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bickie's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a familiar storyline: socially invisible 8th grader battles well-meaning parent and mean kids at school and has a best friend who is just as quirky as she is; things change when she travels and meets a cute boy who, outside of the social constraints of middle school, pays attention to her, and she has some life-changing insight. In another incarnation, this could be a heavy-handed lesson in cross-cultural and disability acceptance. However, the details of the story and its honest voice make it feel fresh and authentic. Aiko longs to know her Japanese father, and her Caucasian, American mother is frequently assumed to have adopted her. Aiko struggles with a "claw" and a "bum leg" from Cerebral Palsy but it is not a cause for self-pity; it's just the way she is. The reader learns small bits of various cultures: Japanese, Parisian, Michigan middle school, Hispanic, manga, Art. Along the way, we see Aiko learn about herself and see her be strong and courageous but in mostly small, believable ways. Gadget Girl is a fun, easy read with a lot of stealth depth.
sbelasco40's review against another edition
2.0
I'm conflicted - I would say the concept/potential of this book make it more like 3-4 stars, but actual execution = 2. It's awesome to have a book where the protagonist is disabled, and also where she's a talented artist who happens to be multi-racial. But the voice of Aiko is so flat it's hard to relate to her except in her most poignant moments, such as when she learns the truth about her absent father or feels self-conscious in front of the hot boy she's crushing on. Even though the point of the book seems to be that Aiko is more than her disability, on the page that's mostly what she is - her personality is almost nil. The other characters are similarly undeveloped, with the odd exception of her mom's bf Raoul, who has an almost tangible warmth to him.
Also, how cool would it have been if this was illustrated with Aiko's manga comic? The cover is so amazing I wanted more of it.
Also, how cool would it have been if this was illustrated with Aiko's manga comic? The cover is so amazing I wanted more of it.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
3.0
I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.
This book was different than I expected. I liked some parts and I didn't like some other parts. i thought the beginning was a bit boring, but it did got better afterwards. I think the title and the cover are only part of the story and actually there is quite some different things going.
I thought the story started of a bit slow and a bit cliche. Beside the fact that Aiko has a disability and wants to become a manga artists there wasn't much special. The first parts of the story mainly are about normal school life and then she goes to Paris, which also is a huge part of the book. It's a bit of a recolection of what they do in Paris, it was nice, but not great. I was just lacking the feeling a bit and the story went everyone sometimes. In the end they return to the US and the story is wrapped up nicely and I actually felt like the story did go somewhere then.
I am not sure what to think of Aiko on the one hand I think it's original to read a book about a child with a disability and how she deals with it. I think Aiko dealt with it very well at most times and the few times she didn't I could also understand that. Sometimes I did think there was a bit too much attention to her disability. What I didn't like about Aiko was her obsession with her dad and Japan, which seemed a bit strange. I understand she wants to meet her dad and see Japan, but sometimes it just was a bit too much. Also she does some things I didn't like, but I did like how the grew at the end. She did become stronger and a better person troughout the story and she did change and learned. The side characters we learn most about are her best friend Withney and her mom. I did think we got to know enough about them to get a good idea of who they are. Although there are some things about her mom which didn't make sense at first.
There also is some romance in this book, it was sweet, but I wsn't really feeling it. Even so it doens't go that far and I think it was paced well. There wasn't much we learned about the love interest, but the romance was done pretty nice.
To conclude: Gadget girl was an okay story, but not great. The beginning was a bit slow and cliche, but the story did become better as it progressed. There were some things I liked about the main character and also some I didn't. There was much going on and the end nicely wrapped it all up.
This book was different than I expected. I liked some parts and I didn't like some other parts. i thought the beginning was a bit boring, but it did got better afterwards. I think the title and the cover are only part of the story and actually there is quite some different things going.
I thought the story started of a bit slow and a bit cliche. Beside the fact that Aiko has a disability and wants to become a manga artists there wasn't much special. The first parts of the story mainly are about normal school life and then she goes to Paris, which also is a huge part of the book. It's a bit of a recolection of what they do in Paris, it was nice, but not great. I was just lacking the feeling a bit and the story went everyone sometimes. In the end they return to the US and the story is wrapped up nicely and I actually felt like the story did go somewhere then.
