A quick read into highschool drama (sans the prom queen part) - story of trials and tribulations of friendship of 4 teenage girls. Just wanted to check what Aimee Friedman is upto. Interesting stuff without any corniness. ( )

The story of a junior year in the lives of four friends at a fine arts high school, this doesn't break any particularly new ground, but it does what it does well. I thought the art was well-suited to the story and interesting without being distracting. Some of the dialogue seemed a little mature for most of the adults I know, let alone teenagers, but it's still an honest look at the problems many teenage girls face. ( )

I got this book out of the library because it was by one of my many favorite authors, Aimee Friedman. But I can't say this book was something that I "really liked". Some things disturbed me-a lot. But it was nice that the graphics showed life of normal girls in good detail. The characters were great here(even though I mostly didn't agree with all of them). But that didn't pull me into the story mostly because the plot was very annoying. I thought from the covers, "Breaking Up", that it was going to be this romantic gooey story and I wouldn't have minded, but some of the girls actions were mindless and foolish, something I'd never do in my life. I was very dissapointed with this book and it lowered my "respect" bar for Aimee Friedman. There was really too much making out for a graphic novel,and I'm not a freak, I even liked her "Sea Change" because 1) it was well written, 2) the story was pretty awesome, and 3)even though there were kissing scenes she didn't make it into a big deal like in this book for example. The story was obviously more important to her in Sea Change, but here I don't even remember what the story was, I think she thought about putting in some trashy stuff and sealing the envelope to make some money. Not to mension that it goes against everything that I believe in,...It's fine, it's not like I hate her forever because of it but I wouldn't recommend. ( )

So, you like a geeky guy, and are afraid to tell your friends because you know he’s just not cool enough for them. Chloe, Mackenzie, Isabel, and Erika believe that they will be friends forever and that nothing could change that, but cracks appear during their Junior year. Chloe likes Adam; the nerdy guy in art class who everyone says is social suicide. Mackenzie befriends uber popular Nicola and secretly hooks up with her boyfriend, Erika’s pressured to have sex, and Isobel argues with her parents over a boy. The friends fight, mistrust each other, and in the end, make up. The story is an easy read with characters that imitate shallow movie and tv show stereotypes. IThe reader might have difficulty sometimes recognizing which character is Chloe and which is Mackenzie because they look so similar. There is no shading in the stark black and white art, which makes everyone appear to be one race with only two choice of hair color, and everyone is beautiful and thin. However, the illustrations are strong and move the story along creatively. Pressure to have sex and promoting underage drinking are two themes as are keeping up appearances and ditching uncool people. Parents may not want their daughter reading this. Not recommended. Girls, ages 14-18. ( )

Chloe Sacks is a dreamy, artistic high school junior. This graphic novel tells the story of her junior year and the issues she has with her friends and her boyfriend. Chloe is upset when her best friend, Mackenzie, starts to distance herself from their friendship as she tries harder to be popular.

Meanwhile, Chloe becomes friends and then more-than-friends, with nerdy Adam, who sits next to her in art class. Even as she falls in love with Adam, Chloe keeps their relationship a secret from her friends. When the girls find out about Adam, they break up with her.

Chloe's friends have their own issues to deal with and they all struggle even more when they no longer have each other for support.

Teen girls will relate to all the drama! ( )