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Kill the Freshman
In junior high Vi may have been a nerdy outcast, but now that she's a freshman, she’s going to get popular or die trying. Literally. At the Gracewood Academy of Queens and Patriarchs, ancient magical mumbo-jumbo gives superhuman powers to students willing to take the ID cards (and lives) of their classmates. Underclassmen are the unwilling prey in this jungle, only safe from each other, and in certain parts of the school. When Vi nearly dies courtesy of some sophomores, her motor mouth lands her a friendship with Allison Meadows, Gracewood's apex senior, and into a student election that's like The Hunger Games with gossip. Everyone is a target during the election— the weirdos in journalism (who Vi secretly kinda likes), Allison (who Vi secretly kinda fears), and even Vi herself (who Vi secretly kinda loathes). To save her newfound friends, this fast-talking freshman will risk everything she cares about being popular, being herself, and being alive (in that order).
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
6 people want to read
About the author
Alex Langley
6 books18 followersAlex Langley can control gravity, swim at over eight-hundred miles per second, and has a dangerous, borderline nuclear passion for writing. He also writes news, interviews, and comics for the website rocketllama.com, has over 20,000 followers on twitter, and edits content for geek girl/web celebrity @actionchick Katrina Hill at actionflickchick.com. Thousands follow his work online, and he has been a speaker on panels at conventions, including Wonder-Con, and San Diego Comic-Con International. His published works also include academic papers.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 30, 2015
Even if you are years removed from high school, Langley's characters ring true. Filled with moments of hope followed by hopelessness, this piece of graphic flash has great visceral instincts--so much that I felt like protecting myself from the next onslaught of noogies or titty twisters. But Vi has more to worry about than the emotional roller coaster of high school.
Surviving a day in high school often feels like a matter of life and death. In Langley's talented hands, that's exactly what it is.
Surviving a day in high school often feels like a matter of life and death. In Langley's talented hands, that's exactly what it is.
August 27, 2015
YA isn't usually my thing. Cartoons aren't usually my thing. High school is most DEFINITELY not my thing. All that said, Kill the Freshman combines all of the above and magically welds it into a unique setting where the stakes aren't simply one's popularity in high school, it's their lives.
There are some really great frames in this graphic novel, and I thought the arc did a good job of showcasing the "loss of identity" and "loss of humanity" themes without cramming them down my throat. Both were masterfully hidden in plain sight, and that alone makes this worth the read.
There are some really great frames in this graphic novel, and I thought the arc did a good job of showcasing the "loss of identity" and "loss of humanity" themes without cramming them down my throat. Both were masterfully hidden in plain sight, and that alone makes this worth the read.
February 25, 2016
I love this book. I damn well better- I friggin' wrote the thing.
October 24, 2022
Vi is so awesome! This graphic novel is so wholesome — anxiously awaiting the next installment.
May 22, 2016
The artwork is dynamic and has so much detail. I just loved it. The story is exciting, and while it draws from a familiar anime feel, it's got a unique twist on things. I want to read more about Gracewood!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews