Be That Way

Seventeenyearold Christine keeps a journal of an eventful year in her life in mid90s, while juggling troubled friendships and looking for love.Its January 1, 1996, and high school junior Christine wants more than anything to be that cool girl everyone notices, like her gorgeous best friend, Landry. She usually hates New Year´s resolutions, but this year she vows to be that shiny kind of girland record it all in her diary through prose, illustration, and comics.When Landry drops her, Christine is surprised to discover just how much she doesnt miss her and her drama. But a misguided kiss with filmobsessed Paul, her only other close friend, also causes a rift, and she finds herself facing a long, lonely summer.With nothing to lose, Christine finds a new sense of courage. She gets a job at her neighborhood video store, experiments with her art, and becomes romantically entangled with her nextdoor neighbor Whit, whos either the coolest guy ever or a total jerk. In spite of all this, she doesnt quite feel shinyuntil a shocking betrayal shows her the value of the words and drawings she hides in her diary, and she finally understands that she doesnt need to be cool to be noticedshe only needs to be herself.Eisneraward winning author and illustrator, Hope Larson, has created a powerful comingofage story set in a time before the Internet that explores themes of betrayal, first love, selfexpression, and the power of art.