Meet Jen Dik Seong -- or "Dixie" as she's known to her friends. Korean American, dirt poor, and living on the ragged edge of LA's Koreatown, Dixie's only outlet is the ancient martial art of hapkido. In fact, she's on the verge of winning a championship -- until she falls for fellow hapkido fan/California surfer boy Adam and gets thrown spectacularly off her game. As she struggles to win the tournament -- not to mention Adam's affections -- Dixie learns that in love and in gift-giving, what goes around comes around.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Well-developed characters, plot, and setting make this graphic novel a standout for both dedicated comics readers and those less eager to explore titles in the format. Korean American teenager Dixie and her best friend, Avril, practice hapkido, a martial art. There is a big hapkido tournament coming up in their South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, but Dixie, who has a firey disposition, loses her focus when she develops a crush on another teen hapkido artist, Adam. She spends her contest entry fee on an exorbitant gift for him and then realizes that he has no romantic interest in her. When Dixie attempts to win a free spot in the tournament at a neighborhood (library-centered!) competition, the other contestants, who are rougher street kids, disparage her efforts. Plot twists, which are both credible and nicely paced, include a falling out between Dixie and Avril, an accident that provides Dixie with an entry ticket to the big event, vengeance on Adam, and a new flame for Dixie. The black-and-white artwork is bouncy and pops with expressive faces, postures, and martial arts moves. This story works visually and as a sound narrative where action, romance, and introspection combine in an enjoyable and realistically multiethnic whole. Goldsmith, Francisca
Review
"...funny and touching in equal parts and is carried off in fine style." -- Publishers Weekly
"A strong start for the new Minx imprint." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Well-developed characters, plot, and setting make this graphic novel a standout..." -- Booklist (starred review)
"A strong start for the new Minx imprint." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Well-developed characters, plot, and setting make this graphic novel a standout..." -- Booklist (starred review)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great graphic novel,
By Amy Ward (Lawrence County, OH) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Re-Gifters (Minx Books) (Paperback)
Dixie has two passions in life: hapkido (ancient Korean martial art) and Adam (her hapkido classmate). But the two don't mix. Dixie has lost her ki, the spiritual energy that makes her strong. She isn't able to focus when Adam is around. And the national hapkido championships are here. Will Dixie be able to find her ki in time for the championships? Will she win Adam's affections? Or will a re-gifted item show her the true path? For those of you who aren't familiar with the term (or who are too young to remember Seinfeld), re-gifting is when a person uses a gift you have given them and gives it to someone else. The story is great and really comes full-circle. The character of Dixie grows and matures. I also love the supporting character of Dillinger, who grows and changes himself. After reading this book, you learn that outward appearances sometimes hides the true person within. The graphic novel format works really well for this story too.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great story for young women,
This review is from: Re-Gifters (Minx Books) (Paperback)
This is the second Graphic Novel in the now defunct MINX line that I have read, the first being The PLAIN Janes by Castellucci and Rugg. Both are about strong female characters - young women who can be role models or examples for the young women in our lives. This one is about a young Korean girl growing up in LA. She has spent years studying hapikido. But she is also a young girl in love. And love sometimes makes us do crazy things. This is a story about tradition, it is a story about honour and it is a story about life. Dixie, Jen Dik Seong, is told by her instructor: "If you do not find that harmonious balance you cannot fight well or live well". Read to find out if she can learn to discover that balance. Wonderfully drawn and written, this is a great story. It is a pity DC Comics cancelled this line. These are books I plan on hanging onto for my daughter for when she is older.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Minx book out there,
By
This review is from: Re-Gifters (Minx Books) (Paperback)
This is the first Minx book I found, and it's the one that made me seek out more. Re-Gifters offers engaging, complex and quirky characters, a lot of subtle emotional content, a view into the Korean/Korean-American worldview, excellent drawings, and a twisty plotline that keeps you turning those pages. Viva Mike Carey & co! Many Minx books later, I still think it's the best one.
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