The Cute Girl Network: 10/16/15

The Cute Girl Network by M.K. Reed is a graphic novel about the budding relationship between a skateboarder named Jane, a soup vender named Jack. Jack's ex-girlfriends, self dubbed "the cute girl network" decide to save Jane from her fate of unhappiness if she continues to date Jack.

The relationship between Jane and Jack is a nice twist on the third law of library science: every book it's reader. There's somebody out there for anyone. We learn about Jack's oddities through both the Cute Girl Network and through Jane's interactions with him.

Jack is forgetful, prone to doing bizarre things, likes weird things, etc. But Jane isn't a "typical" woman either (if such a thing exists). She likes skateboarding, cult films, gross out humor, etc. The Cute Girl Network sees Jane as one of their own only because Jane is a woman and because Jack is interested in her. Sure, that's two points of similarity, but it's not enough and throughout they just can't wrap their collective heads around that fact.

The cute girl network reminds me a lot of a younger version of the "Bermuda Triangle of Gibbs" from N.C.I.S.. After Gibbs's first wife and daughter were murdered he went through a series of bad relationships and his exes are there in the background to criticize and warn off any future potential exes (and seem to be doing a pretty good job of it).

But what they deem unacceptable for being too weird or too disgusting, Jane sees as endearing or funny. For instance, he keeps his cellphone in his underwear because it falls out of his pockets or he doesn't have pockets. They can't get past the eew factor of it being underwear but Jane just laughs it off as one of his many memorable quirks.

The relationship between Jane and Jack also reminds me of the Harry Chapman song, "Shooting Star," though I don't think Jack is as broken as the man in the song. Jack is unusual and maybe not 100% normal but he's well meaning and functional. He is taking care of himself. He is paying his bills. He can hold down a job. Jack probably won't ever be a multi-figure executive but not everyone needs to be and not everyone wants or needs that in a companion!

Five stars

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