Kimmie66 (Minx Books) (Paperback)

~ Aaron Alexovich (Author, Artist)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Tapping Alexovich’s Serenity Rose (2005), DC’s Minx imprint produces another smart, engaging girl-centric graphic novel. Snarky, intelligent goth girl Telly lives in the twenty-third century, where teens spend most of their time in “lairs,” fully rendered virtual universes where inhabitants adopt avatars that stand in for their true selves. Trouble comes when Telly receives a real suicide note from her best friend, Kimmie66, and must find her before it’s too late. The problem: Telly knows Kimmie66 only through her virtual surrogate. Turning on this clever device, the story is on a par with the best speculative fiction. Through a well-postulated and convincing world, it poses questions about how we live now, and the kind of human beings we are becoming. Alexovich’s trademark Ameri-manga art, while highly energetic, makes a somewhat jarring fit for the tone and scope of the story, but Telly’s voice, while slightly younger than the ideal reading audience, keeps the occasionally dense story popping right along. Grades 8-12. --Jesse Karp

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Minx Books (November 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401203736
• ISBN-13: 978-1401203733
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #738,921 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic SF, December 22, 2007

By	R. Carr "Rob of UnSpace" (Pittsburgh) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Minx line is supposed to be aimed at teen girls, but from what they tell me at Eide's Comics in Pittsburgh, a lot of books get picked up by regular comic book readers like myself -- older and male.

I picked up "kimmie66" by Aaron Alexovich a couple weeks back and only now got around to reading it. About halfway through, I caught on to what Aaron was up to and was astonished by where it was headed. The book is far more than one would expect for the Minx line or comic books in general. No, it's not as good as Straczynski's "Midnight Nation" or even "Spider-Man: Revelations" but I'd rank it as a "must read."

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great art with clever storytelling, November 29, 2007

By	Melissa Severson "Taxy" (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This story will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever experienced a meaningful relationship online: friendship, romance, or even a deep 6 hour conversation with a complete stranger. If you are thirsting for a book that helps you understand the mindsets of the new world we live in, this is one of those books. It may be set in the future, but everything in this story directly applies to the present day.

It hits home with the world we now live in; where physical barriers are becoming less important; where corporations are organizing international employee training sessions in virtual worlds, and are recruiting in Second Life; a world where you have close friends internationally but have no clue who your next door neighbor is.

Information and technological advancement is happening so rapidly that what a person learns in their first year of college can become outdated by the time they graduate. This book captures the modern feeling of infinite access, infinite exploration, infinite creation. In a time when virtually anything is possible (pun intended), we need stories that target, capture, explore and encourage that feeling for all generations living here and now on our very, very small Earth.

The story itself is as old as time: it is the story of friendship, understanding, self-discovery and growing up. I would go so far as to say that I think parents might benefit from reading this book, to better understand the world their children are growing up in. And to simply enjoy the book itself; it is truly for all ages.

3.0 out of 5 stars Cyberpunk-identity food for thought, November 26, 2008

By	Tina Fields "BrujaHa" (Sebastopol, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A sleuthing tale that moves between online persona and waking-world, Kimmie66 is a wild exploration of the question of identity and how much we really know about a person, even those we love. The b&w graphics are striking. Adult cyberpunk lovers, psychonauts, and those interested in consciousness studies will likely enjoy this one too.