The groundbreaking story by New York Times best-selling author Ned Vizzini that inspired the Tony-nominated Broadway musical--now adapted in a graphic novel by #1 New York Times best-selling author David Levithan.
Jeremy Heere is your average high school dork. Day after day, he stares at beautiful Christine, the girl he can never have, and dryly notes the small humiliations that come his way. Until the day he learns about the "squip."
A pill-sized supercomputer that you swallow, the squip is guaranteed to bring you whatever you most desire in life. By instructing him on everything from what to wear, to how to talk and walk, the squip transforms Jeremy from geek to the coolest guy in class. Soon he is friends with his former tormentors and has the attention of the hottest girls in school.
But Jeremy discovers that there is a dark side to handing over control of your life--and it can have disastrous consequences.
Review:
As I wrote on Goodreads, I like when stories get done in different formats. And as someone who loves musicals, where have I been? I didn't know this was turned into a musical! I enjoy Vizzini's writing and I always loved that someone so young was celebrated and published. That being said, this isn't my favorite Vizzini story and this wasn't my favorite graphic novel artwork...I think Levithan did it justice in the adaptation. I like how the ending fits with the format. I just wish the artwork was more fitting with the time period. And it just felt a little juvenile for the overall theme of the story, if that makes sense. I did still read it super quickly. And I'm glad I had the chance to re-visit the story.
I guess as I get older, it’s harder and harder to relate to teenage boys…particularly straight teenage boys who want to be cool and are willing to take experimental drugs/technology to do so. Jeremey’s biggest problems just seem so dumb. However, it isn’t a totally unbelievable concept. And I’m not going to lie; I’d probably pay money to see this concept as a musical….I can see why the story has been so successful, and why it would translate so well in so many formats.
If Jeremy was someone I actually cared about a little bit more, someone more redeemable, everything would be a little bit different. But, still, it’s such a fun concept. I wish I liked the artwork a little more too. It wasn’t as fun as the story was with it. It needed more color/more coolness. It looked almost like those old Dick Tracy comics, and not so much like a modern graphic novel. I mean the whole central focus of the story was about being cool, and the artwork was anything but….Like, if you’re going to make a story in this format, why not really do it justice? Draw the tech. Give it some street art vibes? Some pop art? Something that would appeal to teens? Make it more modern, less what grandparents would think of as comic strips from a newspaper, and more what teenagers would think was cool…..
All in all, it’s a fun story. Not so great art. It makes me want to see the musical. I’m glad Vizzini is continuing to be recognized. I give it a 6.5/10.
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