A review by emilybrown97
Skim by Mariko Tamaki

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Skim! Written and illustrated by the Canadian duo, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki. I read this last night and I felt it really captured high school and I really related to it. From the downright cruel acts done by teenagers, to the deep and harsh reality of mental illness, this book left me feeling like there was a hole in my gut. It reminded me of how depression can sneak up on you, and how sometimes you don’t even realize something’s wrong. It also reminded me of how important my relationships and friendships were at the time, and the DRAMA of it all. High school really does make you feel like everything is the be all end all. I feel for students in today’s society. Social media was there when I was in high school but I’m sure it’s way worse now. 

It also makes me hopeful in a weird way? Like hopefully we’ll make it better for our younger generations. The more we acknowledge the more accountability happens right? I hope so. 

Idk, just really resonated with me. Probably will be a read that I come back to often. Maybe not in conversation, maybe not physically re-reading it, but just my general thoughts when I’m reminiscing about high school and how far I’ve come.
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