Summary
Jeremy, star of the Zits comic strip, and his best friend Hector bought two concert tickets to hear their favorite rock band, Gingivitis, from Tim, the bass player in their band. At first, their only concern is how to convince their parents to let them go to the show. Then they find out why Tim sold his tickets. His mom has cancer, and the day of the concert, he’s having surgery to give his mom some bone marrow.
Fitting the teen boy stereotype, Jeremy doesn’t know how to relate to Tim or to the situation. After talking to his parents and his girlfriend, Jeremy decides that he and Hector will get Tim a gift at the show as a sign of support. But nothing that night goes like they plan.
Review
This is an illustrated novel like a Dork Diaries or a Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Fans of the Zits comic strip will recognize all the major players. And the usual humor over teen stereotypes and parent interactions are present as expected. The cancer story could be heavy for a book with this format, but it’s balanced well with the humor.
I have enjoyed the Zits comics for years. While this was a new format, I enjoyed it. The story felt familiar, but I can’t pinpoint what came from a previous comic and what might have been changed or added for this book.
I think this could be a bridge book from middle grade to teen, maybe a good fit for readers in the 10-15 year old range. There’s a lot of fun music/band stuff that musicians might enjoy. But compared to contemporary teen fiction and graphic novels, this skews younger in my opinion. Might be a good fit for teens who don’t want the heavier or more mature YA themes.