Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom

Frazzled #1

by Booki Vivat

Meet Abbie Wu! She’s about to start middle school and she’s totally in crisis.

Abbie Wu is in crisis—and not just because she’s stuck in a family that doesn’t quite get her or because the lunch ladies at school are totally corrupt or because everyone seems to have a “Thing” except her. Abbie Wu is in crisis always.

Heavily illustrated and embarrassingly honest, Frazzled dives right into the mind of this hilariously neurotic middle school girl as she tries to figure out who she is, where she belongs, and how to survive the everyday disasters of growing up. With Abbie’s flair for the dramatic and natural tendency to freak out, middle school has never seemed so nerve-racking!

Packed with hilarious black-and-white illustrations and doodles throughout, Frazzled takes readers through Abbie Wu’s hysterical middle school adventures.

Genres: Middle Grade, Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile

225 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2016

Reviews

[AMEERA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable 💜💜💜'

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text and audio from Scribd. Good entertainment for me and I also learned new words for improving my English.

Synopsis: "Meet Abbie Wu. Abbie is in crisis—and not just because she’s starting middle school or because she’s stuck in a family that doesn’t quite get her or because everyone seems to have a Thing except her. Abbie Wu is always in crisis.

From author and professional doodler Booki Vivat, Frazzled dives right into the mind of this hilariously neurotic middle school girl as she tries to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Akin to Smile by Raina Telgemeier, Frazzled is heavily illustrated, embarrassingly honest, and sure to appeal to anyone in the middle of figuring out how to survive the everyday disasters of growing up."

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to tell you all that I read this book in just a couple hours and it's completely adorable and sweet and I loved Abbie Wu's middle school adventure.

My son saw me reading it and the minute I turned the last page, he snatched it out of my hands and has been carrying it back and forth to school reading and rereading it.

We sat down together and talked about what we liked about it and here's our review!

Frazzled is about Abbie Wu and her move to middle school. All her friends know exactly what they are good at, but Abbie just isn’t sure what her true talents are. Add to that, a new school, new classes, new people and the struggles of lunchtime and Abbie is feeling a lot of stress.

I liked that it had a girl who wasn’t really sure what middle school was supposed to be like and it really showed how uncertain this time of life can be for students. It also was a wonderful way to show that you don’t necessarily have to know who and what you want to be yet. It’s definitely something that can come to you at any time and when it does, it just clicks and makes sense.

I loved the doodles that are spread throughout the story! It added another element and really helped show Abbie’s struggles and frustration. I also really enjoyed the storyline… Abbie put a lot of effort into her lunchtime idea and even when it gets shut down, she uses that experience to figure out just where she might be able to put her talents to good use.

I would recommend this to others because it tells a really good story about the struggles of growing up and Abbie is a character that anyone who’s going to be heading into middle school can relate to.

Vivat tells the story in a way that is fun and engaging and will keep kids turning pages until the very end!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this story in exchange for my honest opinion.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute read. I picked it up on a whim after a twitter friend (thanks, Danielle!) recommended it and it was really sweet! Poor little Abbie Wu has a case of the "Middles" — it's her entrance to middle school, and she's absolutely wracked with anxiety and a feeling of not belonging anywhere. It's so relatable, especially to someone like me who also had legitimate anxiety issues as a kid; while Abbie never puts a name on her feelings, they surely stuck out as recognizable.

Abbie's narrative voice is funny, easy to empathize with, and lovable. The illustrations are absolutely adorable; the characters are all drawn in a simplistic chibi style that made me smile more than a few times, especially coupled with how classically melodramatic the little caricatures could be. I'll definitely be recommending this one to kiddos at work and I'll probably pick up more books by this author in the future!

[Arundhati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so adorable. The artwork is great and I am actually surprised by how much I liked the storyline. We get to see Abbie Wu's struggle when she enters middle school. Her frustration with trying to find her 'thing' is so relatable. It reminded me of the times I used to stay awake all night before the beginning of new school year. That feeling of impending doom and how everything seemed so dramatic in my head when in reality they were not. I flew through this book and I totally enjoyed the experience. It reminded me of the simple times and my breakdown on the most minor issues, it's completely laughable now. Overall very fun and enjoyable read.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Frazzled is a fun little story of Abbie Wu starting middle school. She is stressed about every aspect, and finds the start of her year difficult at first, but things do improve as the year progresses. Abbie reacts to everything with melodrama and has an amusing way of describing each situation she finds herself in.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious spin on feeling frazzled, worried, and stuck in the middle but finding your thing, your place, and your way through it.

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the reasons why I enjoy middle grade fiction so much is because it's a genre that's willing to take risks.

Case in point: the upcoming Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by debut author Booki Vivat. Vivat intermixes gorgeous black and white illustrations that are reminiscent of Bill Waterson, into an intelligent and funny tale about middle-child Abbie Wu's first year of middle school.

