The Strange Ones

by Jeremy Jusay

Filled with visceral and engaging prose, this graphic novella offers a nostalgic look at two young misfits who manage to find belonging and heartbreak in each other’s friendship.

Anjeline walks with an open heart, but alone, through a world that consistently rejects her; Franck, another loner, never smiles. After the hand of fate literally shoves them together in the roiling mosh pit at a Midtown rock concert, they bond over the long commute back to Staten Island, and begin a friendship that makes the world a little better for them both. Together, this strange pair turns the sharp-edged, gloomy New York City into their playground...even as pain and heartbreak await around the corner.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Young Adult, New York, Historical, Music

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 14, 2020

About the author

Jeremy Jusay received his arts education at NYC’s School of Visual Arts, and he is currently the senior background designer at Augenblick Studios, which has produced animation for such acclaimed TV series as Wonder Showzen, Superjail, and Ugly Americans.

His first graphic novel, The Strange Ones, published by Simon & Schuster's Gallery 13 in January 2020, took 25 years to produce.

He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anjeline and Franck are a couple of oddballs to put it midly.

Anjeline is a free spirit - a glass-half-full kinda gal.

And Franck? He's a bit of a loner kid. He's unsmiling and grim to the extreme.

When the two of them are thrown together during a concert, an unlikely friendship blossoms - one that will change their lives forever.

So...core-concept-wise, I really was intrigued by the book.

The cover-art really caught my attention - and I loved the little description/book blurb.

But the actual story? It kind of meandered and fizzled for me.

It felt like one of those books where there's this big message and this huge poignant point to it...but that completely went over my head.

I just wasn't feeling the direction the book took and ultimately...well...I don't think I'll be going back for a reread any time soon.

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[Tucker Almengor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many thanks to Rachel from Gallery Books for the free copy in exchange for an honest review


Click here to watch the livestream discussion of this book!

Now on to the written review:

I am surprisingly disappointed. I wasn't expecting anything outstandingly amazing but I was hoping to decently enjoy myself. Unfortunately, I didn't.

I didn't hate this book but it wasn't enjoyable for a few reasons. Firstly, there was no plot. This graphic novel felt like a dull list of a series of events. It was like this happened. And then this happened. And then this happened but WAIT... this happened.

And another thing, the writing style had the same problem that the plot did. It was dull and list-y. It had the same drab style of simply listing things as they happened. They'd be like We went to the park. We saw a bird. We ate lunch. I told Franck something. There was barely any dialogue and the dialogue that was there was clunky and awkward.

All that said, I really liked the drawing style. It was creative and well done. I like the dynamic (what little dynamic there was) between Franck and Anjeline (random note, Grammarly is trying to get me to change "Franck" to "Frank" and "Anjeline" to "Angeline" and honestly, I'm tempted to because these names are unnecessarily "quirky").

Overall, this book was well illustrated but that was just about the only things I enjoyed about it.

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[jude · Rating 2 out of 5]

who tf is giving this book five stars. franck is the most insufferable character i've ever known. anjeline is like.....fine. not interesting. just fine. they both think they're so weird and deep and different, but really they just don't talk much and listen to a lot of alternative music. like, join the club kids, you're not special.

the second half is better, only because it's a bit of an exploration on grief. but even there, there's not much substance. even when Big Secrets were revealed, i didn't feel affected by them, and i feel like we never learned enough about the secrets to really understand how they affected the characters.

there are so many references to where the characters are in new york city. it's like the author REALLY wanted us to know that he's from new york. we get it. you're a new yorker. you know where stuff is. you're the expert. i don't need to know the street location of every single scene.

anjeline gets followed home by two (2) different men at different parts of this book, and she isn't concerned about that?? you can really tell that this was written by a man. if some guy i saw at a concert proceeded to take the same train as me, sit in the same car, get off at the same stop, wait for the same ferry, get on the same bus, and get off at the same bus stop as me, i wouldn't think "wow we live in the same neighborhood," i would think "holy fuck this man is stalking me."

