Koko’s always got a new project cooking, even though they usually end in total disaster. This time will be different, Koko promises herse... read full description
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Sep 02, 2011
Ottery
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Aug 25, 2011
Ierlynn
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Koko Be Good is a coming of age graphic novel about two young people Jon and Koko whose paths cross. After recently entering the real world, Jon is about to give up his life to follow his much older girlfriend to Peru for her dreams. The story follows Jon through the process of him giving up all his interests and opportunities for that of another. He runs into a young girl Koko at a party who is just trying to get by in life. Jon's story causes her to struggle with what type of person she sho
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Dec 25, 2010
Cathlin
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Jen Wang’s debut graphic novel, Koko Be Good (First Second), traces the lives of three San Francisco residents: Koko, a mod-styled cigarette girl scamming for free rent and extra cash; Faron, her teenaged partner in crime; and Jon, a shy musician preparing for a move to Peru with his long-distance girlfriend.A chance meeting results in an unlikely friendship between the rebellious Koko and the sensitive Jon. Jon’s recollections of his altruistic girlfriend and their college romance compel Koko t
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Nov 25, 2010
Chibineko
rated it: 
Graphic novels have always had a good fanbase, but now that they're gaining more publicity there's been an influx of books (both series & standalones) flooding the market. While that's great in so many different ways, it also means that it is that much easier to get lost in the crowd. Unfortunately Koko might be one of those books that some might overlook, which would be a shame.
The book follows three characters- the titular Koko (an energetic girl who seems to want more), Jon (a 20 s More...
The book follows three characters- the titular Koko (an energetic girl who seems to want more), Jon (a 20 s More...
Sep 02, 2010
Beck
rated it:
I cannot help but compare this to Solanin by Inio Asano. I just can't. They're very simliar, but work differently. I feel like this one may've aimed for more complexity (although perhaps I just didn't recognize or now don't remember the social issues touched on in Solanin), but it does so very broadly, and I'm not sure of its resulting success as a story. It definitely had, for me, less emotional impact. A few good moments, but...
Faron was the best character. <3
T More...
Faron was the best character. <3
T More...
Jul 27, 2010
Holly
rated it: 
From start to finish this graphic novel needs a lot of fine tuning. The beginning was hard to follow, with a lot of jumping around and not a lot of dialogue it was hard to tell what characters were important, and what was even going on. The book settled into itself about two-thirds of the way through and became much easier to follow which was a welcome relief.
The characters seemed very superficial and the story lacked depth. I felt as though the major life decisions that Koko, and J More...
The characters seemed very superficial and the story lacked depth. I felt as though the major life decisions that Koko, and J More...
Jul 18, 2010
Beth
rated it:
In Koko Be Good, Jon is preparing to uproot his life in CA to move to Peru and save the world with his much older mentor turned lover, Emily. He meets a girl named Koko who challenges him to reconsider his ideals, and his purpose for making the choices he's made.
Although I read over 200 pages of this book, I struggled throughout to keep everyone, (and the timeline!) straight. The present of the story is Jon waiting for Emily's return and preparing to leave with her, and Koko's life, More...
Although I read over 200 pages of this book, I struggled throughout to keep everyone, (and the timeline!) straight. The present of the story is Jon waiting for Emily's return and preparing to leave with her, and Koko's life, More...
Mar 24, 2010
Jamie
rated it:
Jen Wang's astonishing debut is an assured and heartfelt story of people searching for their place in their world. The fundamental question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" doesn't end when you actually have grown up, it only becomes more pronounced and real. Wang's characters have passed the precipice of adulthood, but they are still confused about what they want out of life. Jon has abandoned his dreams of making music to follow his older girlfriend to Peru, where she wi
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Jul 31, 2011
Penelope
rated it:
I liked how this story had parallel story-lines that were somewhat separate but intertwined. Jon and Koko meet by chance, and it seems they couldn't be more different from one another. Koko is a free-spirited vagabond, while Jon is a recent college grad and musician, unsure of what to do with his life. Both are united by their desire to find some purpose for their lives, some way to contribute to the world, to "become a hero" for someone, and to feel fulfilled. Jon hopes to achieve
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Nov 03, 2011
Scott
rated it:
This graphic novel, released by :01 and created by Jen Wang, is something of an enigma for me. On one hand, the story has been done, the characters aren't very likable, and there isn't really much in the way of plot, particularly climax. However, the art is so fetching that I can ignore the previous complaints.
Koko Be Good is about Koko, a young woman in search of herself and willing to do just about any preposterous thing you can think of. She is the classic twenty-something narcissis More...
Koko Be Good is about Koko, a young woman in search of herself and willing to do just about any preposterous thing you can think of. She is the classic twenty-something narcissis More...
