Good as Lily (Minx) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jesse Hamm (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A strange mishap on her eighteenth birthday causes Grace Kwon to be confronted with herself at three different periods in her life--ages six, twenty-nine, and seventy--while she and her friends struggle to save a crumbling school play. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Minx (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401213812
• ISBN-13: 978-1401213817
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #216,371 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An award-winning film waiting to be made, February 11, 2008

By	Ben Ostrowsky (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Grace Kwon, an 18-year-old Korean-American high school student, has some rather interesting companions. There's Grace Kwon, for instance: a 29-year-old woman. And don't forget six-year-old Grace Kwon. Rounding out this unlikely quartet is 70-year-old Grace Kwon. They find themselves thrown together in Grace (18)'s life for a few pivotal weeks in her life. Well, *their* life, really; the others are aspects-in-time of 18-year-old Grace. Imagine, if you will, The Sisterhood of the Time-Traveling Pants.

Needless to say, they discover Important Truths About Life together. And the story is so charmingly told that I didn't mind realizing this in advance; reading it, I allowed myself to be seduced by the narrative and let myself enjoy the hell out of it. I'm already sorry it's over and already waiting for Derek Kirk Kim's previous graphic novel to arrive.

I won't be at all surprised if Good As Lily gets turned into a movie. I'll just be delighted.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Good as Lily" is surprsingly good, August 3, 2008

By	Erica - See all my reviews

The manga that I normally read are Japanese manga, and from my experience, the American mangas are not that good. I had previously came across a copy of Megatokyo and to my disappointment, the art was poorly drawn and the story was a bit confusing, so I really was skeptical about "Good as Lily." But a friend recommended to me, and I must say that it is really good, surprisingly good.

It tells of a girl's coming of age story, and without giving too much away, basically, she learns important life lessons through meeting herself from three different stages in her life. It's really touching, and really reminds me of the time when I was her age, not knowing much and wishing to know. I highly recommend it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A high school charmer, January 31, 2008

By	Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Cory Doctorow wrote an excellent review of this book on Boing Boing today. In pursuit of more "serious" fare, I spent a pleasant half hour reading and re-reading this charming and challenging little book at our local library. It's aimed at young women, but even OFs like me can appreciate the humanity that Kim's writing brings alive. Hamm's illustrations enhance the effects.

Grace Kwon is a young Korean-American girl who, on her 18th birthday, finds herself in the company of her six-year-old self, her 29-year-old self and her 70-year-old self. The three women join her as she finishes her last semester of high school.

Doctorow found Grace "likable and flawed, insecure and brave, driven and oblivious all at once." The writing and graphics brought her alive for me, and reminded me of several of the young women I remember from my own last semester in high school.

The plot revolves around cost over-runs on the school play, a puppy love affair with the drama teacher, and friends who are both loyal and flawed. The high school battles rang true in my memory. Grace and her other selves overcome her flaws, but the results are sometimes unpleasant -- boy, that was the story of my high school years.

Our librarian told me that the book was very popular with high school students, but that adults like it too. I sure did. Boing Boing remains a great source of interesting ideas and products.

Robert C. Ross 2008