while looking up that scene, i was reminded of another: "i just read 'night' by elie wiesel and it had an extremely profound effect on me. i wear this [star of david on my coat] as a sign of my solidarity with the jews and their suffering from the holocaust" WHAT???? HUH???????????

oh, also, the dialogue is all over the place. literally no one talks like this, and it was super distracting sometimes

"this place, even though it's an engineering library, has a great selection of literary classics. i spend most of my time here, perusing dusty stacks of forgotten literature, reading quaint yet meaningful novels instead of studying problems of fluid dynamics or stress analysis equations. it's where i first discovered kurt vonnegut."

oh my fucking god.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tale of unrequited love and tragedy set in the '90s and featuring two young people who confuse their affectations for having personalities. It's a kind of fantasy where a broody, socially inept guy gets to have a attractive young woman totally get him, think everything he does is cool, and have a crush on him, all while he spends his mornings picking which homemade button to pin to his old trench coat before hitting the streets to glower while listening to indie band music, reading Kurt Vonnegut, and thinking of his lost love.

The art's quite nice and I enjoyed the tour of New York City provided in the course of the book, but the story was slow and overwrought, the leading man was a drag, and the moral didn't do a thing for me.

[Queen Cronut · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Strange Ones by Jeremy Jusay chronicles the story of two outcasts, Franck and Anjeline, developing a friendship through chance and coincidence in the 1990s NYC. Initially, I wasn't fond of the first half, but then the second half rolls around and it got so much better. Franck and Anjeline had such a lovely relationship and I liked their journey of finding themselves- the characters felt very relatable and insecure yet, their character development was incredible. The ending felt a bit too abrupt and I wish the author left it a bit more open/hopeful but overall, The Strange Ones made for a nostalgic read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pocket Books Gallery publishers for providing a free ARC

[Samantha Kappes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Strange Ones captures the nostalgia of a young adult friendship between two young eccentric loners, who become friends after a series of fated meetings. It easily opens up the window to a painfully awkward time of in-betweens, of trying to learn who you are and what you may become someday. Jeremy Jusay’s art melds with a story bound to make you feel things, with characters that you likely wouldn’t embrace if you met them on the street, but you can’t help but learn to love.

The characters are genuine and painfully real, flawed and insecure. As their friendship blooms the two characters slowly open up to one another- only to see that connection fall apart. It’s a story of lost relationships, of bonds without labels, and about meeting another human being who is completely unlike yourself, but just somehow gets you.

I recommend it for anyone who enjoys bouts of 90s nostalgia, or just wants a heart-moving read. For anyone who was the weird kid in high school or college-- this graphic novel will speak to you.

[Samantha Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't really sure what kind of story I would be in for. The first part of the story has its merits. I do find that the introduction of Franck and Anjeline meeting at a concert was cute and very quirky. I realized quickly that these characters, especially Franck, are meant to be quirky and have outstanding characteristics (like Franck's obsession with Haddock).
However, the beginning part had a very slow pacing. I think with every chapter I couldn't quite identify why some scenes in the story were fleshed out. The scene where Anjeline and Franck meet the young girl seemed unnecessary. I did not see why some scenes were written into the story.
I wished there had been more fleshed out context about Anjeline and her story. I wanted to know more about her mom leaving and what that was all about. I think my main point is that as the protagonist, Anjeline's character wasn't fully realizes, so I wasn't able to get a good sense about how she fit into the story. The only thing really noticeable about her was that she was self-conscious about her ears. I think we needed more exploration of Anjeline.
Franck's story was a little more obvious, but it wasn't until the very end that everything that went on in the story fully made sense. I would have liked to know more about what happened with Franck and Jaclyn, but the plot of the story hindered that.
Overall, the second half of the story and the ending did make me emotional. This story has so much potential to be a heartbreaking, poignant novel if it would give us more character development and depth. Less plot oriented scenes, more character scenes if that makes sense.
But, I give this three stars because I think this is a potentially good YA graphic novel about love, friendship, and exploring the human heart.

