of the bandmates. I read this in about an hour and I will admit I got some tears on my pillow. It was so sad! But I also felt really touched by it.
Some complaints I have that could have bumped it up a star were the dialogue felt really juvenile. These characters are supposed to be seniors in high school, yet they spoke as if they were in middle school. I found that really unrealistic and kind of annoying but seeing as this is the first graphic novel in a trilogy, I’m hoping to see them mature throughout.
All in all, it was a quick and rather enjoyable read! I will definitely pick up the other two as I feel invested in the character’s lives now.

This was a very quiet and sweet coming of age story about friendship. I really liked it. The art was simple, but excellent. And the story really sneaked up on me, and touched my cold, dark heart. Would especially recommend this to teen boys (you know, who it's written for) because it features an MC who is very in touch with his feelings and being honest with his friends, and we need more of that in Kidlit, and in life.

I've been devouring graphic novels like crazy in the last few months.
This one was short but sweet. Interesting story and quite emotional but I really disliked art style and couldn't get used to it so I couldn't give it 5 stars

This was quite well done. I enjoyed the graphics of this book. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Book Review
Title: The Stereotypical Freaks (Forever Friends Trilogy #1)
Author: Howard Shapiro
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: *****
Review: The opening to the Stereotypical Freaks was great, we are introduced to Tom, Dan and their other friends who are all into music and are part of a band. Tom’s favourite songs are Bara O’Riley and Ruby SoHo which are both amazing songs. Tom has a major crush on Jaelithe but given this graphic novel is set in high school she obviously end sup dating more on her social level which isn’t Tom.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the story, Dan suggests entering Battle of the Bands, but Tom points out that they are two men short of a band as they don’t have a drummer or lead guitarist. However, Dan says he knows of someone who plays the drums, his name is Jacoby a foreign exchange student, but even then, Tom is hesitant about doing it but goes with the flow for now. I really liked the facts that at the beginning of each chapter it recommends some songs you should listen to and all of them are amazing. Tom despite being a smart boy and a good hockey player decides to tutor another student who just happens to be his old best friend and star football play Mark or Marcell as he used to be called. While the interaction is strange it is nice to see that Marcell hasn’t forgotten they used to be friends and acted like a typical jerk towards him, a very refreshing take.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the story, Tom has signed up for the battle of the bands but only because Jaelithe’s current boyfriend’s band has signed up, but they still have the problem of finding a lead guitarist and a drummer, but this is soon resolved when Jacoby and Marcell agree to practice with them.
As we approach the halfway mark in the story, circumstances allow the four boys; Dan, Tom, Marcell/Mark and Jacoby to become a band but working out a practice schedule with the competition only three months away is proving to be a little hard. This is due to Jacoby’s medical treatments but only Tom knows about this so far, coupled with school, after school groups and practices none of the boys have much free time but I have a feeling it is going to work very well.
As we cross into the second half of the story, the boys decide to name their band the stereotypical freaks which suits them as they all fit a specific stereotype. However, we also learn the true nature of Jacoby’s illness and I wasn’t expecting it and it damn near killed me, but the band is something he enjoys and something he wants to do despite what he is living with.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the story, this story is turning out to be much deeper and darker than I first thought, and I was loving it. It tackles many things like being different whether that is race or religion. It also tackles bullying, peer pressure, living with terminal illness, coming from a broken home and so much more. Despite being a graphic novel about boys in a band it is so much more than that and it is so relatable.
As we cross into the final section of the story, the battle of the bands has arrived. The boys as expected performed very well but things take a dramatic turn after the end of the competition. I would highly recommend the Stereotypical Freaks and will be jumping straight into The Hockey Saint very soon.

This was a fun graphic novel. Probably best for young teens or middle grade readers. I loved the art style.

This book was really good! I cried at the end ;-;;;;

I liked the love-hate relationship with Jaelithe (i THINK thats how its spelled) and Tom. But I really didn't expect to cry.

The friendship the boys forged was uniquely depicted and painfully sincere, despite their differences music brought them together. Jacoby's storyline was the one that truly tugged at my heart strings; Shapiro once again delivers a great read, one that would work well for yound adults, with an excellent choice of music that covers the range of emotions the reader goes through whilst reading this graphic novel.

This story was sweet and beautifully written! I enjoyed that it dealt with hard topics but also had the fun spirit of a graphic band novel I was looking for. It was quick, but the design was absolutely beautiful— and the message is perfect for youths dealing with difficult topics and adjusting socially. Other added bonus: the song recommendations for each chapter! Well done!

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars!