Abbie suffers from a typical case of middle-child syndrome, growing up in the shadow of older brother Peter. So when she starts middle school, she begins struggling with the ups-and-downs of fitting in. But Abbie soon learns that she - like her big brother - has a knack for standing out...

There are so, so many things to enjoy about Frazzled, beginning with the fact that it's pretty much a middle grade novel and graphic novel, rolled into one. Vivat deftly balances her illustrations with the text, which means that it's about 50/50 for both, when used to tell the story.

While this may be a bit of an adjustment for some readers at first, Vivat packs so much emotion, feeling and movement into each illustration, they not only feel like a work of art, but do an extraordinary amount toward furthering both the story and character development. I actually felt like I got to know Abbie better (and in a shorter amount of time!) than a traditional non-illustrated novel, because Vivat so thoroughly immersed me in her world.

Outside of the illustrations, Abbie's journey is a hilarious and relatable one, accentuated by both her middle-child status, and her Asian-American background. Vivat has a knack for picking out universal moments that readers of all ages will relate to, including the cringe-worthy moments of Abbie being asked if she's related to her older brother and also, her mom's desire to feed her fish and the grape fruit roll-ups, despite Abbie's obvious lack of interest.

Consequently, readers will delight in Abbie's creative way of solving some of her problems, and how her efforts help level the playing field for younger students. Though things don't necessarily go according to plan, Vivat's characters subsequent reactions to Abbie's efforts - including a touching sibling moment - nicely show how despite the ups-and-downs of school, things will undoubtedly be okay.

Of special note for parents/educators: Though I think the book does have universal appeal, it should be noted that Vivat's middle school is 6-8, and Abbie is going into sixth grade. So it does skew somewhat younger than some other MG titles.

Final verdict::

Booki Vivat has already proven to be a deft hand at innovative illustrations and innately understanding (and recommending!) the type of books that readers will love, in her role with HarperCollins.

With Frazzled, Vivat shows that she's also an up-and-coming talent in the writing world, as well. Abbie Wu's forays into her first year of middle school is a hilarious and genuine one, full of the fears, thoughts and genuine victories, which will have every reader recognizing a bit of themselves in Abbie's world - all with beautifully creative illustrations, to boot.

Frazzled is the type of book that demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt why the We Need Diverse Books movement is so important. If it means we can get more stories like Vivat's, it's a step in the right direction. Highly recommend, full stop.

[Andrew]

While this book was good, an engaging and funny comic-like novel, I need to address some of the weaknesses of this book. First, I felt like the book was too short, granted, it is hard writing a lot when you have to add tons of illustrations, but everything felt too fast, and I felt the author didn't elaborate or add detail to some parts of the story. Near the ending, the author turns the characters' life from doomed to decent in a span of a few pages. This book is the first out of a Trilogy, but I felt the author's cliff hanger wasn't enticing, and it didn't make me want to read the next book because I am perfectly content not reading the next two books. With all said and done, of course, I am going to read the next two books. :}

[Dee Dee G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the book lived up to the title because it had ME frazzled.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I started it. After all, I can't really relate to the middle school experience. I seem to have missed it! When I was in fifth grade, the K-6 school I attended made some changes that would see the sixth graders at the junior high (originally 7-8) the next year. But then I moved over the summer... to a place where elementary school was K-7. I should've gone into junior high (8-10) after that, but the year I finished grade seven, the schools combined the junior and senior highs (8-12), dumping us poor grade eights at the bottom of a very tall ladder. We endured a year of listening to the chants of, "Grade eights suck!" at every single assembly, in front of all the teachers (this was in the days before anyone cared much about bullying), and when we finally made it to grade nine, we thought the worst was over. Nope. "Grade nines suck!" echoed through the first assembly of the year.

It kind of reminded me of what happened to Abbie in this book. For whatever reason, the eighth graders at her middle school felt threatened by the incoming younger students, and took out their frustrations in the only way that was permissible: by making lunch miserable for anyone below the eighth grade. So... this is completely unrealistic (you can't tell me that you wouldn't have at least one irate parent calling in about the underhanded bullying by the older kids and the lunch ladies, which basically forced the younger kids to eat crap), but it was kind of necessary to drive the story, which revolves around Abbie finding her Thing.

I wasn't crazy about Abbie at all points during the story, but it was mostly where she felt contrived that I didn't like her as much. She whines about ending up in Study Hall for her elective, but her refusing to choose an elective is what put her there in the first place! (Of course, she needs to be in Study Hall so that she can find her Thing, so I get why it was done. Still, I didn't enjoy reading about someone complain, when she was only in that situation because of her own choices.)

