Honor Girl : : a Graphic Memoir

Locations
Call Number: Teen Graphic Novel / Thrash, Maggie, Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / Biography / Thrash, Maggie
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Graphic Novel / Thrash, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / Biography / Thrash, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / Biography / Thrash, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"A graphic memoir by Maggie Thrash"--Dust jacket.
"Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her fifteen-year-old life at the one-hundred-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She's from Atlanta, she's never kissed a guy, she's into Backstreet Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of a pleasant, peaceful nothing . . . until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser, and most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counselor named Erin. But Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for a girl to fall in love with another girl, and Maggie's savant-like proficiency at the camp's rifle range is the only thing keeping her heart from exploding. When it seems as if Erin maybe feels the same way about Maggie, it's too much for both Maggie and Camp Bellflower to handle, let alone to understand" -- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

School Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Beautiful Art, submitted by Maria Maguire on June 21, 2018, 11:50am What made me pick up this book was my favorite part reading through it: the art. The setting provides great scenery that is wonderfully illustrated. Green mountains, blue lakes, and starry skies make this a treat to view and read. The story itself is sweet and relatable. Maggie describes her summer at camp, the tradition, the excitement, the boredom. A lot of the story is about coming of age and finding where you fit in life, making it a good read for both teens and adults. I read this book in one sitting, and recommend it as a fun summer read.

5 of 5 stars submitted by cullerth on July 19, 2018, 10:00pm A fantastic graphic memoir. The simple art style captures the beauty of the Appalachian mountains and the essence of a hazy teen summer perfectly. What's more is that this is a story of a young girl coming to terms with her own sexuality in a time and place that isn't the most welcoming. This delicate subject matter is handled well, making this book a good piece in which queer/questioning youth can see themselves represented.

(If you're an older reader who grew up in the 90's, it's also got some great bits of nostalgia in there too.)

It Grew on Me After Finishing It submitted by Meginator on August 20, 2021, 8:01pm I didn’t initially think that I enjoyed or liked this book immediately after finishing it, but a day later and I’m reconsidering my first impressions. What at first seemed to be a sketchy artistic style became a reflection of Thrash’s own uncertainty at this age, with a handwritten font adding to the book’s visual mirror of the author’s emotional state. The book’s most striking quality is its honesty, particularly in Thrash’s avoidance of clichés and seeming hesitance to make the book stand in for anything other than her own experiences. This, ironically, makes the book even more relatable, as the reader isn’t directly asked to locate themselves in the author’s story but, rather, feels its emotional truth at a deeper level. Some readers may have difficulty getting past the unconventional artistic style, and others will be put off by the meandering, open-ended plot, but to me they added to the book’s subtle artistry and a lasting impression that I did not initially expect.

Great use of the graphic novel format submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 25, 2023, 9:29am This was a great little memoir that used the graphic novel format well to convey the emotional sense of the time and place of being a queer teen in the time and space of self-discovery. It was a random pick for me, just to know what’s out there for young folks and clients, and it’s a good one. I could easily see this opening discussion about what it means to have questions, to be supported (by friends, adults, family), to have space to learn and explore, and to ask a questioning or newly self-identified young person “how can I be a good support to you?”

Irreverent and Meaningful submitted by mknappe on August 3, 2023, 2:54pm I was recommended this book by a friend and found it to be an amazing reflection of my own experiences growing up as a queer girl. The art style was quirky and perfectly portrayed the beautiful awkwardness of figuring out who you are. This book will stick with me for a long time as I continue to think about my own relationships growing up.