A music graphic novel! This is a first for me, and it didn’t disappoint. This is my third read from Animal Media Group and Howard Shapiro, and it really messed with me emotionally— although I don’t know what I expected, because I had a feeling something bad was going to happen to one of our main characters. No spoilers. Let’s dive in.

The Stereotypical Freaks follows the (mis)adventures of four high school boys teaming up despite their differences to compete in a Battle of the Bands. The sole thing they all have in common is music— otherwise, they’re a nerd, an outcast, an athlete, and a new kid in town. They’re headed up by Tom, the aforementioned nerd, who has an affinity for power rock and is also the main character of a few other Howard Shapiro novels. He decides to enter the Battle of the Bands with his best friend (the outcast) and later two others. At first, his motivations for joining the competition are to win over the girl he likes, but this story becomes about so much more than impressing a girl.

I’d actually say it’s more of a found-family story? I’m a sucker for fiction about bands, maybe because I’m a musician myself or maybe just because there’s something about creating art with other people that creates a really strong sense of brotherhood. Each of the four guys was dealing with their own stuff, and there was appropriate narrative weight given to each of the characters— although Tom was our main character, and that was accessible and clear. The drummer, Jacoby, ends up becoming very important in the third act of the story. That’s around when the themes start hitting heavier.

Because this is a story about uniting with people who aren’t just like you for a common purpose. It’s a story about finding people in high school, which is a confusing and often socially hellish time, especially for people who aren’t super popular (that’s ¾ of the band, if we’re keeping tabs). They play music, laugh together, and support each other. I was in a band in high school too, and though we weren’t as prolific, we had to work together, and those things rang realistically for me in the content of this story.

This graphic novel is entirely in black and white, or at least the e-version I downloaded was. I wasn’t sure about that at first, but I actually ended up really enjoying the art style. The story is aesthetically pleasing, and the lack of color makes for a nice down-to-Earth, rock and roll feel. The best pages by far in the story are those when we see the band playing, usually without any dialogue. There are music staffs and notes incorporated into the drawings, and the guys always look so happy. There’s this one shot as they’re walking to the stage at the Battle of the Bands where they kind of look like astronauts getting ready to board the shuttle. I literally said “wow, this is cool” out loud.

So, yeah. The Stereotypical Freaks won my heart. But also kind of broke my heart, because of the nature of the ending. Be prepared for a heartfelt story about friends, but also maybe be prepared to cry. It’s hard to deal with tough issues well, and Jacoby has a lot going on— which is heavy on the plot, but needs to be treated as such. He’s a blessing and I love him. End scene.

A nice story about a group of teenagers forming a close knit friendship over a shared love for music. The story has a touching emotional thread throughout the second half which begs the question 'What is really important in life?'. The story is mostly well paced and the art is simple but effective. Each chapter starts with a few recommended music tracks to listen to, which I thought was a very nice touch! Well worth reading.

I initially picked this title to read because friendship themed graphic novels are very popular with my middle school students (Invisible Emmy, Smile/Sisters, Real Friends, etc.). While friendship is a strong theme in this novel, it gets overwhelmed quickly when the subject of childhood illness and mortality is introduced. This makes the book heavier than it would appear from the cover, but not less appealing. Just different.
I really like that each chapter has a recommended playlist, but most of my students will be unfamiliar with the majority of the songs/artists. Bob Dylan, Soul Asylum, Rush, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones, Green Day, and the Beatles are all mentioned.
The illustrations are well done, though I do wish they were in color.

"Life after eighteen sucks"... Dennis Leary once said, and I'd amend that slightly to also include " life before eighteen as well".
The story takes place in a typical High School (East Slade), where everyone is stereotyped in their roles and personalities. Dan (a geek) and Tom (a smart kid) are best friends and a part of their two-member basement band. When a Battle of the Bands is announced at school Dan want to take part, but Tom doesn't because they don't have a lead guitarist and a drummer. This is where the other characters are introduced, Marcel "Mark", a football star and Jacoby (a weird foreign exchange student). Together they make a band called "The Stereotypical Freaks". Because they are stereotyped at school and freaks because they are not what their labels dictate.
"These labels don't define us"
When one of the members reveals a life-changing secret, winning the competition takes on a whole new meaning.
I LOVED the book. It was a normal life comic about four teenagers who are sensitive and are not afraid to show it. When I started to read this book, I thought it would be a fun quick read. I was wrong. I was happy everyone got what they wanted at the end, but it was an emotional journey, for the characters in the book as well as the readers. It was a different kind of comic than I usually read, but it was exceptional in its own way.

The Stereotypical Freaks was a heart warming read about true trfriendship, andand realizing mistakes before it's too late.

I loved the story, and though the graphics weren't all that eye catching, the story more than made up for it.

