Reviews

Gr 7 Up-In this manhwa series, readers will savor the rich graphics and interesting love story in spite of the trite dialogue. It seems that only Alice is distressed about her high school's sudden bankruptcy and the subsequent merger with an all-boys' school. While her friends are giddy over the prospect of attending class with Patrick Kang, the hot manhwa artist dubbed the "DiCaprio of Seomoon," Alice is nervous about seeing Patrick (her love-hate romantic prospect) outside the studio. When Alice's former teacher and current crush goes to Taiwan, he leaves Alice a note enlightening readers about their complicated teacher-student relationship. While much of the book focuses on Alice's turmoil over her intense and conflicting feelings for Mr. Hwang and Patrick, it is Alice's sexy, beautiful friend Daria who stands out in this story and is featured on the cover. Her inexplicable ability to calm the violent tempers of the mysterious men who arrive at the girls' school will intrigue readers. Teens will ignore such lines as "Why so glum chum?" or "There you go again! Big-mouthed frog!" and instead appreciate the art.-Kimberly Garnick Giarratano, Rockaway Township Public Library, NJ Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Alice Song may just be a high school student, but she dreams of drawing manhwa-Korean comics. When she wins a contest sponsored by a manhwa publisher, she has the chance to live her dream, but finds that it's not all she imagined. Her winning comic was about an unrequited crush on a teacher, based loosely on one of her own teachers-who now just happens to be working for the publisher. To make matters worse, she gets to meet one of her idols, manhwa artist Saturn Kang, who turns out to be a high school student no older than her, and a jerk to boot. Rumors start flying around the school, jealousies erupt between Alice and the more established manhwa creators, and Alice can't decide whether she likes Saturn or hates his guts. Korean manhwa artist Ha offers this story as an inspiration to all hopeful manhwa creators. Although the plot twists may be beyond what a manhwa artist can actually expect, this story is a diverting romance told through Ha's elegant and soulful art. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.