Customer Reviews

Squirrel Mother

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This graphic novel contains several stories on seemingly unrelated subjects, but upon close attention they're softly interwoven with their commentary on American culture.

The untitled story that begins on page 133 is especially moving. It tells of a girl seeking regain the freedom of her childhood self while prematurely condemning herself to adulthood through her poor and heart-wrenching choices.

"The Squirrel Mother" and "Meow Face" are also thought-provoking, somewhat sad stories about self-realization. "The River" surprised me both in its conclusion and in the tragic retelling of the Green River Killer.

The most baffling entries have to be the Alexander Hamilton trilogy, but they're fascinating and also effectively parallel today's society.

Upon finishing the book, I immediately re-read it. It's beautiful, baffling, and slightly off-puting but completely fascinating because of this.

A treasure for fans of intelligent comics. Kelso's art is wonderfully evocative - the use of color is delightful - but the depth and emotional power of the various stories (written between 2000 and 2005 for different outlets) is what really pulls you in. I love the playful experimental way Kelso presents many of these - she takes full advantage of the liberating possibilities of comics while keeping them grounded in reality. The fact that almost all of these stories get better with repeat readings speaks volumes about the care with which they were written and drawn. The three longer pieces in the middle of the book really took off for me: "The Pickle Fork" is a beautifully drawn black-and-white look at morality and antique cutlery; "Meow Face" is an odd heart-wrencher about family, fabulous clothes and mental illness, and "Aide de Camp" is a fascinating, multi-layered sideways look at Alexander Hamilton and the early American founders. Unlike the other reviewers I didn't find it odd at all; Kelso is at the same time exploring her female characters' fascination with Hamilton as well as presenting info about his life in an engaging way (loved her hilarious homoerotic take on Madison and Hamilton's Federalist papers). It's perhaps not as perfectly organized as some of the other pieces, which may be the fault of trying to cram too much info in, but it's still a wonderful - and seriously gorgeous - comic. I'd love to see her do more like that. Overall, this collection wowed me in ways that rekindle my hope for the medium. Can't recommend it highly enough.

This book was random. It is a small collection of stories. The graphics are great and two or three of the ten stories really grabbed me. The book took an unexpected political twist and three separate stories were about Hamilton vs. Jefferson. I found myself dozing off a little bit during this time, but others might be into that sort of thing.
Overall I would recommend.

The Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso is a graphic novel that is told in short stories or panels that give a snapshot into the lives of various girls of approximately the same age. The majority of the sections are about five to six pages with simplistic drawings that are humorous while also melancholic. Such "short stories" range from a girl learning how to dance to another adolescent girl who sadistically cleans her room. Another story is of a girl who judges her neighbors on the music that they play on Halloween. The concluding section is about the founding fathers in which Kelso mixes historical truths with modern-day romance. Overall, the collection is quite interesting, enduring, and spunky.

As other reviewers have stated, I very much enjoyed the short sections that depicted various girl and their "coming-of-age" moments. Each story was completely unique while also connecting to the overall theme of the book. If the graphic novel was comprised of only these stories, I would surely have given it four stars. However, the final section was a bit odd. Kelso's art was perfect, as is typical of her, but the storyline was a bit too bizarre for me. Had that section been left out, it would have been worthy of four stars!

Megan Kelso has a tendency to go right over my head at times. Maybe she just outwits me! Most of the time though, I find her stories to be insightful and though provoking. This is an author that never misses a beat. She must absorb everything around her like a sponge. She shows the importance in mundane situations. She can clue a reader into a wealth of knowledge about a character in only a few pages, and minimal dialogue. I find her to be endlessly talented and will always be on the lookout for more from her. High on my list of must-reads.