The artwork kind of grew on me. At first, I thought it was too simple. I mean, it looked a lot like the doodles in my own notebooks from school! But I think it really worked here because the illustrations looked like something a middle-schooler might have scrawled during a particularly boring class.

This book would probably be enjoyed more by people who are in the midst of (or who have had) a middle-school experience, but even without that perspective, I still enjoyed it. Although the story was a bit light on plot, I liked the characters and the tone. I think I might like reading more about Abbie Wu and her melodramatic observations about the Middles.

[Linda Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author, Booki Vivat, at the ALA 2016 conference in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. When I saw the ARC (advance reader’s copy) her book, I immediately exclaimed, “Oh, I want a copy!” And since she had two, she graciously gave me on.

My intent was to read the book myself because it looked so deliciously funny. But when I got home, I asked my nine-year-old son, a reluctant reader, if he would like to read it. His response was, “Sure, why not?” (Which is basically how he responds to everything.)

To my surprise, he began reading that night. And he was enjoying the book so much that he said, “Hey, wanna read it with me?”

We read a little of the book together, but mostly he read to himself. He was fascinated with Abbie’s new adventures in middle school, and he kept asking me a ton of questions about whether things would really be that way for him when he got to middle school.

But what I liked most about my son’s experience with this book was how he constantly wanted to fill me in on what was happening with Abbie (Abbie Wu, as he called her most of the time). Most of his conversations would start with, “Did you know that Abbie Wu….?” Or, “Abbie Wu keeps trying to make things better for herself, but she keeps making them worse.”

I responded by nodding and saying, “Yeah. That’s good writing, son.”

Because my son enjoyed this book so much and was able to carry on conversations with me about it as he read it, I give this book five stars as well as highly recommend it to kids.

[Pawk. Poe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book “frazzled” is about a girl named Abbie Wu going to middle school.

What I like about this book is Abbie Wu doesn't have anything to do at school, while the others have things to do, like making clothes and playing sports. I like how she have the power to exchange the lunch. One more thing I like about this book is she’s a good friend because she helped her friends start their own things. One signpost that I noticed is Contrasts and Contradictions. I like how her brother changed at the end of the story. At the beginning, he didn't treat her sister well and he think he the best. But at the end, he buy her food and treat her well.

What I don't like about this book is ,as I reading I don't really understand the book. The book was suppose to be funny but it was not funny for me.

As I read this book, sometimes it make me thinking of when I was in middle school. I would recommend this book to others because it a good story for people who love to read funny books.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The struggles of being a middle child and starting school!

The lunch exchange idea is GOOD!
Loving this series and is a good one for the younger readers and beginners!

Love the comics.

[Lynn Hoffmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC last week. The release date of this book is scheduled for 9.16.16. Abbie Wu is entering middle school (enter sound of impending doom here). Abbie appears to have a lot of anxiety issues and literally stresses out over every small thing in her life. Even though this book has received many good reviews, I found our protagonist to be quite irritating. Perhaps she's supposed to be a little neurotic and replete with idiosyncrasies, but it was just too much.

I did like the way the author expressed Abbie's feelings of isolationism. Because what preteen hasn't felt all alone? The illustrations were also very good.

Anyway, you have to feel bad for her. Her brother is super popular and highly intelligent, and her little sister seems to be a preschool Picasso. Abbie seems to have no hobbies, and nothing that she excels at.

Instead of tackling the very real issues of anxiety or feeling worthless, the story instead is replete with adults giving her half hearted advice that sound more like cliches. And her friends seem to not really care all that much that she's stressed out. They kind of have an "it sucks to be you" attitude.

This book wasn't terrible, but there is definitely better young reader fiction out there.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

This super cute book highlights the trials and tribulations of middle school! Abbi Wu is trying desperately to find her place in a new school where she seems destined to fail. She doesn’t feel like she has any special talents or interests that allow her to fit in automatically, and she fears that she might never find her niche. The book is full of youthful hyperbole and a whole lot of energy, and it’s sure to connect perfectly with kids who feel like middle school is the absolute worst. (My own son was part of that crowd—middle school was definitely a rough patch for us!) The book is heavily illustrated and just downright fun! And, best of all, it will help kids realize that middle school really can be navigated without disaster!

***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, great illustrations.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying that I don't mean that I don't like this book *NOW* when I say that I would have really enjoyed this in my younger years. I loved this style of book when I was a kid and, in fact, just convinced my 9 year old daughter to read Double Act, which has a very similar style to this novel. The illustrations are hilarious and wonderful. I was fawning over all the gorgeous calligraphy and word art. The story itself was wonderful. It was humorous while still addressing a very real thing new-to-middle-schoolers go through. I loved the development of the plot and Miss Abbie Wu, herself. Overall, 5 stars easily! Can't wait to see more from this author - as this was a debut!

