Second Thoughts

Grade 10 Up—Two eventually interlocking stories are told here. In one, John is thinking of leaving his rock-star girlfriend and running away to New York. Writer Jess has the same sort of wanderlust in her lesbian relationship. Both tales feature a lack of communication, loneliness, and longing that lead to relationship problems. As the similarities crop up, different paths and meanings to the stories appear. Asker's artwork is comparable in style and execution to that of some other indie cartoonists, such as Daniel Clowes and Adrian Tomine. The writing here, however, is more spare and nonlinear. At book's end, there are a few possible and engaging interpretations, with the final panels in keeping with the emotions of all that has come before.—Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD
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The first work by the Swedish cartoonist Asker to hit the American scene tells the story of Jess and John, two strangers whose paths cross at an airport when they are both at a crucial moment in their romantic relationships. They never meet again, but their stories parallel and diverge as they decide whether or not to leave their respective girlfriends—Chloe and Sofia. Unfortunately, Chloe and Sofia are both musicians and look incredibly similar—whether by design or Asker's occasional character-design stumble—so the reader may be left wondering for pages on end if they're actually the same troubled girlfriend two-timing the protagonists under different names. At heart, this is a fairly simple tale of love lost, reconsidered or recaptured. Asker's art is unquestionably the star of the show, with his stark black and white line work carrying the emotional weight of the story, although a little clearer storytelling might have given the story more impact. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

John is a freelance photographer, and Jesse is a writer. They meet by chance at an airport while evaluating their relationships. This book tells their parallel love stories, in which each is involved with a middling successful rock musician who is unfaithful. As both ponder their circumstances, they come to opposite conclusions. One will stay and struggle with the problem-laden relationship, while the other leaves the relationship behind. Although John and Jesse meet in person only once, they meet again in the sense that John picks up Jesse’s book, Second Thoughts, in a bookshop. Asker portrays the lives of John and Jesse in clear black and white that suggests and informs. His pictures accomplish the difficult task of being at times arresting yet easy on the eyes. If there’s a drawback to this contained story, it’s that Asker leaves too much to the reader’s imagination. Nevertheless, he is a talent to watch. --Stephen Weiner