[Sunny ! · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, haunting story of two young people falling helplessly into friendship and the devastation of losing those close to you. I do have my qualms with this book: the dialogue often felt clunky and unnatural. And personally, something in the art style seemed amiss. However, this book slowly developed into a heart-crushing journey as I watched the chemistry between Franck and Anjeline bloom. I especially respect the author’s decision in keeping their relationship (questionably) platonic. It allowed readers to see the pure, raw connection of these characters without things like labels and sex getting in the way. I absolutely loved the second half of the book. Seeing Anjeline struggle to reconstruct her life instilled a quiet sort of sadness in me. And yet, as I watched Anjeline receive answers to her questions, and tie up all the loose ends, this sadness bloomed into an appreciation. The ending satisfied me like no other, leaving me in an emotional haze as I reminisced along with the characters. The Strange Ones is a book that will leave you reeling, and make you wonder about the greater purpose of all the bad things that happen in life. I think everyone can gain something from reading this.

3.5 stars!!!

*I was provided this book by Pocket Books Gallery via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I received a complimentary advance reader's copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This story begins like a David Levithan/Rachel Cohn tale of misfits who meet cute and have adventures in early 90s New York City, but as the backstories of narrator Anjeline and the laconic Franck gradually reveal themselves, it takes on the contours of a Richard Linklater "Before" film, spread across a season, then a year. Collecting a story told in zines over the course of 25 years, not only does The Strange Ones ultimately becomes something of a Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gen-X Slacker, it also showcases the maturation of Jusay's storytelling and artistic talents. These are the people I loved and longed to spend more time with in the late 80s/early 90s. This is also one of the settings I love the most, yet have had only a couple of occasions to enjoy: New York City in the autumn. The complete story is charming and heartbreaking, and makes me nostalgic for a beloved time, place, and people that in reality only defined a tiny fraction of my past, more wished for than actualized. That makes it nostalgia in the truest sense of its Greek root words: a painful homecoming.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect when I was given the opportunity to review this eArc in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.
The beginning was slow to draw me in, but it was moving and interesting. Jusay's story follows two young adults in New York for a brief time in the early 1990s. The artwork is unique and just as engaging as the storylines. This is one book that will be added to my graphic novel shelf in the future.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. I found it at the Dollar Tree, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked the art style, the running gag with the buttons, the music references... And now I want to try haddock.

[Salty Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving look at a friendship of a couple of shy college kids living in NYC in the early 90s, who meet at a Belly concert. Their subdued friendship filled with moments of serene, awkward silences, past pains is emotive and filled with with full blown naivete. Strangely enough, this well-crafted, melancholic graphic brought a pool of salty tears to my eyes.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine this:

It's a slow afternoon, not quite time for the after school crowd, and I figure I'd browse the "New" shelf. I come across Jeremy Jusay's graphic novel, The Strange Ones, tucked away between two much more brightly-colored books. I suddenly recall reading some buzz about this book weeks ago, but couldn't remember exactly the where or when or what. So I pick it up and am instantly absorbed in by the story.

Set in the mid-90s, around the time I was just finishing up Senior Year and getting ready to head off to college (into the unknown), The Strange Ones centers on a friendship formed between Anjeline and Franck, two loner teens each struggling to put their past demons behind them and trust again. As they explore New York City, they bond over cheap food and the alternative music scene. They become each other's first friend in a long time. They each become what the other needs...even though they have no idea of this when they first meet. It was sweet reading this. Even though it was a slow-burn beginning. It was sweet. And I loved the character development as Franck and Anjeline slowly opened up to each other.

And then Franck dies.

very unexpectedly - and violently

And Anjeline is left to cope with the aftermath.