I am not sure what to think of Aiko on the one hand I think it's original to read a book about a child with a disability and how she deals with it. I think Aiko dealt with it very well at most times and the few times she didn't I could also understand that. Sometimes I did think there was a bit too much attention to her disability. What I didn't like about Aiko was her obsession with her dad and Japan, which seemed a bit strange. I understand she wants to meet her dad and see Japan, but sometimes it just was a bit too much. Also she does some things I didn't like, but I did like how the grew at the end. She did become stronger and a better person troughout the story and she did change and learned. The side characters we learn most about are her best friend Withney and her mom. I did think we got to know enough about them to get a good idea of who they are. Although there are some things about her mom which didn't make sense at first.
There also is some romance in this book, it was sweet, but I wsn't really feeling it. Even so it doens't go that far and I think it was paced well. There wasn't much we learned about the love interest, but the romance was done pretty nice.
To conclude: Gadget girl was an okay story, but not great. The beginning was a bit slow and cliche, but the story did become better as it progressed. There were some things I liked about the main character and also some I didn't. There was much going on and the end nicely wrapped it all up.
kblincoln's review against another edition
5.0
Suzanne Kamata has a biracial daughter and lives in Tokushima, Japan. As I am also the mother of a biracial Japanese/Midwest white daughter growing up in the USA, I opened this book wanting to find a story that explores the sometimes tricky emotional experience of biculturalism.
I was not disappointed. Aiko Cassidy lives in a small Michigan town with her artist mom. She never knew her father, and only knows him as an indigo farmer from shikoku through stories from her mom. She doesn't sit with the jocks and cheerleaders at school-- not only is she one of only a few visible Asians at her school she also has a lame leg-- and her best friend is a girl obsessed with movies and old Hollywood.
But now her mom has a new boyfriend, one who is a decent cook and doesn't seem freaked out by Aiko's disability, and her manga, Gadget Girl, about a girl who saves a cute looking boy over and over is getting more fans, and her mom has just won an art prize off of sculptures featuring Aiko as the model and is taking them to Paris for a month.
Aiko is not overjoyed to go. Not only because of leaving her friend, but also because she doesn't actually enjoy the role of cute daughter with a disability that she must play whenever she goes to her mom's art events.
Despite her reluctance, she does like Paris, not least of all becasue of a cute waiter at a local cafe who also seems to like her Gadget Girl manga.
Aiko reads a little on the naive side as a 15 year old for me. The problem with writing about 15 year olds is of course realistically depicting their social media use without being boring. This story gets around some of that by putting her best friend in a media black out, but sometimes references to her website visitor count come off as a bit oldfashioned (what about Instagram, etc?) There's also all her daydreams about meeting her father and farming indigo with him, as well as her desire to visit the famously healing waters of Lourdes.
But despite this naivete and innocence, the story's depiction of how Aiko handles her mother's boyfriends, and her wondering about her own background and chagrin at the way her body betrays her etc ring true. There's alot of emphasis placed on how she looks (her lame leg, her differences from her mom). There's also alot of Aiko thinking about being invisible...something I'm wondering if the author's experience with teens in Japan colored too much her approach to depicting an American High School experience.
Still, a worthy addition to bicultural/biracial teen literature.
I was not disappointed. Aiko Cassidy lives in a small Michigan town with her artist mom. She never knew her father, and only knows him as an indigo farmer from shikoku through stories from her mom. She doesn't sit with the jocks and cheerleaders at school-- not only is she one of only a few visible Asians at her school she also has a lame leg-- and her best friend is a girl obsessed with movies and old Hollywood.
But now her mom has a new boyfriend, one who is a decent cook and doesn't seem freaked out by Aiko's disability, and her manga, Gadget Girl, about a girl who saves a cute looking boy over and over is getting more fans, and her mom has just won an art prize off of sculptures featuring Aiko as the model and is taking them to Paris for a month.
Aiko is not overjoyed to go. Not only because of leaving her friend, but also because she doesn't actually enjoy the role of cute daughter with a disability that she must play whenever she goes to her mom's art events.
Despite her reluctance, she does like Paris, not least of all becasue of a cute waiter at a local cafe who also seems to like her Gadget Girl manga.
Aiko reads a little on the naive side as a 15 year old for me. The problem with writing about 15 year olds is of course realistically depicting their social media use without being boring. This story gets around some of that by putting her best friend in a media black out, but sometimes references to her website visitor count come off as a bit oldfashioned (what about Instagram, etc?) There's also all her daydreams about meeting her father and farming indigo with him, as well as her desire to visit the famously healing waters of Lourdes.