Jan 07, 2012
Kayla
rated it:
The main thing this book has going for it is the art, which is really outstanding.
Jen Wang comes from an animation background and you can definitely tell; the characters always look like they're about to burst into movement and every page is interesting and full of life. Her pages are laid out interestingly, and everything is dynamic and really fantastic.
That said, the story in this one is a little lacking -- a lot lacking. It's about a guy named Jon who is about to pac More...
Jen Wang comes from an animation background and you can definitely tell; the characters always look like they're about to burst into movement and every page is interesting and full of life. Her pages are laid out interestingly, and everything is dynamic and really fantastic.
That said, the story in this one is a little lacking -- a lot lacking. It's about a guy named Jon who is about to pac More...
Aug 19, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
What an interesting story, beautifully drawn.
This story really speaks to (I think) the early 20s set. It deals with the choices we make as we're discovering who we are and who we want to be in the world. And a good share of of decisions are made as we enter into long-term relationships.
Jonathan is a college student who's fallen in love with an older woman. She knows where's she's going and what she wants to do, and since Jonathan is still trying to figure that out, he's decided th More...
This story really speaks to (I think) the early 20s set. It deals with the choices we make as we're discovering who we are and who we want to be in the world. And a good share of of decisions are made as we enter into long-term relationships.
Jonathan is a college student who's fallen in love with an older woman. She knows where's she's going and what she wants to do, and since Jonathan is still trying to figure that out, he's decided th More...
Dec 08, 2010
Karla
rated it:
What do we live for? Beauty? Truth? Making the world a better place? What does it mean to live a good life--making others happy, or ourselves? Is this an either/or proposition?
After having stolen and reluctantly returned his Walkman tape player, free-spirited, street urchin Koko latches onto Jon, a recent college grad who is about to embark on a new life with his older girlfriend as a teacher in a Peruvian orphanage. His selflessness humbles and inspires Koko, but each attempt she ma More...
After having stolen and reluctantly returned his Walkman tape player, free-spirited, street urchin Koko latches onto Jon, a recent college grad who is about to embark on a new life with his older girlfriend as a teacher in a Peruvian orphanage. His selflessness humbles and inspires Koko, but each attempt she ma More...
Oct 09, 2010
Matthew
rated it:
I really enjoyed this little slice of life story. The tale focuses on two very different people: Koko, a free-wheeling twenty-something who lives her life to the fullest, and Jon, a quiet, fairly unassuming guy about to give up everything to follow his girlfriend down to Peru. The two meet, causing both of them to rethink their lives. Koko decides to become a "good person", and tries really hard to volunteer, gives things away to charity and more. Jon begins to struggle with how much
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Aug 19, 2010
Sarah
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Wang's beautiful tonal and expressive watercolors illustrate 3 lives intersecting at turning points for each. Wild child, drop-out, unapologetic Koko literally runs into recent graduate Jon at an afterwork party and shatters his certainty in self-sacrificial romance. While each begins to take a page from the other's life, underage Faron is caught in the lost lives of the adults surrounding him, while dreaming of a future that seems beyond his grasp. Wang beautifully captures the multicultural
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Oct 23, 2010
Claire
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Koko has lived only for herself for several years when a chance encounter with Jon, who is ready to move away and dedicate his life to the betterment of the poor. Their meeting gets them both thinking about what it means to be good and what it means to have a good impact on those around you. Rich watercolors in muted gray and brown tones accentuate the ideas in this graphic novel. The color choices enhance the ambiguity of "goodness" as the characters struggle to find their place in
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Jan 05, 2012
Nathan
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An interesting tale of trying to figure out what being 'good' means, Koko Be Good tells the tale of a young woman, Koko, who is (for lack of a better word) lost, and Jon, a post-grad who is planning on moving to Peru with his girlfriend. Neither one of them know what they want to do, although they both have ideas of what they think they want.
Both the story and the artwork conjure images of Craig Thompson's amazing Blankets, but Wang's use of watercolor bring an amazing amount of warm More...
Both the story and the artwork conjure images of Craig Thompson's amazing Blankets, but Wang's use of watercolor bring an amazing amount of warm More...
Sep 24, 2010
Sarah
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This is a story that depicts the idea of striving so hard to "be good" that you sort of lose sight of who you are. It is the story of Koko, a notorious troublemaker who decides that she should "be good" for once and of Jon who is about to go to Peru with his girlfriend because it seems like the "good" thing to do.
I loved the artwork in this graphic novel. I also loved the characters, especially Koko, and I liked watching them grow and figure everything out. I More...
I loved the artwork in this graphic novel. I also loved the characters, especially Koko, and I liked watching them grow and figure everything out. I More...