Though Tom was clearly the protagonist, I think Jacoby played the most important role in the story, and he was my favourite character too!

Overall, The Stereotypical Freaks was a sweet, relatable read (for me) and I enjoyed reading it. (Except when it made me tear up.)

Stereotypical Freaks tells the story of Tom and Dan, two friends who start a band in order to enter the Battle of the Bands in their high school. They're both generally geeky and intelligent, but lack many friends. Thus, they're two people short of a full band in order to enter the contest. Enter Mark, aka Marcell, Tom's ex-friend and current football star. He joins the band along with Jacoby, a foreign exhange student from Canada who is hiding a secret of his own.

Overall I thought this was a heart-wrenching graphic novel and coming of age story. The band calls themselves The Stereotypical Freaks as that's what high school is all about, finding your group and getting stereotyped based on the one thing everyone knows about you. They're able to put their assumptions about one another aside to move on and come together as a band, until there is a massive emotional plot twist near the end.

I wasn't a big fan of the art, black and white art styles don't appeal to me, but it was well done and represented the characters well. If you're looking for a good emotional tale for someone in the teen to college age range, I think this would be an excellent recommendation.

The Stereotypical Freaks is a bittersweet tale about four high school kids who come together and form a band in order to play in a competition. Interestingly enough, there was a lot of stereotypical character selection, as well as not a lot of talk like you would hear from teens. Sounded more like adults. But it worked. Midway through the story turns on its ear and the entire perspective of the story changes dramatically.
What did not work for me was the black and white. The cover is bold in great color to be sure. But turn the page and everything goes flat. I am sure adding color would be costly, but I think it would be worth it and bring this book up to the next level.

I wasn't sure what this was going to be about when I picked it from NetGalley but I'm really glad that I did. This comic is about Tom and Dan. They play music in Tom's basement for fun but Dan wants to add more members to their jam sessions to make a full fledged band. Tom is against that, he just likes to play music for fun. But when the high school that they go to announces a Battle of the Bands, Tom and Dan end up signing up, before they have the other members of their band! Tom is tutoring Mark who they find out also plays the guitar and Dan finds Jocoby who plays the drums. They go through a few different issues (no spoilers!) before they get to the Battle of the Bands but ultimately they become closer as friends. The description of this book says that one of the characters ends up having life changing news and that is very true. I honestly didn't think I would get super attached to these characters in such a short period of time but I really did and I might have teared up at the ending. No spoilers here but it was very sad even if it was very well written. I would recommend this for anyone that is a fan of music (the chapters have a guide as to what you should listen to as you are reading them - pretty interesting!) or a fan of high school drama type comics.

I loved this book. The suggested soundtrack really enhanced the story. Watching these four transcend their stereotypes doing something they love is an inspiration for misfits everywhere.

This was really, really good. A book about four teenage boys from very different friend groups coming together to form a band, took a surprisingly serious and heart-wrenching turn. I loved seeing the group come together and become even stronger through hardships. It’s a story that really makes you think about life and our limited time on this earth. I surely didn’t expect to be taking that away from this story, but I’m very glad that I was able to.

Starting out this graphic novel, I figured it would be just another 'start-up band' comic that would lead up to 'the guy gets the girl' cliche. I'm happy to say that it completely beat up my expectations and brought me a tear-jerking, sweet story of friendship.

While Tom and Dan are struggling to form a band, they form unlikely friendships with their two new bandmates: Mark and Jacoby.
Mark and Tom had a previous friendship that has dissolved over the years while Mark became 'popular' and joined the Football Team. While Dan learns of Jacoby while walking to Tom's house and overhearing Jacoby playing the drums.
They eventually join up and learn not only how deep friendships can be, but how well they can play together.

I started out not being a huge fan of this graphic novel as the artwork felt unfinished, possibly due to the lack of colour. This may have been exacerbated by the fact that the cover is in colour so it was somewhat misleading.

However, after the first quarter I realised that there was so much more to this and I loved it. This goes beyond a story of four very different individuals becoming friends through music. It deals with teenage cancer and how teenagers respond to being faced with mortality. It would have been good having some of the characters struggling a bit more with coping. They all showed a very adult sense of maturity and acceptance about it. I'm not sure this respresents reality so some young people may struggle to identify/think they are somehow not responding to cancer properly. Maybe that's just my own take on it having worked with children and teenagers though.

It was a really pleasantly surprising graphic novel and I'll definitely be recommending it in my library.

I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
I was really excited to read this comic, because the synopsis sounded really nice. The plot wasn’t bad, but I was sometimes bored, because it was predictive. It also often felt that the drawings were not completely finished. The comic was certainly okay, but I was a bit disappointed.