Skim - Mariko Tamaki

Author: Mariko Tamaki
Illustrator: Jillian Tamaki
Title: Skim
Publisher: Groundwood
Publication Date: 2008
Age range: 13 - 18
Genre: Graphic Novel / Canadian Author
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Plot summary: Kim Cameron, aka Skim, is a slightly overweight teenager at an all-girls school with a best friend, Lisa, who she can barely stand, a strong curiosity about Wiccan traditions, and a freshly broken wrist. Tired of letting herself be pushed around by Lisa, Kim develops a friendship and then a bit of an obsession with the school art teacher, Ms Archer. Meanwhile, the suicide of a classmate's ex-boyfriend throws the whole school into a whirlwind of life-affirming activity, which Skim interprets as hypocritical and absurd. Constantly sneaking off into the woods for a smoke or taking the bus to drop off a sketch at Ms Archer's house, Skim is full of keen observations about the painful world she lives in, and her viewpoint is a stark one.

Comments: This graphic novel illustrates beautifully the awkwardness of trying to find one's place in the social hierarchy of high school. Parts of it are kept as a diary-format text, and in other cases Skim describes a memory as though she is writing a more general essay. Even when Skim tries to keep her head down she attracts the attention of the suspicious school counselor or her friend Lisa who is generally unsupportive, as well as defensive whenever Skim asks her to explain her statements or actions. The theme of suicide and the need for a support system comes across as the dominant theme in the story, while Skim's attachment to Ms Archer is downplayed as a subtheme. I wasn't completely sure if Skim is gay or not – she is too caught up in describing the activities of the clique of girls who take over fund-raising for local teen support services. Another subtheme is the treatment of Asians in the subculture of the school; Skim refers to herself as Asian without being more specific, which is interesting. All in all, this book was mildly disturbing, and definitely thought-provoking on several levels.

Date Read: 8 February 2009