Janes in Love

Janes #2

by Cecil Castellucci, Jim Rugg (Illustrator)

"This graphic novel for girls feels like a teen movie and teaches young women the joy of being original." -- USA Today on THE PLAIN JANES, Best Graphic Novels of 2007

The art attacks continue in this sequel to the acclaimed graphic novel THE PLAIN JANES. The coolest clique of misfits ever plays Cupid and becomes entangled in affairs of the heart. P.L.A.I.N. - People Loving Art In Neighborhoods - goes global when the art gang procures a spot in the Metro City Museum of Modern Art Contest. And the Janes will discover that in art and love, the normal rules don't always apply.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, Fiction, Romance, Art, Teen

154 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2008

About the author

Cecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books. Titles include Boy Proof, The Year of the Beasts (illustrated by Nate Powell), First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Beige, The Queen of Cool The Plain Janes and Janes in Love (illustrated by Jim Rugg), Tin Star Stone in the Sky, Odd Duck (illustrated by Sara Varon) and Star Wars: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure.

Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, The Rattling Wall, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.

She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma's Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos, the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes and the Sunburst Award for Tin Star. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.

She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This probably should have stopped with volume one. The book loses steam as the book is all over the place. Castellucci had difficulties juggling the many love subplots with the guerrilla art projects while maintaining focus. I completely lost interest early on, but teenage girls would probably love it.

[Licha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Highly bored with the concept of "vandalizing" the town with artwork. And that should be a very bad sign, for that's what the main plot is about. I'm just glad to be done with this and thankful that this only went on for two volumes. Wanted to love this, but I found myself being really over it since vol. 1.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great follow-up to The Plain Janes!
Janes In Love picks up where we left off, with Jane trying to make public art, but struggling with the law, the boy, the Janes & her mother's (mental/emotional) illness.
The boy/girl romance in this sequel makes the story a little more High School, and probably very real for a younger reader.
Love the hopeful ending. <3

[Colleen AF]

The first PLAIN JANES book was in my top three books I read in 2007 and Cecil Castellucci is AWESOME in general. (I'm a huge fan of her BEIGE). This book definitely wasn't as magical as the first. Then again maybe it's just that I hate sequels AND books with flowers or pink on the cover. (Luckily there wasn't any glitter involved. Phew!) I also love ambiguous endings, so I didn't feel a sequel was needed at all, though I know many folks were begging for it. One of the reasons I loved the first book was it didn't scream "YOU ARE A GIRL THIS BOOK IS FOR GIRLS!" the way many of the MINX treatments do. It was a book I was able to get all four of my male roommates to read just by purposely leaving it in the bathroom, something that has NEVER happened with any other book...which is sorta a lie since I know they all read that TRUTH ABOUT CHUCK NORRIS book that was in there based on the increase of Chuck Norris jokes being told in my apartment...but PLAIN JANES was a NOVEL. A really fantastic graphic novel, especially when read by any girl who happily dances in the fringe of what people considered normal generic pink girl behavior.

[maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

um it was alright

[Jessica Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m surprised I didn’t like this more. I can usually really get behind a group of kids fighting against the establishment. I love that stuff. But I just didn’t understand why the establishment was so mad about the harmless and not all that provocative art these kids were making around town. And then when the group gets a grant to legally turn an abandoned lot into an art exhibit, they just plant a garden. I also didn’t really care about all of the weird romantic relationship stuff going on between the characters. Perhaps the author should have focused on just the fight the power art stuff. I don’t know. It all just missed the mark for me.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why, Cecil Castellucci? Why are there no more stories about the Janes? Whyyyyyyy?

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than the first volume in the series, with a bit more of the backstory explained and relationships between the characters are more developed.

[Yuna Leek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story just kind of lacked everything

[Elia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel is just as adorable as the first one!

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't awful but I don't really feel like there needed to be a whole second volume. The only reason I even read volume 2 was to find out what happened to the guy who took the fall for her in volume 1 but I feel like they could have easily tied all that up with an additional 10 pages there. This one is padded out with far too much relationship drama for my tastes, although I'm sure teenage girls and other people who are into romance will find it enjoyable.

[BookCupid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane likes Damon. The problem is her art project (P.L.A.I.N) landed him in community service, and now he keeps rebuffing her attempts to get close again. First, by going around with another girl, then by declining her invitation to a school dance because he'd rather go with a friend. Should Jane move on?

There were too many characters, leaving the rest underdeveloped. Like a secret admirer that wasn't really addressed. Instead, we get Jane and her five friends moping around because they can't find dates. Her attraction to Damons is undeniable, but sometimes, the best thing to do is let the other person go and see if they come back.

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Janes are at it again, creating art and beauty on the sly but they finally get caught and must do community service. But art cannot be contained and neither can love as several of the Janes seek boyfriends. The main Jane must also cope with her mother who's become reclusive after receiving bad news; an art grant application process; and balancing the attentions of Riswan and Damon. The main Jane is wrought with much angst, enough to make me say "snap out of it!" But she is a teenager and that's how they are.

