Off*Beat Volume 1 (v. 1) [Paperback]

Jen Lee Quick (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Off*Beat | Publication Date: September 13, 2005

Meet 15-year-old Tory Blake, a self-proclaimed genius who is somewhat antisocial and more than a bit cynical about the world. Life is just tedious for Tory...until the day an attractive but secretive boy his own age moves in across the street. Tory becomes obsessed by his mysterious new neighbor and begins documenting his every move. But this pursuit of friendship--and possibly something more--leads Tory to the one thing he wasn't expecting to discover.Jen Lee Quick has crafted a wildly imaginative romantic drama, filled with all the hopes, dreams and anxiety of a teenager trying to make sense of his place in the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mystery, obsession and a whiff of life in New York City blend to make Quick's manga an intriguing entree to the compulsive world of Christopher "Tory" Blake, a high school student living in Queens. He seems like a regular teenager, but for some unknown reason he's developed a fascination with the boy who recently moved in across the street, Colin Stephens. Why do Colin and his guardian keep the blinds drawn and live in a pricey duplex when there's just two of them? In pursuit of answers, Tory enrolls in Colin's school. But Colin remains frustratingly unknowable, despite Tory's schemes. Snooping through school records, running license plate numbers and even tutoring Colin in physics don't pan out as Tory hopes, although he does uncover a few tidbits. What is the Gaia Project and how is Colin's guardian involved? Why does Colin keep missing school? Most intriguingly for the reader, why on earth is Tory so deeply and unshakably obsessed with someone he barely knows? Although Quick does nothing to clarify this final question, her likable characters and crisp, convincing drawing make the reader willing to stick with the story and more than ready for the answers volume two should bring. (Oct.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (September 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598161326
• ISBN-13: 978-1598161328
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,093,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise, November 10, 2005

By 

Kona_chan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off*Beat Volume 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

I had no idea what this was when I bought it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The story revolves around a fifteen year old boy, named Tory, who develops an obsession with his neighbor across the street. It appears that Tory not only has a crush on this boy, but something strange and mysterious is going on. The characters were interesting and believable, and there was enough intrigue to keep me wondering what was going to happen next. And, even though Tory is a stalker, I felt a lot of sympathy for him. There's something very sweet about this manga while still having eccentricities. I'm eager to read the next volume.

My only complaint is that I don't like reading from left to right, but since the author/artist is not from Japan, I suppose that should be expected. The artwork is different from Japanese manga too, but I got used to that fairly quickly. I could see what these characters would look like if they existed in real life. And the scenes from New York City were realistic too, which is nice, since I'm familiar with the area.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Title, December 28, 2005

By 

Kiwi Bird - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off*Beat Volume 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

The title of the series suits it perfectly. The manga is quirky, funny, and unique. I love that the characters feel like awkward teenagers. They seem very real, like you could meet them just around the corner. Tory's lonely and bored, and his interest in his mysterious neighbor is something that confounds Tory himself. He's not quite sure why he has to know everything about Colin, but he does. I love Tory's dream sequences, his loving but unorthodox mother, and the college student who randomly mooches off of their food. The real appeal of this manga is in the humanity of the characters and the attention to life's little details. I hope the second volume comes out soon.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Example of an excellent American anime, March 6, 2006

By 

Amanda Conwell (South Florida, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Off*Beat Volume 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

While some may be put off by the American-style illustrations, Off*Beat! is a light-hearted and enjoyable manga for any fan, hardcore or otherwise. It certainly left me craving (and hanging! Damn cliffhangers!) for the next volume!

I originally picked this up because, being a yaoi fan, I am always on the lookout for potential slash. I have a feeling that the relationship between the two main characters - which is mysterious at best in the first volume - will turn out to be more than just friends.