Spring - Softcover

Mark Crilley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007246609 ISBN 13: 9780007246601

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2008

Synopsis

First of an exciting new graphic-novel quartet for teenagers by renowned comic book artist Mark Crilley. Miki is intrigued by handsome Hiro, a quiet and secretive boy who has just arrived at her rural school. But Hiro is even more mysterious than Miki realises: as she overcomes his reluctance and slowly gets him to open up, she is drawn into an amazing new world. Hiro is a 'deliverer', a real-life cupid who keeps love alive in the world. He works full-time to maintain the balance, gathering the dying flame of love from those on the verge of breaking up and transferring it carefully to new couples. His private nature is an essential part of his job -- he is not sentimental about love, viewing it merely as a commodity to be distributed. But as his feelings for Miki grow, both their lives are going to get complicated!

About this title

About the Author

Mark Crilley is from Detroit. After college, he spent several years teaching English in the Far East, first in Taiwan then in Japan. While living in Japan he wrote his first comic: Akiko on the Planet Smoo. The Akiko comics quickly became a success and in 1998 Mark was named one of the '100 most creative people in entertainment' by Entertainment Weekly. This led to a deal with Random House for a graphic novel series aimed at younger readers. Miki Falls, which draws on Mark's experiences in Japan, is his first graphic novel for teenagers.

From Booklist

Crilley, probably best known for his Akiko novels and comic books, weighs in with the Miki Falls series, about lively, curious high-school-senior Miki, ready for adventure and romance. Attractive new student Hiro Sakurai piques Miki's curiosity, but he is not interested in making friends. Stubborn Miki, however, refuses to take no for an answer, which leads to a surprising revelation about the secretive young man. Except for an odd twist at the end (which, presumably, will be developed in future volumes), there are no surprises here. Crilley's manga-inspired illustrations, on the other hand, are terrific. Ranging from crisscrossing sequential panels to spot art, varied in size and artfully connected to further the plot, the pictures cleverly instill the story with abundant emotion, humor, and drama. An overlay of light shading and almost delicately rendered facial features and details give the book a softer feel than much manga. Despite the age of the characters, this will attract more middle-schoolers than older comics fans. Stephanie Zvirin
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0007246609
• ISBN 13: 9780007246601
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176