Freddie & Me: A Coming-of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody (Paperback)

~ Mike Dawson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's usually wise for a memoirist to have either an intrinsically interesting life or unusual sensitivity to the meaning of personal experiences. Dawson, unfortunately, has neither. The premise of his comics memoir is, as he puts it, that when I think of Queen I can remember my whole life: he's been obsessed with the British rock band and its late front man, Freddie Mercury, since he was a child living in England, and they're the madeleine that triggers memories of his life's significant events. But he barely explains why they mean so much to him, other than that they rock (Mercury's sexuality is mentioned briefly, once), and his recollections are the common stock of geeky, misunderstood adolescent male cartoonists. Dawson's black-and-white artwork is smoothly paced, fluid caricature in the vein of Joe Sacco or Alex Robinson, and his narration neatly evokes the hyperdramatic worldview of a teenager; some of the individual anecdotes he recalls are amusing, as when he imagines the breakup of Wham! or shows himself as a 10-year-old belting out Bohemian Rhapsody a cappella at a talent show and being hustled off stage. While Dawson rambles at times, anyone who was ever obsessed with a creator will recognize some of the whimsical story. (June)
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From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–As a boy in England, Dawson saw the rock group Queen on television; his older brother offered him a cassette of the group's Frankie Goes to Hollywood album and an obsession was born. In his first full-length book, he gives readers a gently nuanced autobiography in which Queen's lead singer, Freddy Mercury; Mike's little sister, Sarah; their grandmother; and of course Mike himself undergo many of life's stunning changes: emotional independence, self-expression, illness, and loss. When the family leaves England to live in New Jersey, Dawson imports his devotion and spreads his enthusiasm for Queen among his new schoolmates. As an adult, he re-creates these early- and middle-adolescent years with candor, sweetness, and emotional insight. His black-and-white images depict highly individualized characters–including the wide-nosed, orthodontics-wearing author–and panels are constructed to great effect. For teens who have found one particular song or singer to provide the theme music for their lives, as well as for budding artists, Dawson's story is, indeed, rhapsodic.–Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596914769
• ISBN-13: 978-1596914766
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,386 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for Queen fans!, July 23, 2008

By	Amber Jolliffe "amberjol" (new york, ny) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think any fan of Craig Thompson's Blankets would like this. To me, it read more like a coming of age memoir about growing up with a sister and moving to the US from another country...with a queen soundtrack. It had that "some words keep speaking when you close the book" thing going on, where days or weeks later, something like going to a yard sale or getting on a plane made me think back to certain scenes from it. I was psyched to find lots of George Michael in here, as the writer's sister loves Wham growing up and they fight about who is better over the years. You definitely don't have to be a Queen fan to get into this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, Humorous Comic Book Saga, August 6, 2008

By	Arigon Starr "Native American Artist" (West Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a long-time fan of the rock band Queen and of the comic genre, what a pleasant surprise to see both elements combined into a terrific coming-of-age graphic novel. Mike Dawson's story is every rock fan's story. He describes his journey from England to America, with every youthful, cringe-filled incident somehow made better by the music of Queen. The artwork is terrific and I admire Mr. Dawson's bravery in telling his life story in painful detail! The book is a must for Queen fans -- there are so many things we've all done as fans in this book (like fantasize about meeting our heroes in person) that are told and drawn with flair and hilarity. I'm looking forward to Mr. Dawson's next book, Queen-related or not!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The title says it all, December 24, 2008

By	Josh Neufeld "stoshmaster" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews

One of the few autobio graphic novels that justifies being labeled a "memoir." Dawson uses the British rock group Queen as a vehicle for discussing different periods of his unique personal history of growing up in England and moving to the States as a boy. He tells an episodic story in a way that still has the flow of a continuous narrative. Dawson's portrayal of his family dynamics expertly sketches in a sense of everybody's personality -- and the warmth they all feel for each other -- without ever once getting sentimental. The section "Guitar Solo," on the way memory works, is an absolute tour-de-force; it's a textbook example of the singular narrative power of comics.