Cecil Castellucci

Jim Rugg

When transfer student Jane is forced to move from the big city to suburbia, she thinks that her life is over until she meets three other girls named Jane who decide to form a secret art gang and turn the town and high school upside down.

The Plain Janes

Meet the Plain Janes--teenage artist activists on a mission to wake up their sleepy suburban town, perfect for fans of This One Summer and Awkward. When artsy misfit Jane Beckles is forced to leave her beloved city life behind for the boring suburb of Kent Waters, she thinks her life is over. But then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with fellow misfits Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by only two things-a shared name and frustration with the adults around them--the girls form a secret club dedicated to fighting suburban apathy with guerrilla works of art scattered around their small town. But for Main Jane, the group is more than simple teenaged rebellion; it's an act of survival. She's determined not to let fear rule her life like it does her parents' and neighbors' lives. Armed with her sketchbook and a mission of resistance, the PLAIN Janes are out to prove that passion, bravery, and a group of great friends can save anyone from the hell that is high school. Includes the original two installments of the cult classic graphic novel The Plain Janes--The Plain Janes and Janes in Love--plus a never-before-seen third story, Janes Attack Back. And it gets even better: In the final book, each part will be printed in its own distinct color, because there's nothing plain about these Janes.

The PLAIN Janes

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from TheNovl! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Plain Janes

Author: Cecil Castellucci

Book Series: Janes Book 1-2 and Janes Attack Back

Rating: 5/5

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: January 7, 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel Contemporary

Recommended Age: 15+ (bombing TW, terroristic threats mention TW, hijinks and law breaking behavior in the name of art!)

Pages: 336

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Meet the Plain Janes--teenage artist activists on a mission to wake up their sleepy suburban town in this graphic novel bind up, perfect for fans of This One Summer and Awkward.

After getting caught in the midst of a terrorist attack on Metro City, artsy misfit Jane Beckles is forced to leave her beloved bustling metropolis for the boring suburb of Kent Waters. At first Jane thinks her life is over, but then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by only two things--a shared name and an all-too-relatable frustration with the adults around them--the girls form a secret club dedicated to waking up their fellow citizens with guerrilla works of art scattered around town.

But for Main Jane, the group is more than just a simple act of teenaged rebellion, it's an act of survival. She's determined not to let fear rule her life like it does her parents' and neighbors'. Armed with her sketchbook and a mission of resistance, she's out to prove that true passion and a group of good friends can save anyone from the hell that is high school.

Includes the original two installments of the cult classic graphic novel The Plain Janes--The Plain Janes and Janes in Love--plus a never-before-seen third story, Janes Attack Back. And it gets even better: In the final book, each part will be printed in its own distinct color, because there's nothing plain about these Janes.

Review: This book was amazing! I loved how the book was wrote in graphic novel form and I think it really enhanced the theme of how important art is to everyone. Art is everywhere and this book really highlights that fact. The book had amazing character development, especially for our main character, and it did well to discuss sensitive topics. The plot is also very well developed and immediately engrosses you.

The only issue with the book is that the pacing is very fast, so if you’re not usually one for graphic novels it’ll throw you off balance. The book also ends on a cliffhanger but I’m so pumped for book 2 (3? I’m confused as I had two books in one arc but I think it was one book lol).

Verdict: Amazing graphic novel series about art!

Belle Ellrich

*I WAS PROVIDED AN ARC IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I'm always looking for new graphic novels to read. However, it takes a lot for me to *actually* be interested enough in them.

This novel was okay to me.

I liked the idea of a group of entirely different girls coming together to boost up and create something interesting and exciting for their community, but I felt like it was majorly lacking in some aspects.

For that, I rate it 3 stars.

The Plain Janes

Reviews