Wow.
Is there a better, more consistently brilliant author writing today than Neil Gaiman? I don’t think so.
I had not previously read Gaiman’s short story “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” so everything about this graphic novel was new to me and I couldn’t be happier about it.
The story is fantastic. Vic and Enn are two sixteen year old boys, friends, but couldn’t be more different when it comes to the opposite sex. Vic is confident and smooth while Enn is shy and confused around girls. Vic is bringing Enn to a party and keeps encouraging Enn to just talk to some girls. As they approach the house, they can hear the music of a party and go inside. Vic immediately hooks up with a beautiful young lady and Enn wanders the rooms, filled with beautiful girls. He gathers some courage and strikes up a conversation with one girl, but when he goes to get her a drink, she disappears. He manages to start a conversation with a second girl, who blathers on about some very strange things, but is called away by Vic for a moment. When Enn returns, another boy has taken his place. But finally Enn meets a stunning girl who completely captures his heart and mind. She is poetry personified and he would do anything for her, when Vic comes screaming in to the room and drags Enn away, telling him that they’re at the wrong party. The girl Vic sneaked off with earlier stands, the personification of anger, watching as Vic runs away.
I’m trying to tell the plot without giving away any of the real greatness inside this story. Trust Neil Gaiman to take this story and put in a few more layers that make it not at all what it seems to be.
And the art… by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá … is absolutely perfect for this story. It is enchanting and entrancing, which can also describe the story. I highly recommend this.
Looking for a good book? The graphic novel How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman and Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá is the perfect blend of story and art, telling a hauntingly wonderful tale.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
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How To Talk To Girls At Parties
author: Neil Gaiman
artists: Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá
publisher: Dark Horse Books
ISBN: 1616559551
hardcover, 64 pages
