Good as Lily

I enjoyed the way the author captured the rhythms and thought processes of adolescents. It reminded me of my own days of confusion, but in a positive and wistful way. The story is creative and the artwork excellent. There are not many things in life that leave you wondering, "How the heck did they think of that?" I always feel blessed when I'm able to experience that in art. Good as Lily brings that quality.

Good as Lily is a graphic novel written by Derek Kirk Kim and illustrated by Jesse Hamm. It is a fantasy where the protagonist Grace meets herself in various stages of development. At each stage there is a particular problem to be worked out. The "Grace" we see this all though is an older teenager and this is the age group (from 13 to 25) that will enjoy the book the most. I am a great fan of Jesse Hamm but I would have liked to see Kim illustrate the book (he does illustrate the cover). Over all, a very readable and enjoyable book.

The manga that I normally read are Japanese manga, and from my experience, the American mangas are not that good. I had previously came across a copy of Megatokyo and to my disappointment, the art was poorly drawn and the story was a bit confusing, so I really was skeptical about "Good as Lily." But a friend recommended to me, and I must say that it is really good, surprisingly good. It tells of a girl's coming of age story, and without giving too much away, basically, she learns important life lessons through meeting herself from three different stages in her life. It's really touching, and really reminds me of the time when I was her age, not knowing much and wishing to know. I highly recommend it!

Grace Kwon, an 18-year-old Korean-American high school student, has some rather interesting companions. There's Grace Kwon, for instance: a 29-year-old woman. And don't forget six-year-old Grace Kwon. Rounding out this unlikely quartet is 70-year-old Grace Kwon. They find themselves thrown together in Grace (18)'s life for a few pivotal weeks in her life. Well, *their* life, really; the others are aspects-in-time of 18-year-old Grace. Imagine, if you will, The Sisterhood of the Time-Traveling Pants. Needless to say, they discover Important Truths About Life together. And the story is so charmingly told that I didn't mind realizing this in advance; reading it, I allowed myself to be seduced by the narrative and let myself enjoy the hell out of it. I'm already sorry it's over and already waiting for Derek Kirk Kim's previous graphic novel to arrive. I won't be at all surprised if Good As Lily gets turned into a movie. I'll just be delighted.

Cory Doctorow wrote an excellent review of this book on Boing Boing today. In pursuit of more "serious" fare, I spent a pleasant half hour reading and re-reading this charming and challenging little book at our local library. It's aimed at young women, but even OFs like me can appreciate the humanity that Kim's writing brings alive. Hamm's illustrations enhance the effects. Grace Kwon is a young Korean-American girl who, on her 18th birthday, finds herself in the company of her six-year-old self, her 29-year-old self and her 70-year-old self. The three women join her as she finishes her last semester of high school. Doctorow found Grace "likable and flawed, insecure and brave, driven and oblivious all at once." The writing and graphics brought her alive for me, and reminded me of several of the young women I remember from my own last semester in high school. The plot revolves around cost over-runs on the school play, a puppy love affair with the drama teacher, and friends who are both loyal and flawed. The high school battles rang true in my memory. Grace and her other selves overcome her flaws, but the results are sometimes unpleasant -- boy, that was the story of my high school years. Our librarian told me that the book was very popular with high school students, but that adults like it too. I sure did. Boing Boing remains a great source of interesting ideas and products. Robert C. Ross 2008