Member Reviews
Summary and Quick Thoughts: Jack, the soup cart guy is a bit bumbling but when he sees a skater girl wipe out (fall down) in front of him, he knows he has to meet her. Jane, skater chick, actually makes the first moves on Jack and they start to go out. Jane finds Jack sweet and Jack finds Jane awesome. Rumblings start shortly after their courtship does though as Jane’s roommate’s book club finds out she’s seeing him. They activate “The Cute Girl Network” because Jane needs to know how much of a stupid jerk Jack is. Meanwhile, Jack is getting dating advice from a guy who really shouldn’t give it, but thankfully Jane helps Jack along patiently. “The Cute Girl Network” though has different plans for Jane regarding Jack and she’ll have to chose: dump him or date him?
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Further Thoughts: Where was “The Cute Girl” network when I dated someone I really shouldn’t have dated? After reading this title, I bet there are a lot of readers going “where was a network like this when I needed it?” That was how impressive this idea was and once you get started, you have to follow it through to see what Jane ultimately decides.
Jack is a typical bumbling guy, taken to a slight extreme and then he’s got a roommate who will give him bad dating advice (Gil is very much a stereotypical jerk). Thankfully, that’s kind of where the stereotypes end. Jane is a skater girl in an area dominated by guys who think women shouldn’t skateboard and then wonder why there aren’t any girls skateboarding. She’s also very “go-getter” and is somewhat lumped with friends who are a bit more feminine, but not so much so to send Jane away. It is this dynamic and these messages that surround Jack and Jane. This story is about how they navigate that for better or worse.
Black and white illustrations convey this story. Jack is drawn as a lazy, clumsy guy. Jane is an average chick and the girls are represented in various shapes, sizes, and nationalities. The setting is very real and it seems like this could easily happen in the small town over there with that skate park.
Overall, this was a good story, so much so that I hit that reader zone where it was “leave me alone until I finish this” and I kept sneaking chances to read it. I also think about it once in a while and wonder what happened after the end. That’s a good story. Make room for your adult GN collection for this one as I think it hits a nerve and tells a great story.