Chloe, Vol 1: The New Girl

Chloe, Vol. 1 by Greg Tessier

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
First Published: May 2nd, 2017
Publisher: Charmz
Recommended Age: 9+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Romance, School, Popularity

BLURB:

Everything was wonderful for young Chloe Blin– she loved her family, even despite their affectionate nickname for her. But everything changes when she starts at a new school. Suddenly, her family is just embarrassing! Chloe wants to meet new people and make new friends, especially with a certain Alexandre, but she’s not sure what to say or wear or who to trust. The home room fashionistas are only too happy to tell her how her clothes look, but can they really be her friends? And what if everyone heard her family’s name for her?

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I wish I could be generous with this book and give it a high rating, because the illustrations are really adorable and I like to celebrate great art in my graphic novel reads.

I even somewhat enjoyed Chloe as a character. Although she is naïve and immature, the happy-go-lucky aspect of her personality entertained me quite a bit. She is impossible to dislike because you know she would never do something to hurt anyone even if she’s not perfect.

But the storyline and narration are choppy. The content is awful and made me grit my teeth very often. I have to admit I am getting tired of books with heroines wanting to be popular and find the most handsome boyfriend on the planet. That’s not what being a girl is or should be about.

And unfortunately, those are Chloe’s goals. I mean, it can be fun to read about, since the characters usually end up in precarious or silly situations, but can we be more original and less stereotypical as a species in the future please?

So while I never hated or disliked Chloe, seeing that she was never obnoxious, angry without a reason or on the defensive, I could not agree with her two main goals. She presents her teachers, but all she thinks about is being part of a cool clique and going out with this boy. The problem is, her group of friends made her miserable, yet she stayed with them because they were popular. The way I see it, if your friends treat you badly, you find new friends.

Kuddos to the illustrator for the cute art, but overall a disappointment. I’ll read the sequel—but just coz I have it with me at the moment.

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