Review by Booklist Review
Maria's blunt nature and intolerance for hypocrisy make her the target of bullies at her new school, but two boys prickly Shin and cheerful Kanda each decide to be her friend despite what other students think. Tomori tweaks the cute boy saves the lonely girl plotline by making Maria a difficult person to like, resulting in a story with depth beneath a fluffy shojo facade. Maria is a fairly tragic character, unable to integrate easily with society and always dealing with assumptions that people make about her. As she says, When you fall from grace once, you're a screw-up forever. Even though Shin and Kanda are only beginning to be developed in this first volume, it seems likely that they, too, each have their own troubles to face. Tomori's art has typical shojo elements large eyes, cute boys, sailor uniforms but Maria's deadpan love for adorably frilly clothes will likely lead to humorous moments in future volumes. A fine start to a not-too-long series (13 volumes) that will fit nicely in most teen collections.--Wildsmith, Snow Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-10-Maria is a talented vocalist who is forced to enroll at the local public high school, and she soon discovers that her reputation precedes her. The rumors have already started about why she got expelled from her prestigious private school. Students are staying away from her, but not making an effort to hide their preconceived impressions. They gather in groups and whisper things about her while she is walking by, making it clear that they already don't like her. Yusuke and Shin, however, are intrigued by the mystery that is Maria. Did she really beat up a teacher? Where does that amazing voice come from and why is she singing "Amazing Grace?" The art is crafted in a way that shows that Maria stands out not only in talent, but also in looks, creating yet another reason for the girls to be jealous of her. While her reputation makes her sound spiteful and capable of cruel things, she is illustrated as sweet and innocent. The story ends leaving readers wanting to know the truth about her; they are sure to ask for future volumes in the series.-Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
