Book Review: Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

Title: Chaotic Good
Author: Whitney Gardner
Publisher: Knopf
Publishing Date: March 13, 2018
Read: March 26th, 2024
Pages: 256
Audio Length: 7 Hours 7 Minutes
Genre: YA contemporary
TW: Sexism, misogyny, cyber bullying
Series: Standalone
Source: Audio

What it's about:

Cameron's cosplay--dressing like a fictional character--is finally starting to earn her attention--attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans.

When Cameron's family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town--her main destination for character reference--is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop.

At her twin brother's suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she's shocked at how easily she's accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure.

But as her "secret identity" gets more and more entrenched, Cameron's portfolio falls by the wayside--and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.

What I thought:

We all know how much I absolutely love geeky books, if it has role playing, video games, cosplay, anime, movie nerds, etc I am THERE.

I do appreciate as well the way it calls to attention how hard it is to be female in male dominated spaces, while I do think it's slightly over dramatic in the way the guy was towards her in the comic store, I see what the author was doing.

I go to comic stores often and luckily have never seen anything this crazy there, and while I know dudes suck sometimes, I still think it was just a bit dramatic.

HOWEVER, while playing online games if a dude finds out you're a female it's all over. "Girls can't play video games" "Girls don't like comics" "Just another fake geek girl"
I have gotten comments like this, well, most of my teenage and adult life. Not sure what my genitals have to do with my love of all things geek but okay.

Sorry end rant! 

Cover:

I LOVE this cover. I know a lot of people don't like books with characters on the front, but I love them, especially cartoonized characters. And this one fits well and is super cute.

Story:

The story was great in a way that it's relatable and realistic in what women go through, not even just in the geekdom/fandom world but really everywhere in male dominated spaces.

I will tell you it did give me a lot of anxiety, any books, movies, shows where a character is hiding something and can destroy a relationship if the person finds out gives me so much anxiety, even though I know in the end it will probably be okay.

Pace: 

It started just a bit slow, I've tried reading the physical book of this a couple times and never got far, I had to push through in the audio book and I'm glad I did, because once I did it really went.

Writing: 

I like this writing, the author was great at writing not only the story and the characters but the DND and the geek parts too.

Characters: 

I love Cameron and I love her brother Cooper, I love Wyatt most though. 

 

World building: 

Not much world building to be done.

Ending: 

The ending was great and made me smile, it wrapped the book up well.

Narrator:

She did a good job. 

Overall:

This is a fun, geeky read that shows how hard it is to be a female, especially in male dominated areas. It was fun and the references in the book made me smile.

A little Snippet:

“I wish people didn’t call them that. Trolls… They aren’t mythical creatures. You can’t look up how to defeat them in the Monster Manual. There are no critical hits, no saving rolls. They aren’t make-believe. They’re real. And they’re assholes.”

― Whitney Gardner, Chaotic Good

Possible books of likeness:

Author's info:

Whitney Gardner is an author, illustrator, and coffee addict. Originally from New York, she studied design and worked as an art teacher and school librarian before moving to Victoria, BC, where she lives by the Salish Sea with her husband and two pugs. In the rare moment Whitney isn’t writing or drawing, she’s likely to be reading comics, knitting, or roasting her own coffee beans.
Website: http://heywhitney.com
Twitter: heywhitney

Other books I've read by this author:

Graphic Novel Review: Alice: From Dream to Dream by Giulo Macaione and Giula Macaione

Title: Alice: From Dream to Dream

Author: Giulo Macaione

Illustrator: Giula Macaione

Publisher: Boom! Box

Publishing Date: October 2nd, 2018

Pages: 144

Audio Length: N/A

Genre: YA Fantasy Graphic Novel

TW: Murder

Series: Standalone

Source: Physical

What it's about:

After moving back to Ohio, Alice is stuck sharing a bedroom with her brother, and worse, sharing his dreams! The bright spot in her life is her best friend, Jamie, but there's more history between their families than Alice realized, and there are secrets buried deep in their small town that only she’ll be able to explore...but only in her dreams!

From writer and artist Giulio Macaione (Ofelia), Alice: From Dream to Dream is an otherworldly trek into a spectacular world of dreams, nightmares, and being a teenager.

What I thought:

So I had originally picked this up because my god look at that cover, and then it mentions Alice (Like wonderland), I almost always pick up anything with "Alice" in the title and rarely does it lead me down the wrong path. But also I love anything to do with dreams. 

This, as most graphic novels are, was a quick read. I was able to read it in about half an hour, but I didn't feel like it was rushed or like there wasn't enough of it. I was able to study each page (Because the artwork is stunning), and it explained everything in the story perfectly without having too much going on. 

Cover:

The cover is absolutely stunning. The colors are gorgeous and definitely dream like, the artwork is perfect, it fits well with the story without giving too much away. 

Here is an alternate cover that I found... in another language but still gorgeous.

Artwork:

Really do I have to explain this one? Like I said above the colors fit perfectly, they're soft and gorgeous and definitely feel dreamy. It also gives a fantasy vibe, which fits. 

Story:

The book starts out with a typical teen and her typical brother, and then goes into typical teen drama at school and a boy and then BAM it goes into this crazy dreamy story and then it just doesn't stop from there. It was an interesting story I think.

Pace:

The pace was perfect for a graphic novel. 

Writing:

Graphic novels are usually hit or miss. They can write too much that makes me want to skim and my brain just doesn't accept the words, or they rely too much on the artwork to tell the story. This one I think is the perfect combination of words and artwork. 

Characters:

They were very loveable and I think that the growth was well done, which is important in a book like this. They were well written and relateable. 

World building:

The artwork really built the world. It was a beautiful one too.

Ending:

It was just an ending, it didn't leave you hanging and it closed the story well.

Overall:

It's a beautiful written and illustrated book with a unique story. 

Possible books of likeness:

Author's info:

Giulio Macaione
Born: Catania, Italy
Website: http://giuliomacaione.blogspot.it/
Twitter: giuliomacaione
Genre: Graphic Novels, Comics

Born in Catania and adopted in Palermo, I live in Bologna. Artist and author of comics, after winning the third edition of the "Eight tables for Mondo Naif" competition, I made my debut in number 25 of the magazine "Mondo Naif" by Kappa Edizioni, with the original story "Mortén". Also with Kappa Edizioni I published the comic novels "The Fag Hag" and "Falling in love in Milan", based on texts by Massimiliano De Giovanni. With Comma 22 I published my graphic novel "Ofelia", of which the spin off "The colors of the neighbor", published by Renbooks, has just been released.

Illustrator's info:

Giulia Adragna
Born:Palermo, Italy
Website: http://www.giuliaadragna.com
Genre: Graphic Novels

Giulia makes comics, illustrations, character design, digital coloring and graphics.

Since 2010 she works for the magazines Sissi la Giovane Imperatrice and Sissi Piccole Principesse, both published in Italy by Panini Kids and Il Sole di Carta.

In 2014-13 she colors the new edition of Magico Vento Deluxe, edited by Panini Comics.

In 2012 she takes part of the project Il Villaggio della Creatività, teaching illustrations to kids in school.

In 2012/2011 she collaborates with Grafimated Cartoon in the making of a short animation movie, I Vespri Siciliani.