An Illustrated Romance

Most of us do not want to relive our past relationships, yet typically do in order to find out what makes us (and who we are attracted to) tick. This should help us avoid the bad ones and start dating the good ones, but sometimes that isn’t the case. For MariNaomi, she puts it all out there in her graphic memoir, Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0-22 (331 pages, Harper Perennial, $15.99). This is an outstanding graphic memoir that focuses on the romantic life of the author/artist. She explores every romantic encounter from her parents meeting to her first kiss and even her first naked photographs. The memoir continues through childhood crushes, first sexual experiences, and the occasional same-sex encounter.

The stories in Kiss & Tell also move away from the romantic side of things to also explore the author’s rebellion towards her parents through sneaking boys in the house, drugs, and running away from home. The reader is taken through the insanely hilarious antics all the way to the heartbreaking events that many go through on the road to finding love and acceptance in life.

What also makes this book great is the simple ans subtle art of the author. She doesn’t need a whole lot of detail in order to get the point across. This technique also makes the book a quick read, which may leave readers wanting more.