Customer Reviews

Burnout (Minx Graphic Novels)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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."

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.

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 two works 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 the how people trap themselves in situations they should have left long ago.

-- John Hogan

I generally like the Minx line very much, some more than others. Unfortunately, this one is not a favorite because I found its message ultimately bleak. You get the feeling that nearly everything that's heartbreaking about the characters' lives will be staying much the same: different setting but the same old destructive patterns: drinking, running away to a new unknown, despair, family abuse, etc. Even while placing our heroine in dream classes (with embarrassingly geeky-looking teachers) outlining peoples' resistance movements and leaders, the message in Burnout's plot is the opposite: that resistance to status-quo environmental destruction, while noble, is ultimately not only futile but a dangerous mistake; and resistance to destruction in our personal lives makes no real difference. The mother's rising up is one shining exception, until the running to nowhere follows it. However, I do like seeing the complex theme of Earth First! style eco-resistance appearing in a graphic novel.

A fan of Donner's writing, I bought her graphic novel with high expectations and was not the least bit disappointed. The plot is rich: wonderfully universal - with unexpected twists. She explores weighty issues such as second marriages, blended families, terrorism, and environmentalism through funny, smart scenes to which teens and adults can relate. The novel manages to be an action-packed page turner with a distinct literary feel (characteristic of Donner's previous work). I am new to this genre as is Donner and this medium suits her well. She explores the deep and in some cases dark side of human nature through witty, poignant, and clever dialogue alongside amazing illustrations. On another note, it is heartening to see teen age girls portrayed as smart, bold, and complex as is the case with Donner's leading lady. This is a must read and I hope we see future graphic novels from this talented writer.

Three stars might seem like an odd rating for something I call "Great," but in all fairness a good graphic novel is in a category to itself. It is not comparable to a non-graphic novel in which all the pictures must be created in the reader's head.

That said, BURNOUT is highly entertaining. It has intrigue from the start as you quickly identify with teenage Danni and her mother, moving to a new place. Her mother's hard-living boyfriend, Hank, and Hank's son Haskell all emerge as colorful characters. Danni discovers Haskell has a secret, and soon she's part of that secret--even though it might get her arrested.

Without giving spoilers, trust me that you will likely be pulled through this story in one setting, it's so interesting. Other readers here seemed to like the ending but I didn't. That is no reason to avoid the book, I just thought something more imaginative could have happened.

Though the story is adequately good, the art by Inaki Miranda is extraordinarily done for a graphic novel. He has a keen sense of framing each panel, and subtly uses lines and inking that provide true enhancement to the story.

This is one of the best graphic novels I've read all year. It's an page-turner of a story with memorable, convincing, and complex characters. The illustrations are well drawn, inked and beautiful--and the mood of them fits the story to a T. The author tackles important issues like family problems, the environment and political activism without ever getting in the way of the story. (For example, the theme of guerilla warfare/activism is woven into the classroom scenes rather than being too much in your face. ) The ending is (I won't mention it but it's a surprise) courageous for a book like this--it's not tied up with a big neat bow and lets you think. I, for one, hope there's a sequel-- and you will know why once you read it.