But there’s also the internal struggle that Peppi has in doing the right thing. On the surface, there’s the feud between the science club and the art club. There are several plot threads running through this story. As a reader, I connected and empathized with many characters, not just the protagonist.

The words, illustrations, and plot twists work together to create depth in their personalities.

But in this story, the characters had a complexity that’s hard to achieve with graphic novels. With so few words in a graphic novel, it’s difficult to give characters true depth. There aren’t any plots or subplots that revolve around race, so it’s not a theme of the book, but the presence of under-represented groups (some of whom are in positions of power) makes a statement on its own. The illustrations have a cast of characters that are many ethnicities and the mother of one important character is in a wheelchair. I could gush all day about the things I loved about Awkward, but I’ll contain my enthusiasm and mention my five favorite things. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he’s a member of her own club’s archrivals–the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she’s already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the “nerder girlfriend.” How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!įalling back to rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can’t help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. One her first day at her new school, Penelope–Peppi–Torres reminds herself of these basics. Seek out groups with similar interests and join them. I would have missed out on Awkward, a truly rock solid middle grade graphic novel. I would have missed on on so many really dynamite books had I not ventured into unknown reading territory. Where in the world did I get the idea that graphic novels couldn’t be quality? I look back on this misconception and cringe. My reading time was limited and with the little bit of it I had, I wanted to read quality literature. I, too, once upon a time, was reluctant to pick up graphic novels.

From now on, when I overhear parents or teachers saying that reading graphic novels “isn’t really reading,” I’ll challenge them to read Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova and watch them change their minds.

Awkward book by svetlana chmakova