Jimmy is a stereotypical geek who works at the library in Oakland, California, and is trapped in his own torpidity. Sara is his best friend, but s...
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Aug 16, 2011
Wendy
rated it: 
I forgot to mention that the part where he's showing a real web programmer his website, and he said he coded it all in Notepad....lol funny... but only to people who realize the ridiculousness of that. He wants to be a designer, but has the education and ability of a 7th grader.
cute story of a not worldly-wise 25 yr. old from Oakland traveling to New York.
Some GN's tend to end in a silly way, but this one actually wraps up pretty well.
cute story of a not worldly-wise 25 yr. old from Oakland traveling to New York.
Some GN's tend to end in a silly way, but this one actually wraps up pretty well.
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Feb 17, 2012
Scruffy
rated it:
Empire State is a coming of age story about a guy named Jimmy who has led a very sheltered life. When his best friend Sara leaves to live in New York Jimmy decides to take a cross country road trip to tell her that he loves her, an idea he got from watching romantic comedies.
Jimmy is a very sweet and likeable character because he is so naïve. He has never left his home state so his view of the world mostly comes from TV shows and movies. It’s both funny and sad watching him confess t More...
Jimmy is a very sweet and likeable character because he is so naïve. He has never left his home state so his view of the world mostly comes from TV shows and movies. It’s both funny and sad watching him confess t More...
Nov 28, 2011
Raina
rated it:
Jason Shiga's people are not traditionally beautiful. Which is nice. For once. For once, we read a love story featuring people who don't look like they sprouted from a magazine ad. Love for the normals. Whatever.
This is the story of a library worker (loved the detailed explanation of "Mylaring" books) who lives with his mother, and his <spoiler>secret love of</spoiler> relationship with a good friend who moves to New York. And his subsequent bus ride to me
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This is the story of a library worker (loved the detailed explanation of "Mylaring" books) who lives with his mother, and his <spoiler>
May 13, 2011
christa
rated it: 
Jason is a young employee of the public library in Oakland, a real whiz with the process of wrapping Mylar around the books. He has never left the city and has dinner with his parents once a week. He doesn't have a bank account, rather signs his checks over to his mom and receives an allowance.
And he thinks he might have it bad for his friend Sara, who moves to Brooklyn to pursue the literary life among the hipsters. She did, afterall, introduce him to the different sorts of coffee dr More...
And he thinks he might have it bad for his friend Sara, who moves to Brooklyn to pursue the literary life among the hipsters. She did, afterall, introduce him to the different sorts of coffee dr More...
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May 09, 2011
Jessica at Book Sake
rated it: 
The one thing a graphic novel needs to do is be immersive. To be immersive you need to be able to easily explain concepts and ideas through pictures. When all else fails, you can use words to get more complex ideas across. This book did neither.
I’ll start by saying I really like the look of the artwork. It was pleasing to the eye and had enough personality to be endearing. The story was a basic boy meets girl, etc.
However, for as simple as the story and art was, I was utt More...
I’ll start by saying I really like the look of the artwork. It was pleasing to the eye and had enough personality to be endearing. The story was a basic boy meets girl, etc.
However, for as simple as the story and art was, I was utt More...
Apr 19, 2011
Paul
rated it: 
After reading meanwhile, I was curious about this apparent (adult) spin-off. This is a very modern kind of story, tracking Jason's trip to New York to "see about a girl" intertwined with some flashbacks to their meeting and the set-up to the trip. It is at times a little hard to follow, but the story is simple enough that it all makes sense in the end. The dialogue is cute and at times a little thought-provoking. It was a fun little read, and the minimalist art and colors are both comf
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Jan 28, 2012
David
rated it:
Empire State is unique, as far as graphic novels go, not so much in tone or story, but because it does some interesting, if simple, things with color.