Dec 11, 2011
Andrew Shuping
rated it:
This is a classic coming of age tale for two different character, our titular character Koko and a young man named Jon. Jon is giving up on dreams and hopes of his own to be with his girlfriend in a place that he doesn't know, a language he doesn't speak, and unsure of what he'll do once he's there. While out one night Jon meets Koko, a young woman still trying to figure out her place in the world. Their lives intersect, accidentally as is so often the case, and lead each other down new paths. T
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Sep 15, 2010
Fill Marc
rated it:
I discovered this book while perusing the comic book store today and I recognized the author/artist from Flight Comics. Flipping thru the book Jen Wang's illustrations really impressed me. Reading thru the book I really admired her facial expressions in all her characters. However, the great artwork does not hold up the mediocre story and weak character development. I wanted to like this book more than I did. It didn't really go as deep as I wanted to.
Jan 20, 2012
Thomas
rated it:
"Koko be good" is a heartwarming story for young adults of various backgrounds. And by young adults, I don't mean fantasy-devouring, goth-obsessed, or insecure teenage girs. By young adults I mean people in their 20s who are trying to make sense of their lives by balancing college, friends, and dreams.
Because that is exactly what this book is about: achieving harmony between coming-of-age dreams and the happiness we know at present...
Because that is exactly what this book is about: achieving harmony between coming-of-age dreams and the happiness we know at present...
Sep 16, 2010
Cohen
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Apr 13, 2011
Tracie
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Three and a half stars. Koko, a free spirit with a talent for causing trouble, makes up her mind to devote her life to Doing Good. Jon, meanwhile, is preparing to give up his dreams of pursuing a career in music to follow the love of his life to Peru on a humanitarian mission. The friendship that blossoms between these two very different young adults prompts them both to find the courage to ultimately be themselves.
Apr 11, 2011
Erin
rated it:
One of the problems I tend to have with graphic novels is not being able to distinguish similarly-drawn characters. I had that issue with this book: all the women with dark hair were confusing. I enjoyed the stories (a young man preparing to move to Peru with his girlfriend and a young girl trying to become a selfless hero). The artwork is beautiful, but for me the experience as a whole was just okay.
Jan 03, 2011
Laur
rated it:
Jen Wang's art style is gorgeous to look at and she really has a gift for portraying emotions on people's faces.
The story itself needs work. I would have loved to sympathize more with John and Koko but just couldn't. Faron was my favorite character and the chapter dedicated to him was wonderful.
I do recommend reading it to discover Jen's work. Definitely can't wait to see more from her.
The story itself needs work. I would have loved to sympathize more with John and Koko but just couldn't. Faron was my favorite character and the chapter dedicated to him was wonderful.
I do recommend reading it to discover Jen's work. Definitely can't wait to see more from her.
Jul 27, 2010
laaaaames
rated it:
Maybe it's just me but I feel like I read way more graphic novels that remind me of what life in your twenties is like than, you know, straight prose. Jen Wang really really nails this, the whole search to find yourself, and the struggle to match up who you really are in comparison to who you're hoping desperately to become.
Also I have a huge crush on Jon. (Obviously.)
(read: 120)
Also I have a huge crush on Jon. (Obviously.)
(read: 120)
Nov 24, 2010
Bert
rated it:
Mixed feelings about this one. Loved, loved, loved the artwork. But the story jumped around a lot, and it was sometimes hard to tell when the scene shifted until you were a panel or two into it.
Overall, not a bad read, very quick and entertaining. I agree with others that I found Faron to be the most interesting character and the one I felt the most sympathy for.
Overall, not a bad read, very quick and entertaining. I agree with others that I found Faron to be the most interesting character and the one I felt the most sympathy for.
Aug 24, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
I liked this a lot. The art is really beautiful, and there were some gorgeous moments between the characters (as well as when they were on their own). I did find some of the layouts confusing, and wasn't sure what was going on in the ending, which prevents me from giving the book more than 3 stars. But I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more of Wang's work.
Sep 23, 2010
MariNaomi
rated it:
A beautiful young adult novel about finding one's path in life. Jen Wang's characters were over-the-top, but still managed to ring true (I have known a few Kokos in my time). And her watercolor illustrations were breathtaking. Her scenes in San Francisco were especially awesome and made me nostalgic for a city I already live in. Funny that.
Jun 22, 2011
Geoff
rated it:
glorious, glorious art -- and I mean the reach-out-and-grab-you kind. Amazing characters, fascinating plot. Storytelling's sort of crap sometimes. More than once I had to puzzle a page out, and a few times I couldn't even do that. Didn't mind, it's worth the effort. For every failed experimental page she pulls off three great ones.
