Winter Town by Stephen Emond

 
 
 
Every winter, straight-laced, Ivy League bound Evan looks forward to a visit from Lucy, a childhood pal who moved away after her parent's divorce. But when Lucy arrives this year, she's changed. The former "girl next door" now has chopped dyed black hair, a nose stud, and a scowl. But Evan knows that somewhere beneath the Goth, "Old Lucy" still exists, and he's determined to find her... even if it means pissing her off.

Garden State meets Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist in this funny and poignant illustrated novel about opposites who fall in love.




Not only is Stephen Emond a talented writer, he's also an amazing illustrator. (Which makes me insanely envious of his mad, mad skillz.)  His artwork plays an important role in this wonderful story in which Lucy and Evan create a comic strip together ad try to figure out their relationship and how they feel about one another.

The story is told first from Evan's point of view and then switches to Lucy's. It serves as a beautiful backdrop for the characters (and readers) to discover things are not always as they appear to be.  Evan is a sweet and wonderful character and Lucy is misunderstood, but in her point of view,  we get to see what is really happening in her life.

I picked up the ARC of WINTERTOWN at BEA back in May and was intrigued first by the evocative cover and then the cover copy.  Of course I flipped it open and was hooked by the unique delivery with drawings, and ultimately was snagged by a great story about two characters I genuinely cared about. It's an emotional journey that made me laugh out loud in some places and shed a few tears in others. And that to me, is the sign of a great story!

Winter Town is getting rave reviews, including a STARRED REVEIW from KIRKUS!

Released DECEMBER 5, 2011,  Winter Town is available everywhere! Look for it in your favorite book store!

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Steve Emond does not have any superhuman powers, neat tricks, or famous relatives, but he’s a pretty cool guy who can draw. He is the creator of Emo Boy, which ran for 12 issues and two collections, and the comic strip, Steverino. He grew up in Connecticut, where he wrote and directed a public access sketch comedy show that only his grandmother watched.