Valentine is the quiet one in a group of rowdy friends. Between school and parties, her friends try out smoking and drinking and meeting up with boys, but Valentine is only interested in getting her crush to notice her. She’s too shy to speak to him though, and she gets dragged along for the ride with her friends.

Despite the fact that Valentine doesn’t do or say very much in the story, her facial expressions and quiet moments of repose display an emotional depth to her character in stark contrast to her boisterous friends. I really enjoyed the subtlety of Val’s experiences and seeing her gentle reactions to the world around her.
Not much happens in the plot; the friends go to a party, they take an exam, they complain about PE, they tease each other, and even bully other girls at school. Valentine goes grocery shopping with her mom, who worries that Val isn’t getting enough vitamins. It’s very predictable and common-place, and yet the attractive illustrations kept my interest.

The colors are mild and reminiscent of old-timey comics, but it’s the distinct lines of the artwork that gives the illustrations some spirit and expression.

I feel like this first volume is just all set-up, and maybe further volumes will actually have some more action in the plot.  There is some profanity in this book, which I did not appreciate on top of the drinking and smoking and drugs and cheating on exams.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.