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4.0 out of 5 stars
A strong and poignant graphic novel, June 30, 2008
This review is from: Burnout (Minx Graphic Novels) (Paperback)
The theme of itinerant mothers and the children they drag with them, willfully or not, runs through both Rebecca Donner's first novel, SUNSET TERRACE, and her new graphic novel, BURNOUT. The two works have more than that in common, with their exploration of the wondering minds of children whose restlessness leads to trouble and even the backdrop of restaurants and diners, where the mothers work. The books part ways there, however, and just as she did in her excellent debut, Donner crafts a hauntingly evocative story in BURNOUT.
The story's narrator is Danni, a teenage girl who moves to Elkridge, Oregon, with her mom, Wynona, after her father deserts them. They move in with Hank, owner of a local hunting lodge, and his teenage son, Haskell. Hank is a man with many demons: alcohol, violence, the inability to manage his own business and poor parenting skills top the list. Wynona's dependence on Hank and her refusal to see the damage she is doing to herself and to her daughter by staying with him are deftly written. Donner never plays a scene for pity or to toy with emotions, a welcome relief.
BURNOUT succeeds because it capitalizes on the strengths of its art form. We get to know the supporting characters, including Danni's best friend, a hard-rocking math whiz named Vivian, through effectively brief glimpses. Donner wisely avoids thought balloons for everyone, giving us Danni's innermost feelings only in the narration. Danni's initial repulsion toward Haskell soon gives way to a crush and an intense need to learn where he goes when he sneaks out each night, and herein lies the crux of this highly readable graphic novel's plot. How Danni gets pulled into a world she knows little about and learns that she is willing to do anything for the boy she loves --- even if it means sacrificing the most important friendship she has --- is an intense journey. Is Danni wiser than her mother, or is she doomed to repeat the same patterns?
Donner is brilliantly supported by the nuanced artwork of Inaki Miranda and the beautifully rendered shadings of Eva de la Cruz. Miranda has a knack for capturing fluid human movements and natural poses, giving BURNOUT a cinematic quality perfect for its tone. His sense of perspective and his constantly shifting angles and point of view flesh out the story without ever intruding on it.
With a character as flawed yet appealing as Danni as a guide, BURNOUT is a welcome journey through the psyche of women in love with the wrong kind of guy and the myriad ways people can convince themselves to do anything. Ultimately, BURNOUT is a nicely taut story of the perils of desire and how people trap themselves in situations they should have left long ago.
--- Reviewed by John Hogan
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Eco-terrorism, November 9, 2011
This review is from: Burnout (Minx Graphic Novels) (Paperback)
After her dad leaves, Danni's mother drags her up to Oregon. Here her mother falls in love with an alcoholic and they move in. The man has a son, Haskell, and Danni and him share a room. He is very secretive and sneaks out every night. One night Danni follows him and finds out that he is the elusive ecoterrorist that the town has been trying to catch. She can believe in his cause in the beginning, but soon enough it might get to be too intense for her. Danni will have to try and decide the difference of fighting for a cause and just plan fighting.
First let's talk about the ending. I cannot believe it. It is left completely open and we never get to find out what happened. GAH! I can't even stand it. The rest of the book was interesting. Never really had too much ecoterrorism in my area. We have trees, loads of them, but not too many loggers. Haskell has to be the most broody person alive. He has his hair all in his eyes, and dagger looks that kill. He sort of just cracked me up the whole time. I have to applaud Danni's mom in this novel. She was a good mom and eventually fell into how she should be. The dad was a jerk. It's really too bad, because sometimes people can't help it but you still hate them a bit. If you're a big fan of fighting for the environment you might want to check this out. There's some romance too, just in case spiking trees isn't enough for you ;)
First Line:
"Sometimes when I'm alone... ... I try to see how long I can stand it."
Favorite Line:
"That blaze would be beautiful if it wasn't so terrible."
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Another great graphic novel in the MINX line, September 1, 2010
This review is from: Burnout (Minx Graphic Novels) (Paperback)
This book is a story about abusive relationship, love, environmentalism and learning who you are and who you are willing to be. It is a coming of age story written as a graphic novel set in the Pacific Northwest. Danni and her mother moved to a small logging town after her father disappeared. They are getting by but her mother wants more. Soon they move in with her mother's boyfriend, who turns out to be an alcoholic. Her soon-to-be step brother is an angry young man named Haskell, who she has been crushing on in school. Danni is confused and feels alone. But she soon discovers that Haskell has a secret - he is an eco-terrorist and Danni soon finds herself helping him, but she must learn how far she is willing to go.
The story delves into dealing with the issues of growing up, mixed families and learning who you want to be. The MINX graphic novels all have female-centric leads. The stories deal with young women learning to believe in themselves and to stand up for themselves. They are great stories and this is an awesome one.
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