[♛primadonna♛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. In my opinion the first book wasn't as good as the sequel.
I loved the romantic aspect of this book which is a rare occasion for me. Usually, most books can do without any romance. I think the romance saved this book.
I also liked how supportive but motivating Jane's father was with helping her mother get through her PTSD and Jane with her's as well.
I loved all of the Jane's but in my opinion this series isn't good enough to continue. I don't think I would pick up the next book if it did.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY like this series. A group of high school misfits (all named Jane), commit "art attacks" around their small town. They are lead by a mod-hipster who recently moved to town to get away from the memories of being part of a bombing in the big city. I love the interplay of high school drama, ripped-from-the-headlines, and art. And the illustration style is fun too!

Do read the first before going for this one, though (The Plain Janes).

[Erin Reilly-Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely in love with The Plain Janes, I thought this one was good but had difficulty comparing with the beautiful theme and emotional ache of the first book. One review mentioned that it seemed cluttered, and I guess I may agree, as I have difficulty remembering the details of the story while the first is still clear in my mind. It's still a good read, but definitely start with the first volume and keep your expectations in check.

[Jessica G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Confession: I've missed this series so much!!!
The P.L.A.I.N. Janes are my arty inspiration! I really want to be able to do the things they do, but I think I'd get in even more trouble than they did.
Every single Jane is awesome - I'm going to miss this series now that it's over.
I wanted to see more art stunts, nawwww :(

[Nickcole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5

I'm in love with this series because it is such a good tale of growing up and wanting to make the world a better place. I cannot wait to see what comes after this story.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

P.L.A.I.N. is at it again, using art to bring attention to important issues. This secret club, started by the original Jane, is all about People Loving Art In Neighborhoods, and the group is still engaged in various battles with the local law enforcement agencies in town. After winning a grant from a national foundation, P.L.A.I.N. must contend with the ire of the older generation, many of whom don't understand the plans the group has to beautify a certain area. To add to the complications in the book, which picks up right where the first one left off, all four girls are either in love or hoping for love--with mixed results for their passion. There are additional aspects of the story that expand on previous themes and topics, including background on the behavior of Jane's mother, who refuses to leave the house, and her reconnection with the boy whose life she saved during the explosion in Metro City. While it's clear that art saves and changes lives, the series lost steam for me as I was reading this one. As with the first Plain Janes title, there are quite a few moments that simply seemed quite improbable. I know that many fans of this series wanted it to continue, but there didn't seem any further direction for the group to go other than to college and in separate directions. I'm glad I borrowed my copy from the library rather than purchasing it.

[Can Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars/4 stars ?
I think I should have read the first volume first, but I had this book on my shelf for a few months and I wanted something quick and fun to read for Valentines Day.

I enjoyed it! It was a fun, gentle time, even with a bit too much high school drama. I like Castellucci’s general writing style and vibe that tends to be consistent across her work, and I enjoyed the aesthetic of this - 90’s/00’s dramatic art high-schooler crossed with a sort of old-timey pulp romance comic feel, solidified by Rugg’s very classic pulp-reminiscent art style.

The boy-girl romance was was a bit much for me at times, but overall this comic was just a nice way to spend a morning reading and feeling Valentines Vibes and thinking about public art projects and the general artist community.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cecil Castellucci has done an amazing job in her follow-up to Plain Janes. Sometimes sequels can fall flat or fail to deliver the same feelings or nuances that a reader gets from the first volume. That is not the case with this graphic novel. In just a few short pages, I'm invested once again in the girls that make up the art collective of Kent Waters and am rooting for them the whole time. There is a fabulous authenticity to the characters and the goings on. This is definitely one of my new faves.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was generally better than the first book, because I felt like the art installations were less destructive or less desperate to call attention in a negative way. Jane going out to seek a grant and do the legal thing was a positive, as were a number of the relationships that got a bit more play time. I don't think that the whole romance especially for the other Janes worked though. It felt like too much happening at once.

[Lexyloowoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last time I read this book I think I was 10 years old. I’m glad to know that in spite of not reading the first book I was still able to enjoy the second one and had even more sparks fly when reading it once again after finally reading the original copy. This is a book full of art, community, comedy, and a bit of complicated relationships but I think that’s what make this book phenomenal.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this sequel was more complex than the first one, with follow up to the messiness of the ending of the last one. But I feel like some characters need more attention-- there were too many primary characters for a book of this length.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book because of their wonderful art ideas and the combination of such different people, due to one commonality...where they then enjoyment out of one another. I liked this one because it further pushed how important art is, as well as love. With both, we have a beautiful world. :)

[Nicole Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one!

[Michelle Wyche · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this novel. It's a novel series I can get into and cannot wait to read the next one!

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still loved this one, though maybe a bit less than the first. I was invested in all the ships that were a-sailing (or fialing to do so), but thought the focus laid there just a bit too much.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first one in this series more, but this is still an enjoyable read. The plot felt like it skewed a bit younger than the first, and there was a lack of cohesion. Still a fun series.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first one better. This one was just okay - it didn't grab me like the others did, and the ending felt like there should be another book.