***** – really liked it (112 pages. Amazon link).
Their freshman year is finally coming to a close and Daisy, Susan, and Esther say goodbye to Catterick Hall forever. Literally forever. It’s being bulldozed and re-purposed as a luxury dorm next semester. But as one door closes, another opens and between end of semester hookups, music festivals, and moving into their first home together, the life experiences are just getting started.
I discovered the Giant Days graphic novels a couple of years ago, and really loved the main three characters – Daisy, Susan, and (particularly) Esther. They are three students at the University of Sheffield and these volumes collect together their university life together. I read Vol. 1, and Vol. 2, back in 2015 and then read Vol.3, Vol. 4. and Vol. 5 this week. Vol. 5 collects together issues 17-20 of the Eisner award-nominated series. On both occasions I binge read as much of the series as was currently available. I’m really pleased that I won’t have to wait long for Vol. 6, as it will be released on 24/10/2017. (I have pre-ordered it and I cannot wait!)
I really liked that the series is unmistakably British and pokes fun at several UK towns and cities, including some nice jokes about Susan and McGraw’s home town of Northampton. I found the plot to be true to life, and reminded me of my own student days. They managed to make even mundane activities like a trip to Ikea absolutely charming. The humour throughout the series is consistently excellent; it treads a good line between poking fun at the characters and telling a coming-of-age story. There are some genuinely touching moments and the story shows insight into the nature of friendships and relationships.
My favourite character was Esther, the goth girl who is often described by her friends as a ‘sexy idiot’. She is everything that my 15-year-old self wanted to be when I became an adult and yet she is also completely flawed and funny too.
The art in Giant Days is beautiful and created by a talented team:
Created and Written by John Allison, illustrated by Max Sarin. Inks: Liz Fleming. Colours: Whitney Cogar. Letters: Jim Campbell. Cover: Lissa Treiman. Designer: Michelle Ankley.
If you are looking for a quick nostalgic trip, then read these graphic novels. And don’t be put off by the format – this would be one of my go-to examples if I was trying to convince a friend to try out graphic novels in general. The art adds to the experience of reading rather than detracting from it, and the detail in both design and story kept me coming back for more.
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