But despite this naivete and innocence, the story's depiction of how Aiko handles her mother's boyfriends, and her wondering about her own background and chagrin at the way her body betrays her etc ring true. There's alot of emphasis placed on how she looks (her lame leg, her differences from her mom). There's also alot of Aiko thinking about being invisible...something I'm wondering if the author's experience with teens in Japan colored too much her approach to depicting an American High School experience.
Still, a worthy addition to bicultural/biracial teen literature.
storytimed's review against another edition
3.0
This was also fine. Immigrant angst with a little bit of disability representation and a cool hobby for the protagonist, who likes comics. The romance and hobby part of the narrative was far less interesting than the family drama.
Think about it.
The mom is a celebrated sculptor of people with disabilities, whose daughter resents being her muse
The dad is an indigo farmer from a traditional family persuaded to give his child up. His new wife has convinced him to finally contact his daughter and introduce her to her brother for the first time
Whyyyy would the writer ignore all that to focus on a Parisian romance instead? Oh, right. YA. That's why.
Think about it.
The mom is a celebrated sculptor of people with disabilities, whose daughter resents being her muse
The dad is an indigo farmer from a traditional family persuaded to give his child up. His new wife has convinced him to finally contact his daughter and introduce her to her brother for the first time
Whyyyy would the writer ignore all that to focus on a Parisian romance instead? Oh, right. YA. That's why.
tyrean's review against another edition
5.0
Exquisitely written, Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible shares a poignant tale of a young woman who finds truth, courage, and real beauty. I highly recommend this book to all readers!
crystalisreading's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute, short read. Aiko was a likable teenage protagonist. Some of her behavior was typical teenager and a little difficult, but given the challenges and family issues with which she was dealing, I think she was a pretty emotionally healthy, well balanced girl. Her friendship with Whitney feels sweet and real and healthy. The interactions with boys like Chad and Luke and even Herve seem realistic too--awkward and exciting and boring and sweet and sad and real. Aiko's mom is a complex and well-developed character who is believably flawed, but with a good heart. Raoul was almost a little too good to be true, but I still liked him and his interactions with Aiko and her mom. I love the setting in France--the experiences felt real, for someone who hasn't been there. The book also manages to sneak in a lot of facts about art, art history, manga, Japanese language and culture, indigo production, French culture/ language/ cuisine/ history, life with disabilities like cerebral palsy, etc, in a way that doesn't feel forced or didactic, just interesting. Overall, a worthwhile and fun little read.
alexalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
[Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books]
Three things about Gadget Girl immediately caught my eye - the cover, France and Japan. Reeled in even further by the promise of a cute contemporary story, I started and finished this novel in a matter of hours. Aiko's tale flows easily from scene to scene, setting to setting, and wraps up with an ending that's perfectly satisfying. If you're on the hunt for cute (and fairly unique) contemporary reads, this might be just the sort of thing you're looking for.
Aiko is the kind of female character I generally love: quirky and unique and all sorts of wonderful. Even though Aiko generally keeps to herself (mostly because of her condition), her thoughts are very entertaining! One of her particularly admirable traits is her dedication to her art, as she consistently works on a manga entitled, you guessed it, Gadget Girl. It's also pretty cool to see how she doesn't let her cerebral palsy get to her when it comes to living her life, as she constantly seems courageous enough to go on a bunch of adventures (particularly when she arrives in France!).
Aiko has always been her mother's muse, since her mom is pretty determined to make the world aware of cerebral palsy through her art. Their relationship is one of the things I liked reading about in the book, because we see both the good parts and the not-so-good parts of it in this book. Aiko's mom is pretty cool and very determined to make her daughter feel normal in spite of the condition (which is what she thinks her art does). It's been Aiko and her mom against the world for as long as Aiko can remember, and that's something that really reinforces their bond. On the not-so-good side, Aiko has issues with her mom constantly using her as a muse. Plus, sometimes, when she gets too into her art, she doesn't necessarily pay very much attention to Aiko or taking care of things (like making sure they're fed properly for instance!). In the end, one thing is clear to us -- Aiko loves her mom, and her mom loves her too.
I enjoyed reading about the other characters, like Whitney (Aiko's best friend) and Herve (a boy Aiko meets in France). But my favorite character has got to be Raoul, who is Aiko's mother's latest boyfriend. He completely won me over with how charming and kind he was to Aiko. It was so fun to read about him being a superb cook, particularly since his food always sounded so delicious!
The setting of this book was also a standout - particularly the parts that were set in France. It was fun to read about Aiko's adventures in Paris, particularly in terms of the food she ate and the places she was able to visit. And she also took a side trip with her mother to Lourdes, which was very interesting indeed as I rarely hear of that setting mentioned in fictional books! I've always dreamed of visiting France myself, so to sort of get the chance to do that was definitely a bonus.