The story is about a 25 year old Asian guy named Jimmy living in Oakland. He has prospects of becoming a web designer of sorts, but seems stuck in a life not suited for such ambitious pursuits. He's actually very easy to relate to because the entire story has a post-college lull feel to it that has become so common in the post-college gen More...
The story is about a 25 year old Asian guy named Jimmy living in Oakland. He has prospects of becoming a web designer of sorts, but seems stuck in a life not suited for such ambitious pursuits. He's actually very easy to relate to because the entire story has a post-college lull feel to it that has become so common in the post-college gen More...
Sep 24, 2011
Kat
rated it:
Jimmy is a 25-year-old man-boy, living at home with his mom and working at the Oakland Public Library, blissfully naive and content. He has a hip writer friend named Sara, who breaks the news one day that she's moving to NYC to pursue her writing career. Turns out poor Jimmy is in love with her, so he writes her a corny letter telling her that he's on his way, and that he'd like to meet her on the top of the Empire State Building, "Sleepless in Seattle" style. Unfortunately, life doesn
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Jan 16, 2012
Sunil
rated it:
Jimmy—presumably not Jimmy from Meanwhile, although he looks just like him, as that is how Shiga draws—is a nerdy Oakland librarian who follows his best friend, Sara, to New York to declare his love. That, and what happens, is essentially the story, which isn't so much about the plot as it is about examining Jimmy's life and motivations, what would drive him to do this. The non-linear narrative isn't readily apparent at first, but we get a lot of flashbacks to Jimmy and Sara and Jimmy and his mo
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May 11, 2011
Abby
rated it:
3.5 stars. My crush on Jason Shiga continues. This one was more melancholy and reflective than his other works, which are more like elaborate puzzles than graphic novels. Unrequited love story of two slacker 20-something friends living on opposite coasts -- total Adrian Tomine territory, I know, but Shiga's love story (or not) struck me as much more sincere and painfully real (and funny). If you've ever done something incredibly impulsive and poorly thought out because of a crush that's way out
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Jan 26, 2012
Brian
rated it:
I recently read Empire State: A Love Story over the span of days in as many sittings. People who have some of Shiga's other books such as Meanwhile and Bookhunter will immediately recognize the round circular shapes that his characters have. Despite their cartoony simplicity, Shiga is able to convey a wide range of emotions through his art. Empire State focuses on Jimmy, a twenty something library worker who is tethered emotionally to his familial home. When his best friend Sara moves to New Yor
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Jan 29, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
A story about a boy who falls in love with a girl who falls in love with a city that's not the city they both occupy. She goes to the city and he decides later to follow her. He misses his chance, and she's with a new guy. One who has knowledge and connections in the city he'll never have.
I love the alternating use of color -- the pink for the past, the blue for the current, and the pink-and-blue combination for those moments of now/insight into the main character's thinking. He's f More...
I love the alternating use of color -- the pink for the past, the blue for the current, and the pink-and-blue combination for those moments of now/insight into the main character's thinking. He's f More...
Oct 15, 2011
Megan
rated it:
I think three and half stars might be more accurate a rating for this graphic novel. The art, and most especially the images of characters are fairly cartoonish and representational. Lines are clean and heavy and the art is washed with a pink red and blue.
The story is one of a twenty something who still hasn't figured adulthood out. Over the last six odd years, those kind of stories have been resonating well with me. Our main character is naive in an exaggerated way but he meets More...
The story is one of a twenty something who still hasn't figured adulthood out. Over the last six odd years, those kind of stories have been resonating well with me. Our main character is naive in an exaggerated way but he meets More...
