Reviews by Teens

Review by Matthew, member of the Cedarbrae Youth Advisory Group

In the mysterious land of Toronto, Canada, Scott Pilgrim is just living his precious little life. He’s in a rock band, “between jobs”, and dating a cute high school girl. Everything is fantastic until he comes across the girl of his dreams (literally), Ramona Flowers. He wants Ramona, but the path to her isn’t covered in rose petals. She has seven evil ex-boyfriends, and they will challenge Scott one by one for the right to date her. Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without having to turn his precious little life upside down?

This manga-inspired comic book series by Canadian Bryan Lee O’Malley is excellent for teenagers who are into graphic novels, action, and comedy. The stories in the six books take place in Toronto, so it’s great to see famous landmarks and places that most Torontonians are familiar with. Some of these places include Honest Ed’s, Casa Loma, and even the Toronto Reference Library! The art in the graphic novels is great to look at, and the author puts in little details and secrets in the frames that make reading the series very absorbing. The characters are easy to fall in love with, because they are hilarious and are never boring. All of this is because of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s creativity and writing. As the first book says, “You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. This is Scott Pilgrim. This is your life.”