Review Detail

Mall Goth has a synopsis that called to my little black, goth heart, so I knew I had to read it. I have very fond memories of hanging around the mall every Friday night, and the images instantly brought me back.

I loved the artwork! It has a very simplistic cartoon style and a nostalgic color pallet to fit the "goth" theme. There are a bunch of little details that caught my eye that I couldn't get enough of.

The book features IBS representation, as well as bisexual rep. We see Liv coping with the rejection she felt from her old friend circle for being bi. While I cannot personally say how hard this was back in the early 2000's, I can say that having this representation is important.

Another important matter covered in Mall Goth is inappropriate adult-minor relationships. Leth, in an authors note at beginning of the book, had said that this story was based on their experiences. They portrayed Liv’s emotions towards this aspect wonderfully, never romanticizing it, but carefully depicting a warning.

There is a lot going on in this graphic novel. From Liv's family moving to a new town, a new school, romances, an absent father, and more, I believe the story would have benefitted from being longer or a series. There just wasn't enough time for these different plot lines to be fully fleshed out, leaving me wanting more at the end.

I thought with the title "Mall Goth," more of the story would take place at the mall. While a small portion of it does take place in the mall, a majority of it takes place at school or off page all-together. That being said, I loved the scenes that did take place at the mall.

The cast of characters is decent, but I had a hard time getting to know them an actually liking any of them. Liv's mom and the security guard at the mall were both very nice and accepting. Liv's mom deserves a gold star.

All in all, this is a fun and colorful read, but also goes way beyond that leaving an impact on the reader.

*Content warning*
Grooming