Teen Drama Double-Feature: Pumpkinheads and Be More Chill

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

First, a word from the publisher: “In Pumpkinheads, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell and Eisner Award–winning artist Faith Erin Hicks have teamed up to create this tender and hilarious story about two irresistible teens discovering what it means to leave behind a place―and a person―with no regrets.“

Pumpkinheads, (written by Rainbow Rowell and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks) follows Josiah and Deja’s last work day at their local pumpkin patch. Not only is it the last day of the season, they’re also both headed off the college. Josiah, as a perennial “MVPPP” (most-valuable pumpkin patch person) wants to work his shift as normal. Deja has other plans, though: she wants him to connect with the girl he’s been pining over for years. From there, we get a walking tour of the pumpkin patch, insight into Deja and Josiah, and plenty of tomfoolery. With that said, what are my thoughts on the work?

What Worked For Me:

The work has a cozy atmosphere, successfully evoking feelings of Fall. The color palate, the setting, and the events of the story all contribute to this.
The two-page map spread of the pumpkin patch helped contribute to a sense of place in the story. The fact that most of the places featured on the map were visited in the story was a nice touch.
I appreciate the way the work depicts LGBTQ relationships: they’re normalized, not something that needs to be explained or highlighted. No one is defined by the bigotry they’ve faced for being an LGBTQ person in this story. (Granted, this may also be because the interaction with the presumably LGBTQ person only lasts a few pages, but it’s still something.)

What Didn’t:

I found Josiah’s personality a bit grating. He’s pined over a girl for years without doing anything about it, and is only prodded to do something about it on his last day of work by Deja. It often feels like his whole character is defined by his commitment to the pumpkin patch and his inability to speak to this one person (or most people, apparently).
Deja, despite being my favorite of the two protagonists, almost crosses into “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” territory. She almost qualifies because she spends so much of the run time pushing Josiah toward this girl, even putting aside some of her own goals and ambitions. Thankfully, she also has connections throughout the park, as well as a love of snacks; this helps to round out her character.
I didn’t love the ending. Josiah does finally talk to his “dream girl,” only to find she’s nothing like the person he imagined. As it turns out, she hates the pumpkin patch! She’s only there for her friends. This is a light-bulb moment for Josiah: the person who’s been there for him is Deja. Duh. This would be a fine ending in-and-of itself, but then things get romantic, with Josiah and Deja smooching; she had feelings for him all along, you see, but had pushed them down for years. Plus, in Josiah’s own words, he’s “dumb,” and didn’t notice. Couldn’t all of this have reaffirmed their friendship, though?

Conclusion:

This work’s ability to create “Fall Vibes” is one of its greatest strengths. Plus, my gripes about the characters and plot are negated somewhat by the suggested “grade level” for this work (grade 7-9). Ultimately, if you’ve ever enjoyed visiting a pumpkin patch, you’ll probably like this work. The same is true of the premise: if it sounds interesting, this one’s worth a look.

Check it out here.

Be More Chill (The Graphic Novel) by Ned Vizzini

First, a word from the publisher: “The groundbreaking story by New York Times best-selling author Ned Vizzini that inspired the Tony-nominated Broadway musical–now adapted in a graphic novel by #1 New York Times best-selling author David Levithan.“

What Worked For Me:

If I would’ve read this work in 2004 (when it was originally published as a novel), I would’ve been really impressed.
The art style is fine; it didn’t impress me but it didn’t turn me off either. I was expecting the reduced color palette (blue, gray, and black) to play a bigger role, but it seems to have been selected more for aesthetics.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

Unlike the novel, the graphic novel came out 2021. As such, some of its observations and critiques of the increasingly invasive role of technology (e.g. cellphones, social media, etc) come across as trite rather than groundbreaking. I’m also surprised the story didn’t take an even darker turn. For example: the squibs seem to know all about tragic world events before anyone else; I kind of expected that they were causing them, too. Maybe THAT would’ve been a bit too on the nose, though.
I feel the same way about the story’s ending: that the work is a retelling of the MC’s experiences … in an attempt to “explain himself” to a girl he’s really into. It’s not bad, but I did groan a bit when I realized what was happening.

Conclusion:

I can see why folks may have been excited about this work in 2004; at the time, it was discussing something fresh and interesting. In 2022, however, with the normalization of social media, smart phones, and “big data,” the story just doesn’t seem as prescient (even if we still got the dystopia).

Check it out here.