Paper Girls, Vol. 1

In 1988, I totally had hair like the main character's. This graphic novel gets the nostalgia right in a big way, without being too reliant on that element. There's plenty of substance, as well as strong plotting reasons for the setting. Seeing those reasons emerge is a huge driver of this story - as we saw more clues about what was happening, I became increasingly desperate to find out what would happen next! Action packed, with a cleverly enticing mystery to pull you along - this story is addictive.

Do yourself a favor - if you decide to give this a try, just have Volume 2 standing by. I'll bet when you turn the last page of this volume, you'll have a burning need to read on!

Oh, and by the way, this has some of the best depictions of nightmares I've ever seen. It viscerally captures the messed up logic, mishmash of subconscious flotsam, and terrifying emotional impact that makes you wake up with your heart hammering after a bad dream. The subconscious flotsam also represents not just an individual girl's but that of the collective unconscious of 1980s America - brilliant!