One thing that’s come from this lock-down is that I’ve finally cracked open some of my graphic novels that I’ve been harbouring since last year. I picked up SnotGirl: Green Hair Don’t Care, instantly finished it and bought the next one! This is my review while I wait (im)patiently for Snot Girl Vol3!
SnotGirl is a comic book series all about the life of a fashion blogger (real name Lottie Person) who has really bad allergies. It follows her life, her “friends” and what happens when she takes some different (potentially very strong) allergy meds… Coming across SnotGirl late, I bought the first volume Snotgirl Vol 1: Green Hair Don’t Care while visiting Birmingham with my friend Natalee last year.
Related post: Top 5 Geeky Things to do in Birmingham (once lock-down is over)
The protagonist herself is flawed AF, and I love her for it. She is, quite obviously, a little insecure but also has a huge ego thanks to her incredible amount of followers. Her disregard for detail, her warped reality and her (all too familiar) anxious obsession with tenuous friendships only helps to enhance our investment in the surrealism of what she experiences and why she doesn’t even question it. Even her disconnected, materialistic nature is exactly how “big” bloggers are (from my experience) but anyway I’m not going to start ranting again!
I generally enjoy complementary colours, interesting palettes to indicate scene changes (not just loads of black and harsh shading) and clever use of pastels in the novels I choose to read. I really loved the use of colour in this graphic novel as it really helps to set a mood and helps us to make sense of what’s “real” in Lottie’s life. I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but let’s just say that the world that Lottie Person lives in is so filled with vapid nonsense, that when reality seems to twist with her dreams, it’s no wonder she doesn’t seem to notice until it’s too late. This only improves as we go into the second volume; SnotGirl Vol 2: California Screaming.
I was absolutely taken aback by the artwork style, which is so important to me in graphic novels, as I really like to take my time and pore over the details. The imagery, by Bryan O’Malley and Lesley Hung, was just so beautiful that even after I’d read it, I went back to look over it again and again. It treads the delicate line of simplicity and complexity, making it both super easy to read and exceptionally interesting to look at. I absolutely loved the outfits that Lesley Hung cooked up – so iconic! I was also delighted to find out cartoonist / writer Bryan Lee O’Malley also did the artwork for one of my other all time FAVOURITE graphic novels / movies – Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
When I finished reading these I just HAD to send my bestie Lizzie a copy to read, because as a fellow blogger I felt like this would speak directly to her soul. Now we’re both hooked, and I absolutely cannot wait for SnotGirl Vol3: Is this real life? But although it’s out now, I think there have been some shipping problems due to the lock-down, making it unavailable! I’d buy the e-book, but it’s simply just not the same as owning a physical copy!
Comment below: What’s your favourite non-superhero graphic novel?
5th May 2020
Omg I am so thankful that you gave me this because I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!! Like, I connect to both Lottie Person and Cutegirl on a spiritual level haha. I really can’t wait to read the second and the third when it comes out!