Honestly... I wasn't exactly expecting that twist. At all. I thought this was going to be one of sweet, dime-a-dozen stories about the healing power of friendship. Maybe with a romance blossoming toward the end. And it sort of was. Just not the way I expected. But after some thought, the story (as dark as it became at one point) was exactly as it should be. And I wouldn't have changed a thing about it.

Sometimes you NEED a story with all the feels (one besides warm fuzzy ones), and The Strange Ones definitely delivered.

I loved this story so much more than I expected to. And I'm happy I picked it up.

Even though it was an unexpected gut-punch.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

I got a lot more out of this small story than i was expecting to. Though the plot line is fairly simple, following two "strange" strangers who keep bumping into each other and develop a friendship, it packs a punch. One of my largest, continual complaints about graphic novels is that they end too soon. I read this on Kindle without the progress bar up, and there were multiple points where I thought that the story was going to cut off, but Jusay had more story to tell.

The first half of this book was definitely the weaker half for me. We primarily follow Franck and Anjeline's friendship, but for some reason I couldn't really believe in this relationship. Though Anjeline would reflect and talk about all of their great memories and chemistry, I didn't really see it on the page. The second half, which brings in more characters, symbols, and background, was much more enjoyable in my opinion.

The art style wasn't my favorite, but it was still pretty well-done and illustrated the story well. For a really nit-picky complaint, I noticed some inconsistencies, such as the positioning or design of buttons changing from panel to panel in the same scene. Normally I am the last person to pick up on these tiny details, but for some reason it stuck out to me. Either way, I flew through this book and it exceeded my expectations.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 STARS

I received this eARC from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review

This is a story about friendship, love, and loss. The main characters are alike in the fact that they don't fit in with anyone in their schools and are essentially "loners". They bond and form a friendship from this shared history of finding it difficult to make many friends. The story unfolds from the female point of view. Parts of their shared history I had difficulty with because I couldn't see where their bond was forming from the protagonists explanation of her memories and how they were connecting. Eventually I could see where their friendship had started to grow and flourish into something strong and beautiful. The story started slow for me but eventually picked up about half way through and then there is a huge twist that completely threw me off but also added something intriguing to the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this graphic novel. The story was one that had good messages to it and the pictures were well executed and portrayed the scenes and characters well. I would suggest it to anyone that is dealing with the difficulties of making or losing friends.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franck and Anjeline are The Strange Ones in any crowd. They are misfits, who seem fated to be together. After all, didn’t they keep meeting accidentally on the busy streets of Manhattan?

This book tells their story from Anjeline's point of view. However, during the introduction, the author states that he modeled Franck after himself. Perhaps he just wanted to see the world through different eyes through his art.

The plot moves snail slow through the first half. But the buildup to the surprising conclusion is much faster paced. In addition, the art improves immensely during the book. The author began this memoir before heading to art school in 1994. He finished it fifteen years later after his art career was well established. So in addition to seeing the characters' growth, you can also see the author's.

If you enjoy reading graphic memoirs and are one of The Strange Ones yourself, you will enjoy this look back into time. The scenes in memorable locations in New York City like the cloisters were especially fun. 4 stars!

Thanks to Gallery 13, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in Staten Island and made the commute Anjeline and Franck make in the book for many years, and a lot of my teenage years were spent going to shows in the city and seeing my friends play in their bands - this story hits the nail on the head in terms of getting right everything about that time. In a way that’s difficult to describe, the whole feeling of the story perfectly evokes the way life felt between going to school and running into friends on the boat or train or meeting up to visit museums together for someone’s assignment, and just wanting more time to hang out, to work at your dreams, to figure out what the hell to do in the future. I wont spoil the plot, but dealing with loss also comes up, and I loved the way it was handled. The poignant moments of losing oneself in the crowd at a show or taking in life from the side of the ferry were incredible, an all around great read.

