Awkward
2015
- basic reader
- middle schools
- comics & graphic novels
- popularity
- fiction
- graphic novels
- clubs
- schools
- juvenile fiction
- children's fiction
The story
Penelope Torres (or Peppi, for short,) is a new student at a new school. Unfortunately, the first day didn't turn out so good. She trips and drops her stuff, and a nice boy, Jaime Tompson, was so kind to pick up her stuff and hand it to her. The bullies made fun of Jaime, and called him "Nerder," and as Peppi didn't want to look bad, especially on her first day, she took her stuff and ran. For weeks, **months** she couldn't work the nerve to apologize. She passes by other various obstacles in her student life, as well as making new friends and joining an art club in her school. But, does she apologize, and work it out with Jaime, or does this *barrier* affect their relationship? (Not romantically, this isn't a romance book.)
What it’s like
Soft, expressive graphic-novel art in warm pastels and clean ink lines, with lots of bright school hallways, cafeteria clatter and sketchbook pages that feel like a real middle-schooler's life. Panels are loose and readable, with big gestures and quick reaction faces, so the pages move briskly without ever feeling crowded. The vibe is warm, earnest and gently anxious: a first-week-at-a-new-school unease that softens into friendship and small victories, the kind of read that suits a rainy afternoon, a sunny weekend on the couch, or a quick comfort reread. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with each chapter a small social test, and the emotional arc follows a shy girl slowly finding the courage to make things right and a boy who stays kind despite being teased. Intensity is very low: some teasing and bullying, a tense moment or two, no violence, gore or romance. It suits younger readers, anyone who wants gentle school-life comfort, and adults who like honest, hopeful stories about awkwardness and second chances.
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