I am a huge fan of comics and believe that it can help promote reading, especially among the more reluctant readers. A couple of years ago I placed several graphic novels (collected comics) in my book corner at a school in England and saw many children take an interest in the medium. I've moved school (and country) since then and at my current school the library has an impressive graphic novel selection and so, I've been jumping in.

One of my favourite young adult graphic novels was Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl. I reviewed it a couple of years ago and thought it was a well written and illustrated graphic novel, so since then Jamieson has been on my radar. I was pleased to find her sophomore effort, All’s Faire in Middle School, and read it over a couple of days.

The story is pretty straight forward stuff; Imogene is a home-schooled girl but at the end of grade 5 decides to go to middle school. So far so basic, but what makes this a more interesting premise is the fact that her family are part of a Renaissance Faire and quite eccentric.

And so, over the course of the graphic novel we see Imogene struggling to fit in at school. There's a lot of stereotypical high school drama stuff but this graphic novel definitely owes a lot to Mean Girls, especially when Imogene gets in with the 'cool girls' and draws unflattering drawing of less popular people in the school. When things go south with her pals these drawings are revealed to all of the school, with devastating consequences for Imogene. So far so trope-y, but the twist in all this is the Renaissance Faire stuff. It is here that we get Imogene's redemptive arc as she makes amends and realises that she isn't the hero of the story.

Overall, Jamieson has written another solid graphic novel with a twist on the usual trope-y high school shtick but it's no Rollergirl. The artwork is bright and friendly but won't set the world on fire.

This is a good graphic novel overall and well worth a read but not a classic.