A Mess of Everything (Fantagraphics) [Paperback]

Miss Lasko-Gross (Author)

Book Description

Series: Fantagraphics

A troubled teen encounters the pitfalls of adolescence. Miss Lasko-Gross' semiautobiographical follow-up A Mess of Everything picks up where her debut Escape from "Special" left off: nonconformist Melissa is now in high school, coping with an anxiety-induced drug habit and an anorexic best friend. Even when the situation is not life-and-death, Melissa must negotiate the everyday problems that face young adults. By the end of the graphic novel, Melissa faces the choice that we all do at some point: whether to pursue her ambitions or settle for a more secure routine. As Melissa has grown, so has Miss Lasko-Gross' craftsmanship: A Mess of Everything retains the moodiness of her debut, but there's a new clarity to the art and characters' expressions and body language are more nuanced. Coupled with the unsentimental truthfulness that is the hallmark of Lasko-Gross' work, this intense book has appeal for anyone who is now navigating, or whose life has ever been touched by, these issues.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this intense but humorous follow-up to Escape from Special Lasko-Gross's semi–alter ego must navigate the perils of high school life. Fifteen-year-old Melissa doesn't have a lot of friends and those she does have issues of their own: rebel Kylie is on the brink of another expulsion; Penny has a stutter and penchant for shoplifting; and Terry is a closet anorexic. The problems Melissa faces are common ones—rebel or not; get high... or higher; tell a boy how she feels—but Lasko-Gross handles each with care so that even readers who've gone through similar situations will be convinced that Melissa's woes are unique. As her grades plummet and her parents uncover her drug stash, Melissa becomes increasingly persuaded that life will never get better. It seems that her comic book, which she sells on consignment to local record stores, is the only thing keeping her going. With full-color art whose dour color palette mirrors the sometimes painful subject matter, Lasko-Gross seamlessly shifts between real conversations and the ones that exist only in Melissa's head, painting a complete portrait of her raw, emotional and bitingly sarcastic heroine, and leaving readers eager for the last installment of this planned trilogy. (May)
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From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—The cruelties, indignities, rebellion, and lack of self-confidence that form the high school experiences of many teens are well captured in this follow-up to Escape from "Special" (Fantagraphics, 2007), the author's middle school memoir. At 15 and 16, Melissa's biggest downfall was that she couldn't control her honesty or soften her expressions of it, leading to messy situations in the classroom, with her friends and family, and, most important, her peace of mind. She uses her given name of Melissa Gross for her high school persona, and readers get to see her earliest efforts to sell her comics and also an explanation—filled with teenage righteousness—for her nom de plume. Imagery here is fraught with some nearly nightmarish (and succinctly credible from an adolescent perspective) exaggerations of tongues, acne, and even a turd. The artwork is done mostly in muted grays; blue and yellow highlight eyes or hair, and an occasional object also receives soft coloration. This is a spot-on portrait of one girl's struggle for intellectual and emotional honesty, touching on her best friend's anorexia and realizing the humanity of those around her—classmates, her mother—whom she had earlier dismissed as stock characters in the drama of her own life. More symbolic than Ariel Schrag's high school memoirs, this one will touch teens who themselves have just succeeded in negotiating the mess of learning to be a mature social being.—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: 232 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books; Original edition (April 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560979569
• ISBN-13: 978-1560979562
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,682,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, Great Protagonist, April 19, 2010

By 

S. Barfield "Mr Frank Ham" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Mess of Everything (Fantagraphics) (Paperback)

This Graphic Novel exceeded my expectations when I read it. It is such an entertaining book with characters that (if you're under 30) remind you of being a high school outcast. So many times during reading this was I reminded of instances of being around that age. The Art is good, the coloring is great. And it's a book that you'll probably actually read more than once.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark but also funny..., April 20, 2009

By 

Abby Denson "Abbycomix" (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Mess of Everything (Fantagraphics) (Paperback)

This book is full of snippets of high school moments that I found totally relatable. Also, the art is great, I love how she draws hands clenching in such a frustrated way!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Haven't read a lot of graphic novels, but this was ok!, May 18, 2010

By 

Wicked Good Books "Bianca" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Mess of Everything (Fantagraphics) (Paperback)

At the end of the day, my friend gave me this graphic novel to read. I wasn't actually planning on reading it, but since I had some free time in the class, and there was a sub in AP US History I figured I'd go ahead and read it.

A Mess of Everything is actually the 2nd book in Miss Lasko-Gross graphic novel autobiography but since it's a stand alone, you can go ahead and read it without reading the first. The comic deals with Melissa's struggle of fitting in, anorexia, friendships and so many other things. I enjoyed it and thought it was a pretty good comic!

On a random note, the book doesn't say where it takes place, but as I noticed in one of the pictures there was a building with "123 Beacon St" or something and my first thought was that it took place in Boston and then there was another picture. I checked the author's site and what do you know, she was born in Boston. Although the drawings were subtle, I'm glad there were details like that!