Nov 26, 2011
Jason
rated it: 
I don't know why I waited so long to read this book, because I ended up loving everything about it. I think it's a perfect example of the "show don't tell" rule in writing. It's obvious early on how Jimmy feels about Sara, but it's shown subtly through his actions. Jimmy's naivete (and his general overwhelmed feeling towards adult life) is also revealed this way: he travels to New York by bus, because he thinks he needs a passport to get on a plane. When Sara sarcastically tells him sh
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Feb 20, 2012
Liz
rated it:
Empire State is a very easy read about a very specific time in the main character's life, about having friends who are too honest, about being stuck in life, and wanting to see the world but only seeing truck stops on a greyhound. I thought this was a really good story and will definitely recommend this book to others. The design and colors used is also a nice subtle touch that highlight, but do not overwhelm, the story.
The only reason I am giving it 3 stars is because I thought it wa More...
The only reason I am giving it 3 stars is because I thought it wa More...
Jul 25, 2011
Mason
rated it:
I've really enjoyed all of Jason Shiga's other books, especially "Bookhunter", which had great fun with an intriguing concept. Shiga's got a consistently quirky way of presenting things, and a deceptively simple artistic style that's primary functional, with only enough detail and composition to let the story move on without getting in its way. "Empire State" is a more straight-forward story, basically a "boy-meets-girl-and-travels-for-her-but-it-doesn't-work-out" p
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May 09, 2011
your neighborhood librarian
rated it:
I bet that nobody that meets Jason Shiga doesn't like Jason Shiga. He just comes off as a sweet guy, a math geek working as a page in the Oakland Public Library, who is also a comics and puzzle savant. Empire State is his first full-length adult graphic novel, a little story about a naive 25-year-old Asian guy who works as a page at the Oakland Public Library. In the story, Jimmy is sort of secretly in love with his best friend Sara. When Sara moves to New York City to work in publishing and des
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Jul 05, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I looked at this one every time I walked by it on display at the library and finally just decided to check it out (even though I have hundreds of books sitting on my floor waiting to be read). It's a graphic novel so I justify my impulse because it wouldn't take me very long to read. And I was right. I really loved the colors used, the artistic style and the characters of this story. However, I didn't get any sense of romance. I know the subtitle says "(or not)" but I didn't even feel
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Aug 23, 2011
Caroline
rated it:
It's true--the timeline is confusing, we don't really get to know the characters, and nothing much happens. But there's something about the mood and style of the book that I really liked. Love the use of color to convey different times, the odd and spare arrangement of panels juxtaposed with the big, bold scenes of Oakland and NYC, and the motif of books as beloved objects. For a simple slice-of-life story about an awkward and naive young man taking a bus cross-country to see the worldly geek
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Dec 22, 2011
Stef
rated it:
This was one of the best graphic novels I've read in a while. It reminded me a little of the Scott Pilgrim series just because it seemed to have some of the same themes - being an early 20-something and feeling like you're supposed to be an adult but you don't FEEL like one, for example. It looks like it's going to be a long read but it's actually really short - read it in a half hour! There are a lot of pages, but not a lot of words on them, more artwork. Totally recommended if you like Scott P
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Aug 24, 2011
Wandering
rated it:
Jimmy has lived in Oakland, California his whole life and has no interest in leaving. Then Jimmy's best friend, Sara, moves to New York. After much angst, Jimmy decides to go to New York himself and tell her his true feelings for her. His grand gesture and romantic plans don't quite pay off.
This was delightfully sarcastic and snarky, with nerd jokes that I very much enjoyed. It's bittersweet, and doesn't have a happy ending. If you're a bit of a cynic and like nerdy pop culture More...
This was delightfully sarcastic and snarky, with nerd jokes that I very much enjoyed. It's bittersweet, and doesn't have a happy ending. If you're a bit of a cynic and like nerdy pop culture More...
Aug 24, 2011
Arianna
rated it:
Jimmy has lived in Oakland, California his whole life and has no interest in leaving. Then Jimmy's best friend, Sara, moves to New York. After much angst, Jimmy decides to go to New York himself and tell her his true feelings for her. His grand gesture and romantic plans don't quite pay off.