[Shenwei · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny and a wild ride from start to finish.

TW: repeated use of ableist language e.g. "cr*zy," "nuts" etc.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really cute book that I think showed the inner thinking of a 6th grade girl who was a middle child and felt like she was stuck i the middle of everything. She had friends though, so she wasn't all alone and while her father wasn't in the picture (it never explained why), her mom was a happy, cheerful adult and her other siblings, while having distinct personalities, didn't seem to be poorly adjusted.

The artwork was SO ADORABLE and went well with the story and inner monologue of the MC. The characters weren't overly fleshed out, but it makes sense, since the MC is a rather her-centric person. Not in a bad way, she just hasn't grown up enough to really look at and understand those around her. She's written very believably I think.

I got this at ALA Annual as an ARC for a relative who is a reluctant reader. It breaks my heart that anyone, let alone someone in my family, isn't as into reading as I am, so I decided to try to get her some books I think might make her a little more excited when it's time to pick up a book to read.

This is an ARC, so not all of the pictures are included and some aren't fully finished yet, but I was able to get the author to personalize it to my cousin, so I think that might help make it special for her.

I'm going to be honest, I really enjoyed this book, but the five star rating is pending if my cousin enjoys this book or not. If she does, it stays five stars. If not, it drops to four stars. I think that's fair, as I am riding the fence on a 4.5 star rating. Final decision goes to the person for whom this is intended. I will update on whether this was able to whet the appetite of a reluctant reader. If it does, then I would recommend it for reluctant young to middle readers.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVE this middle school book! Abbie Wu is a middle school student that you know, that you were.
Booki Vivat has captured what middle school is like - finding your place, trying not to stand out while wanting attention.
Love the doodles, love the voice.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relatable! I loved this book. It ends on a cliff hanger! Pretty drawings too!

[Luke Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I really liked the first entry in Booki Vivat's Frazzled series. The actual starting middle school drama and it being horrible is nothing new, sure, and the writing is on the simple side, but I know a lot of younger readers will relate to Abbie's incessant worrying that I know I had at one point. Also, the illustrations were an awesome touch and really made everything incredibly endearing. They also made me laugh and smile in a way very similar to Sarah Andersen, and I feel like if Vivat published her doodles in collections, I would find them really sweet.

Despite me wishing for more development on Abbie's best friends outside of interests and more details regarding the cool plot development that happened halfway through that was very entertaining (an underground lunch exchange? I've never seen that done before), Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom is a relatable, delightfully silly, and fun look at a girl trapped in the Middles and just wanting to find her Thing. It reminded me of a lot of stuff I used to read when I was younger (Ready, Freddy!, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Babymouse, to name a few) alongside television shows (Lizzie McGuire, anyone?), and it was fun to look back.

My favorite part of this book was Abbie and her older brother Peter's talk about Things and how they'll change. That was super sweet.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrifically fun start-of-middle-school book is Frazzled: Everyday disasters and impending doom. Middle-child Abbie Wu is not thrilled with the changes that Middle School brings, especially with her best friends in another homeroom, terrifying new teachers and the horror of the lunch line. Through some good listening and problem solving skills she does come up with a solution to one of the above difficulties. But what will the MS admin think of her plan? This is an excellent "Words&Pics" selection about a pivotal transition in students' lives. Check it out! (Recommended for 4th grade and up)

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is adorable! I don't know if was because I related a little too much to Abbie (ha) or that the handwriting with the illustrations looked so much like my own writing, but I loved it. The only negative I can find is the way the cafeteria was run - as a school employee, I don't really see that happening. I liked that the ending was positive but not neatly tied up in a bow with every problem solved.

[Juwi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about the struggles of Middle School and well Abbie 100% has anxiety since she worried ALL THE TIME so hopefully in the other books she actually gets professional help so she can have healthy coping mechanisms rather than everyone just saying ‘don’t worry’ haha magically cured amazing thanks!

The Lunch Revolution was defo a clever idea 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

And like Peter said we’re all just figuring it out!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and realistic middle-grade graphic novel, about the trials and tribulations of Abbie Wu in sixth grade, as she tries, respective to all the electives that are out there in school, to discover her "thing." I loved the humor and her very realistic experiences, which will be familiar to middle schoolers as well as their parents if they can remember back to their own tween/teen years! This would be a great read for a mother-daughter or parent-teen book club.

[Megan Jacobsmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I do not know why it doesn’t get higher reviews. All my students who’ve read it loved it as well. As a parent of a child going through the “middles”, I found it relatable, hilarious, and relieving of the pains of this stage. I laughed out loud multiple times at both the words and illustrations.

[Kim Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abbie sure does struggle with the middles. Quick read with a sweet message for middle schoolers. I can see students enjoying this book.

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!