[Jamie Lovett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Strange Ones began as a slice-of-life story serialized in Jeremy Jusay’s alt-comics zine in the 1990s. Now, years later, Jusay’s returned to finish the story of two misfits living in New York City and collect it in a single volume. The tale of Angeline and Franck will speak to anyone who has ever felt alone until they found that one friend who got them in a way no one else ever did. Jusay weaves themes of friendship and coming-of-age into an evocative period-piece tapestry. He knows how to make the specific relateable. Even if you don’t relate to Angeline and Franck’s specific interests and quirks, you’ll relate to how they relate. Jusay’s black-and-white artwork is straightforward but ripe with emotion. The Strange Ones will leave you touched and imbued with the spirit of youthful yearning in a way that lingers long after you come to its end.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC given by Edelweiss+ for Honest Review

"The Strange Ones" was a charming and enjoyable read from start to finish. The story line awakened some dormant creative beast inside me that immediately started imagining what else I could learn from these characters. Franck's character was endearing and strange though I wish I was able to see more character development between him and Anjeline. It seems like there was background growing in between their interactions and I would have loved to see what that entailed. The choice to not show Franck's eyes was an incredibly exciting one because I think it created the aura that you were never going to get to know him completely. I'm hoping to order this for my library's collection!

[D.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s quirky, calm conversations between an unlikely(?) pair of friends. The characters think they are edgy, but they aren’t too obnoxious about it. The tone is very slice of life-ish and walks at its own pace. Franck seems kind-hearted despite his stone face, and Anjeline seems happy to just go with the flow and randomly giggle for no reason. I especially liked the different hatch lines and patterns throughout the art. The story takes a sharp turn (for no reason), ending a bit sadly though it’s slightly fitting.

2.5

[Sara Wortman · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 Edit: Just bought a physical copy for my personal library!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Strange Ones" by Jeremy Jusay. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this comic book. It started off slow but it really made an impression on me by the time I had finished it. This comic gave me a really moody YA vibe. Parts of it reminded me of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I enjoyed Frank and Angeline's adventures.

[morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

well etched characters, relatable situations, evokes the feel of the 1990's. has a twist I didn't see coming. satisfying third act. great book.

[Graeme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melancholy graphic novella written over a 25 year period, but definitely a NYC in the mid ‘90s period piece that is beautifully done in black ink. Jusay captures the weird and emotionally damaged late teen years well. Loved it!

[Mary Varn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really captures a period of time and place very well, and is a very touching story of friendship. The characters at the heart of the story felt relatable to my own relationships when I was in college. I love the art and the portrayal of NYC too!

[Selicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, it started a bit slow and I wasn't sure where the plot was going, but by the end I felt very warm hearted towards it all. I enjoyed the art style and general vibe of the whole thing. It wasa really nice, simple, and decent read.

[Ynya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I’ll never forget this story, though tragic, I loved it! I truly saw myself in these characters. It was a beautiful story. Also, the 90’s nostalgia is real! I’m very jealous as a 2000’s kid, lol. Highly recommend, one of my favorite books this year!

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting enough but nothing blew me away, which is unfortunate as a friend highly recommended it. It was rather slow and the focus on New York, bands, and quiet conversations was a bit...tedious? It felt like all the above was supposed to mean more to me and it really didn't.

I also was highly distracted by Franck's magical changing badges, which swapped phrases panel by panel, but, when they visit his room and find the sack of badges in his closet...does that mean that he was literally walking about NY with all his trench coats filled to the brim, switching them every few minutes? They switch wording, change from his left to right side....it was like a strange subliminal message that irked me completely.

It felt like there was supposed to be more to it and I just missed it. Might be me. I did find the drawing style interesting though, it a bit busy in terms of the shading and hatches.

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars. Everyone is arguing that this graphic novel is crap but I think it’s just that you either like it or you hate it.

[Zach Denton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very tempted to give this 4 stars. This felt like a graphic novel memoir the way I forgot these aren't actually real people in a fictional story. It hit in all the right places.