This was delightfully sarcastic and snarky, with nerd jokes that I very much enjoyed. It's bittersweet, and doesn't have a happy ending. If you're a bit of a cynic and like nerdy pop culture re More...
This was delightfully sarcastic and snarky, with nerd jokes that I very much enjoyed. It's bittersweet, and doesn't have a happy ending. If you're a bit of a cynic and like nerdy pop culture re More...
Nov 28, 2011
Angelina
rated it:
I like the way the art work's background color changed to indicate different time settings. The south park style of art is not one of my favorites. The plot itself was little depressing. I think it was intended to highlight youthful anxiety or feelings of inadequacy, but it ended up flat in places.
I repeat, I am not a South Park kinda of girl and this novel has that feel. So fans of that type of art and humor would probably appreciate this graphic novel more than I did.
I repeat, I am not a South Park kinda of girl and this novel has that feel. So fans of that type of art and humor would probably appreciate this graphic novel more than I did.
Jun 22, 2011
Spencer
rated it:
Really loved it. Jason Shiga is awesome even in this seemingly straight-forward narrative. I'm still going back over the book to make sure there isn't a puzzle or hidden story that I missed. I really enjoyed the story and everyone in it. I liked the different colors to emphasize the different time periods. I don't know if the color thing is authorial, but it worked for me.
I was a bit thrown off by the time period, but I'll call it "a few years ago."
I was a bit thrown off by the time period, but I'll call it "a few years ago."
May 21, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
I <3 Jason Shiga. And yet, somewhere in NY, there is someone who did not. And that is the story of this book. Sweet, without the manic pacing of his other books, but still capturing his quirky view of the world. I love how he compares adulthood to "The Empire Strikes Back" but begins by attempting to summarize the plot of the entire trilogy. And his explanation of rocket shape made me laugh out loud.
Read this book. It doesn't take long.
Read this book. It doesn't take long.
Nov 30, 2011
Rosalia
rated it:
Jimmy is a geeky boy working at the library in Oakland. His best friend moves across the country to New York City and Jimmy decides to follow her and proclaim his affection. Unfortunately he doesn't get her letter and ends up alone at the Empire State Building only to find out that Sara, has a boyfriend.
Thought this was cute and exactly the kind of thing that people believe can only happen to them but I think happens all the time.
Thought this was cute and exactly the kind of thing that people believe can only happen to them but I think happens all the time.
Nov 22, 2011
Christina
rated it:
Kind of boring story about a young man and his friend; she leaves their California town to live in New York City, and he gets up the nerve to take a bus out there to surprise her with a visit. He sort of is in love with her, I think? But she's moved in with a guy. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and the art was so-so, and there wasn't any story! Just a mopey shy guy who is very introspective.
Sep 06, 2011
Shawn
rated it:
I really enjoyed the artwork and coloring of the book, but the story just didn't do it for me. At various times the story is a little bit funny, a little bit sad, or a little bit heartwarming. But it never really goes on past that little bit. Maybe it's just that the main character is named Jimmy, but I couldn't help comparing this book to Jimmy Corrigan, and it certainly doesn't hold up to that standard.
Oct 13, 2010
Scott
rated it:
Not an entirely original story - boy loves girl but is afraid to tell her, but when girl moves away boy goes after her across the country - but a decent execution. I found the bouncing between past and present a bit jarring and even though Shiga uses colour to indicate what's in the present and what's in past, it's still confusing at times. A few sweet moments but a bit of a 'so what?' book for me.
Feb 08, 2012
Tamara
rated it:
The drawings in this book are deceptively simple, yet I found myself reading sections over and over. The journey of Jimmy to make his friend Sara love him is so familiar, and moves seamlessly between heartbreaking and amusing.
It was a quick read, but I ended up starting it again as soon as I finished it. It's a comfortable, sweet story and just made me happy to read and experience.
It was a quick read, but I ended up starting it again as soon as I finished it. It's a comfortable, sweet story and just made me happy to read and experience.
