Young Frances: 09/11/18

Young Frances by Hartley Lin is a Canadian graphic novel about a young law clerk who is in a constant struggle with insomnia. Meanwhile, her roommate has moved to Hollywood to star in a television series eerily familiar to Frances's life.

On a personal level I found the insomnia plot the most relatable piece. Frances tries everything from white noise, to early morning jogging, to redoing her bedroom, and so forth. Nothing works permanently.

In the office, I'm reminded in terms of the high stakes, high pressure atmosphere of Ugly Betty. Frances, while not liked by her immediate cohorts catches the eye of the most notorious of the senior members. For reasons all his own he starts grooming her for a much larger role in the company.

Throughout all of this Frances remains aloof — from a combination of being overworked, under-rested, and the usual feelings of imposter syndrome. Despite this, I find her a likable, or better put, understandable protagonist.

Five stars

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Tuesday, October, 09, 2018 at 15:49:15

Stephanie Jane (Literary Flits)

I'm getting into graphic novels and this one looks interesting. Thanks for the review :-)

Comment #2: Monday, October 15, 2018 at 22:13:00

Pussreboots

It's a good book. If you have certain graphic novels you've liked and are looking for read alikes, let me know.