Fresh Start: A Graphic Novel

Fresh Start follows Ollie, whose dad is a diplomat, meaning that she has moved all over the place. She has lived in Singapore, Korea, France, and the United States. Ollie isn’t too worried about making a good first impression at her new school since she expects to move soon and get a fresh start. Unfortunately for Ollie, her parents are buying a house so that she and her sister, Cat, can finish grade school in one place. And this is all after Ollie had an embarrassing first day at her new school.


What I Liked: I loved Ollie from the moment we were introduced to her in this story because of her unique personality. I loved the story within a story aspect and the glimpses we get into this world that Ollie has built with her friends in Germany and then with her new friends. I loved how Ollie and her new friends were writing their graphic novel within this book and felt that it added to the story rather than complicate it.

This book transported me back to my 5th-grade year when we had just moved from one neighborhood to a new one. I remember feeling like the odd one out, and I didn’t find people who were interested in the same things as me. I was so happy to see that this goes differently for Ollie. She is able to find friends who are into the same things as her, and this changes how she has been feeling about this move.

I appreciate how the author incorporates Ollie’s racial background into the story and includes how Ollie’s mother feels about moving far away from Thailand. I loved seeing the Loy Krathong celebration and being introduced to the various Thai foods in that chapter. I also appreciated getting to see Ollie and Nina’s mom meet each other for the first time and see the joy in Ollie’s mom as she has a way to connect with her culture.

I love that this book tackles many things that happen when you move into a new school and city, along with the changes that occur during puberty, such as Ollie's first period. I like how we also get to see Ollie’s sister, Cat, struggling in the new place and having feelings about this move. I like that we get to see her transition into a different time in her life and have her speak out about her feelings regarding the way her parents are treating her.

Final Verdict: Fresh Start is a great graphic novel for children ages 8 and up, especially children who are transitioning from elementary to middle school. This book is great for children who enjoy graphic novels and those who are interested in manga. Adults who enjoy manga and were nerds in middle/high school and are still nerds today will also enjoy relating to this book and remembering those years.