Story-wise, Kamata takes a risk by juggling so many various threads in Aiko's experience. There's the longing she has to meet her father, even though she knows nothing but the most basic things about him. There's the complications of the relationship she has with her mother. Then there's her dream of becoming a manga artist -- if she can manage to be brave enough to reveal that she creates Gadget Girl. And, of course, there's her first experiences with love and romance. Even with all of these things happening to Aiko, Kamata does a great job keeping them all equally balanced in the telling of this story. None of the stories really falter, though I do think the way that certain things ended (particularly the bit with her father) was a bit too neat for my tastes.
My only real reservations about Gadget Girl? I wish I'd felt more connected to Aiko. I did like her a lot, but I wasn't personally invested in her character and remained on the fringes as an observer. I also wish that there had been bits of the Gadget Girl manga included, because it would have been really cool to see the product of Aiko's hard work!
Gadget Girl is really a quick, enjoyable read that will keep you occupied for a couple of hours! I was entertained as I followed Aiko on all her adventures, including when she had her "moment of truth". It's always fun to read an easy, contemporary novel every now and then, and Kamata did a good job with this one!
Three things about Gadget Girl immediately caught my eye - the cover, France and Japan. Reeled in even further by the promise of a cute contemporary story, I started and finished this novel in a matter of hours. Aiko's tale flows easily from scene to scene, setting to setting, and wraps up with an ending that's perfectly satisfying. If you're on the hunt for cute (and fairly unique) contemporary reads, this might be just the sort of thing you're looking for.
Aiko is the kind of female character I generally love: quirky and unique and all sorts of wonderful. Even though Aiko generally keeps to herself (mostly because of her condition), her thoughts are very entertaining! One of her particularly admirable traits is her dedication to her art, as she consistently works on a manga entitled, you guessed it, Gadget Girl. It's also pretty cool to see how she doesn't let her cerebral palsy get to her when it comes to living her life, as she constantly seems courageous enough to go on a bunch of adventures (particularly when she arrives in France!).
Aiko has always been her mother's muse, since her mom is pretty determined to make the world aware of cerebral palsy through her art. Their relationship is one of the things I liked reading about in the book, because we see both the good parts and the not-so-good parts of it in this book. Aiko's mom is pretty cool and very determined to make her daughter feel normal in spite of the condition (which is what she thinks her art does). It's been Aiko and her mom against the world for as long as Aiko can remember, and that's something that really reinforces their bond. On the not-so-good side, Aiko has issues with her mom constantly using her as a muse. Plus, sometimes, when she gets too into her art, she doesn't necessarily pay very much attention to Aiko or taking care of things (like making sure they're fed properly for instance!). In the end, one thing is clear to us -- Aiko loves her mom, and her mom loves her too.
I enjoyed reading about the other characters, like Whitney (Aiko's best friend) and Herve (a boy Aiko meets in France). But my favorite character has got to be Raoul, who is Aiko's mother's latest boyfriend. He completely won me over with how charming and kind he was to Aiko. It was so fun to read about him being a superb cook, particularly since his food always sounded so delicious!
The setting of this book was also a standout - particularly the parts that were set in France. It was fun to read about Aiko's adventures in Paris, particularly in terms of the food she ate and the places she was able to visit. And she also took a side trip with her mother to Lourdes, which was very interesting indeed as I rarely hear of that setting mentioned in fictional books! I've always dreamed of visiting France myself, so to sort of get the chance to do that was definitely a bonus.
Story-wise, Kamata takes a risk by juggling so many various threads in Aiko's experience. There's the longing she has to meet her father, even though she knows nothing but the most basic things about him. There's the complications of the relationship she has with her mother. Then there's her dream of becoming a manga artist -- if she can manage to be brave enough to reveal that she creates Gadget Girl. And, of course, there's her first experiences with love and romance. Even with all of these things happening to Aiko, Kamata does a great job keeping them all equally balanced in the telling of this story. None of the stories really falter, though I do think the way that certain things ended (particularly the bit with her father) was a bit too neat for my tastes.
My only real reservations about Gadget Girl? I wish I'd felt more connected to Aiko. I did like her a lot, but I wasn't personally invested in her character and remained on the fringes as an observer. I also wish that there had been bits of the Gadget Girl manga included, because it would have been really cool to see the product of Aiko's hard work!
