Ghost world /

Clowes' classic graphic novel, published for adults, about teen friends Enid and Becky, has been a universal success. Adding to the unrestrained Spanish rendition are timely translator's notes that clarify popular U.S. expressions or slices of Americana that are not well known in Spanish-speaking countries, such as Divorced White Female (Divorciada Hembra Blanca). Clowes' detailed drawings warmly depict the characters in daily activities and struggles that will resonate with contemporary teens. Not all adults will appreciate the sometimes risqué and coarse Spanish expressions, but Spanish-speaking young adults will find much to ponder in the mundo fantasmal (ghost world) of these utterly believable friends.--Schon, Isabel Copyright 2009 Booklist

YA‘Eight interconnected stories about two teens. Enid and Rebecca have been friends for so long that it's difficult for either of them to let the other grow or change. Now Enid will probably leave their working-class neighborhood and go away to college and Rebecca cannot accept this change in their relationship. Enid is the more radical and dramatic of the two, the one who talks a male friend into escorting her into an X-rated "adult" store. Rebecca is not so much a follower as simply more circumspect. She's the one who reasons that Josh, a friend they're both guilty of provoking sexually, really deserves to sleep with one of them after all the teasing he's weathered. While the vocabulary here is raunchy, it is accurate for the characters. These realistic 18-year-olds don't always talk nice and don't always act nice but they do have moral fiber underneath their tough-girl exteriors. It's just that they're at a point in life and a place in society where exteriors are a lot more important than nice. This is a book with distinct appeal to urban high school students, but it's certainly not for their younger brothers and sisters. Depending on where your comics are shelved, add this one where the age-appropriate audience is most likely to find it. The artwork is evocative and tasteful and the book can serve as a bridge to more literary stories of friendships.‘Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.