Review by Booklist Review
Fink, creator of the unabashedly pornographic Chester 5000-XYV (2011), tones down not only the naughtiness but also the polish in this work. But not all the way down. A time-traveling, bodysuit-clad future Fink blips about in her own past, revisiting the sexy times from her adolescence and young adulthood like that one time in the hot tub or that one guy in the projection room or that drunken hookup in college or, well, the list goes on. But as she meets growing disappointment in the awkward realities of her sexual history, she decides to teach her previous horny selves a thing or two. The consequences are equally disastrous and riotous, while delving deeper than the bawdy conceit suggests. Fink deals with fearless honesty and shameless self-indulgence, and she draws it all in a loose, exuberant style that gives a nice countertexture to the more serious, soul-searching moments (not that she doesn't handle the poop jokes with aplomb, too). Her personal journey through humiliation and acceptance should speak to anyone who's had the misfortune of being a teenager.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fink has quickly established herself as one of the foremost erotic artists in comics, from her strong anthology output to her successful graphic novel debut, Chester 5000-XYV. Her latest work sees her putting the emphasis firmly on humor rather than erotica, as her self-named character travels back in time in order to prevent her younger self from making some terrible mistakes. Of course, raunchiness does ensue, but the overall message is of thoughtful self-discovery, with Fink's light touch still managing to bring real emotion to the page. The style, both simple and comical, makes great use of the white space and reinforces the story as one of both time and memory. In looking back at these experiences with Fink, the reader can see through her wiser eyes, but also through the eyes of an impartial outsider. The quickly paced book practically demands to be read again upon completion in order to spot all the hidden details. Unlike Chester 5000-XYV, there are no graphic sex scenes in this book, but plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Apparently, a time machine and a fancy bodysuit are all graphic novelist Fink (Chester 5000) needs to return to the past. Playing off the fantasy of traveling back in time to alter the past or possibly relive our experiences, Fink doesn't hop across vast expanses of periods like Doctor Who or the Time Traveller from H.G. Wells's The Time Machine. Instead, she returns to pivotal moments in her early life. To begin, she focuses on her past sexual relationships, wanting her breadth of experience to warn, improve, and change the outcomes. But, in the end, her plan doesn't go over well, so she decides to change other parts of her character. After failing at transformation, eventually Fink's back-in-time self tells her present self that she was doing just fine without her help. Fink learns that past experiences-both good and bad-contribute to who we are. Focusing on trying to change past events causes us to lose sight of the good in them. Verdict Hilarious and poignant, Fink's book draws upon adult themes and angst to teach us about self-acceptance with a story that's easy to sympathize with by focusing on regretful experiences with previous relationships, bullies, parents, and high school drama. Recommended to readers interested in humor.-Scott Vieira, Sam Houston State Univ. Lib., Huntsville, TX (c) Copyright 2013. 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.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-Fink uses a time machine to jump back to the sexy and uncomfortable parts of her teenage and young adult years, voyeuristically reliving the experimentation with key people in her life and trying to redirect her past self from bad decisions, stupid people, and embarrassing moments. The book starts without introduction, and the storytelling is largely haphazard, mimicking the unplanned and reactionary direction of the protagonist's actions. Toward the end of the book, the character of Jess states that "fart humor transcends age," and while the book purports to be about the present Jess trying to prevent her younger selves from making immature choices, the book revels in juvenilia. In part, this is because of the honest realization that we are our mistakes as well as our triumphs, but also because the good times that Jess recounts are mostly the dumb, crude things that make for amusing anecdotes among friends. The question is whether her cavalier depiction of sexuality and YouTube-worthy late night stunts with her friends is charming or whether one would find such tales off-putting. Her offbeat tone and self-awareness convey something similar to the mad rush of oversharing on an unexpected first date; some people will surely push away from the table and elect to call it a night, but the honesty, whimsy, and force of personality of the storyteller are undeniable.-Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH (c) Copyright 2013. 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.