Gadget Girl is really a quick, enjoyable read that will keep you occupied for a couple of hours! I was entertained as I followed Aiko on all her adventures, including when she had her "moment of truth". It's always fun to read an easy, contemporary novel every now and then, and Kamata did a good job with this one!
crayolabee's review
I wanted to like this book, but I just Did Not Get It. and thus, I Did Not Finish either. (I made my DNF shelf here just for this book, lovely.)
1. The manga connection is weak and unconvincing. To be frank, her manga Gadget Girl doesn't sound very interesting or good at all. Additionally, references to other manga/anime series are either uninspired and obvious, like Hayao Miyazaki, or just plain wrong, like when she and her friend play Sailor Moon, with one as "Sailor Moon" and the other as -- get this -- "Venus Moon". Bro, do you even manga???
2. It's weirdly anachronistic. She's watching hit counts on her web page? Far, far more likely to watch Likes on a Facebook page for this kind of thing. Actually, a social media aspect might have been just the update this book needed. It would be anonymous! current! social! It also allows for discussion/queries about Gadget Girl's author. (For an example of a really good novel with anonymous manga-ish comics, read I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest.) Her friend also rents DVDs. I guess people still DO that, but I don't know anyone who says "I rented a movie" these days, especially not teenagers. More "I got a movie from RedBox/the library" or "this movie's on Netflix". I understand this book was originally published as a novella in 2008. However, if it's set in 2008 or earlier, I think it should name itself as being set in 2008 (or whenever). This story could have benefited a lot from an update.
3. I had to put it down when I got to the part where they're watching a movie about Saint Bernadette, who was cured of her chronic disease after witnessing a miracle. And this somehow gives her hope about curing her cerebral palsy? seriously? I think there's definitely a place for "maybe this will be a cure" in books with disabled protagonists, but inspired by a dumb movie? That is, frankly, absurd. And a little insulting. I was considering recommending this book to another person I know who has cerebral palsy, but there is no way I would do that now.
To be clear, I don't hate this book. The parts just don't add up to a cohesive whole, in my mind, and I can't get past that.
Though really--as a Sailor Moon fan, the "Venus Moon" thing is rather unforgivable. (Actually, for that matter, the idea that no one else knew who Sailor Moon was in their town is kind of odd. IT WAS ON TV, Y'ALL. It's not exactly an obscure 3-episode never-translated-or-licensed OVA.) I probably should have dropped it after reading that, but that was page 14 and I wanted to give it a chance.
1. The manga connection is weak and unconvincing. To be frank, her manga Gadget Girl doesn't sound very interesting or good at all. Additionally, references to other manga/anime series are either uninspired and obvious, like Hayao Miyazaki, or just plain wrong, like when she and her friend play Sailor Moon, with one as "Sailor Moon" and the other as -- get this -- "Venus Moon". Bro, do you even manga???
2. It's weirdly anachronistic. She's watching hit counts on her web page? Far, far more likely to watch Likes on a Facebook page for this kind of thing. Actually, a social media aspect might have been just the update this book needed. It would be anonymous! current! social! It also allows for discussion/queries about Gadget Girl's author. (For an example of a really good novel with anonymous manga-ish comics, read I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest.) Her friend also rents DVDs. I guess people still DO that, but I don't know anyone who says "I rented a movie" these days, especially not teenagers. More "I got a movie from RedBox/the library" or "this movie's on Netflix". I understand this book was originally published as a novella in 2008. However, if it's set in 2008 or earlier, I think it should name itself as being set in 2008 (or whenever). This story could have benefited a lot from an update.
3. I had to put it down when I got to the part where they're watching a movie about Saint Bernadette, who was cured of her chronic disease after witnessing a miracle. And this somehow gives her hope about curing her cerebral palsy? seriously? I think there's definitely a place for "maybe this will be a cure" in books with disabled protagonists, but inspired by a dumb movie? That is, frankly, absurd. And a little insulting. I was considering recommending this book to another person I know who has cerebral palsy, but there is no way I would do that now.
To be clear, I don't hate this book. The parts just don't add up to a cohesive whole, in my mind, and I can't get past that.
Though really--as a Sailor Moon fan, the "Venus Moon" thing is rather unforgivable. (Actually, for that matter, the idea that no one else knew who Sailor Moon was in their town is kind of odd. IT WAS ON TV, Y'ALL. It's not exactly an obscure 3-episode never-translated-or-licensed OVA.) I probably should have dropped it after reading that, but that was page 14 and I wanted to give it a chance.