Picture Day, Sarah Sax (Graphic Novel Review)

Graphic Novel Review - Picture Day by Sarah Sax

Summary: Picture Day by Sarah Sax

Middle schooler Viv is tired of being boring and ordinary. She wants to amass social media followers and be a trendsetter like some of her classmates. She also watches a YouTuber who encourages her inclinations. So on Picture Day, she gets the grand idea to chop off her pigtail, creating a strange hairstyle, which a hairstylist eventually refines into something more attention-grabbing. Suddenly, everyone wants Viv’s advice, and she becomes more pushy too, especially towards her friends. It’s not long before everything comes crashing down.

The Good

I liked this book even though I thought it was a bit weird. Viv really is obsessed with being famous and has strong opinions on just about everything, which often made her annoying to me but helpful to some of her peers who needed someone to tell them what to do.

This is one of those books with a message that does a good job of really showing instead of preaching and I liked that. We see for ourselves how Viv’s choices are affecting everyone around her and the fact that she’s headed for a crash. Viv’s mom is also helpful because she shares her experience of peer pressure and how she ended up with a dated haircut because she wanted to follow trends.

I liked the way the author resolves the conflicts and the fact that Viv takes responsibility for her actions and also finds a way to win her friends’ forgiveness and trust once more. This is going to be a series and I’m really looking forward to future stories set in the Brinkley school universe. The illustrations are fun, but like many readers, I didn’t get the purple color choice for Viv and her mom’s hair.

Overall: Picture Day by Sarah Sax

Picture Day by Sarah Sax is a funny but thoughtful start to a new graphic novel series for fans of the Click Series. Social media and trend-obsessed tweens will relate to Viv’s struggles as they navigate self-expression and balancing personal preferences with consideration for others. Above all, this graphic novel makes for an enjoyable reading experience.