The Plain Janes

Hi all! I just finished reading the graphic novel The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg. I had never really read a graphic novel before. It was a great experience. The story is plain (get it? ) enough: Jane moves from the big city to suburbia after surviving a bomb explosion. She is dealing with despair and feelings of fear and doubt when she meets the other Janes. Together, they unite to make suburbia and the world a friendlier and more beautiful place to live. This, of course, has its consequences. The story was very engrossing and the illustrations moved along the action very well. It was nice, for a change, to actually see the story on the page rather than in my head. I believe that all people, young and old, in the world today can identify with the feelings and views in the story. Even though it's a quick read, it leaves a lasting impression.

MS. Castellucci has proven that comic book heros come in many different shapes and sizes. The art work fits the story and characters very well. The characters themselves are very well thought out from Jane to the gay kid. This book is good for any child that is experiencing the obstacles of a new move or a tragedy. Elements within the overall story may make you chuckle or roll laughing. If you are looking for great read I recommend this book to all audiences even though it's meant for young girls it still worth reading and afterward you can pass it on to someone else. After reading this you will want to "decorate" your neighborhood too!

After terrorism strikes Metro City, Jane's parents move the family to the suburbs, but Jane can't seem to make friends with the few people who interest her. Eventually she enlists these "losers" in a bold guerilla art project that could bring to life both the conformist suburban town and Jane's own adrift self. This moving graphic novel layers meanings into both the drawings and the text, and, like Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl (Readers Circle), celebrates art, creative nonconformity, and risk-taking.

I'm a 27-year-old male, but I could relate to the characters in The Plain Janes. I could especially relate to the protagonist, Jane. Or should I say Main Jane? Art was an outlet of expression, an outlet of relaxation, for me during high school. Seeing the Janes create art everywhere, as an escapsim from the world, was very interesting. I wish I would have thought of that. I want to commend the creators of this graphic novel. It was 45-minute read that was better than any television show I saw this week and well worth my money. Pick up this book if you're interested in fun literature -- and be glad to be P.L.A.I.N.

I just got--and read--Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg's graphic novel THE PLAIN JANES yesterday afternoon. What a wonderful book. I loved the characters and the ideas. I loved the art. I liked how clean the pages felt, and how so much of the story seemed to be told in the pictures. I kept flipping back in the pictures to gather more information. Art is important. I think sometimes about how millenia ago, when survival was far more difficult and people spent most of every day trying to get food and shelter, but still, they created art. It is a need, to do more than survive, to leave a mark in the world, to do something that is just for the beauty of it. Sometimes we forget that, but it seems the most extreme experiences help us remember.