Basket Case

My kids REALLY enjoy these books and they come to me with LOTS of questions about the characters and why they do certain things. I OWN 10 of these books and LOVE THEM! You don't have to be into Japanese art or Manga or even know what those terms are... I work with youth full time and THIS is the way that many of them act. The questions presented are ones that they have, the situations are realistic and in REAL LIFE, these are the kind of characters I have in my youth group. They are relational for kids in the teenage and tweenage years, but are not written for Suzie Sunday School as their crowd. They are aimed at presenting the Gospel to kids who would normally not even be interested. Serenity accepts Christ in Book SIX but it is important to see what it took to get her there. BOTTOM LINE: This series IS racey, to reach the "right crowd" but not inappropriately so. The topics are edgy, but not anything that teens and tweens aren't experiencing in your OWN living rooms and schools. They are also inexpensive and entertaining, but not for us, 20's to 30's. Those that didn't think thre was adequate character development or that the characters were flat, you're right...but you should probably be reading something more on level!

Billed as "inspirational manga", the Serenity series from Realbuzz Studios is a full-color comic book series focusing on slice-of-life teenage drama. The stories revolve around the interaction between the title character (a newly transferred high school student with a troubled past) and the school's Christian club (whose members have themselves struggled through a wide range of temptations and who have "adopted" Serenity as one of their own). Each volume contains two or more interlocking short stories that tell the ongoing tale of Serenity's journey of faith. Story summary of volume 3: "Serenity: Basket Case" * Someone downloads a "purity test" from the internet and it quickly passes through the school grapevine. Gossip, guilt, and parental guidance ensure. * Serenity resents being forced to "babysit" an egg for a class project, but she stumbles upon even greater responsibility when she discovers an abandoned newborn in a dumpster. (Possible parental advisory: "Serenity" is set amid the pressures of a modern high school, and as such the teenage characters are confronted with realistic issues that range from boredom and jealousy to drug addiction and sexuality. Through it all, the stories present the honest struggle between Serenity's fragile faith and the lure of her former self-destructive lifestyle.)

Serenity is a rebellious high-schooler who somehow always finds herself in the midst of some kind of trouble. She's angry, has a horrible attitude, & is the antithesis of the teen most parents would want their child to befriend. That is, until a local church youth group, who's members attend the same high school as Serenity, decide to make her their "project". Finally!!! Some manga I feel comfortable giving my step-daughter, 13. She really got into the Yuyu Hakusho books, to which she was introduced by a friend. Neither my husband or myself ever really approved of the Yuyu Hakusho books, but she loved the artwork. When I saw these, I snatched them up. I read through the first one & greatly appreciated the ideas & morals presented. We gave step-daughter the first book in this series for Christmas, & she loves it! She bought the third book at Borders, but couldn't find the second one. (She's getting that for her birthday.) The one (possible) drawback is that these books read from front to back, like most western books, instead of back to front, like many Japanime books. I mention it simply b/c step-daughter drew it to my attention. If you've got a teen or pre-teen who loves manga but would prefer they actual read something of substance, this is the series for which you've been waiting. All the flashy artwork with none of the occultic overtones or mystical storylines. Most teens can relate to the stories presented, especially if they attend public school. Step-daughter is eagerly awaiting more releases.