AfterEllen.com Book Club discussion

Planning on reading this this weekend--but for those of you who have read it already, I thought I'd get this space up for you to discuss before I forget. So, discuss away!

So, I read this in two days and was pretty engrossed while reading it. Once I started it, I was loath to put it down. I gave i a three star rating, which according to Goodreads is 'I liked it', but I'm not sure I liked it. After finishing it, my thoughts were churning and I still haven't made up my mind what I really thought about it.

When I was younger, I read a lot of graphic novels and I think one of the things that will decide whether or not you like it or love it is the art style. I don’t find the art style in Calling Dr Laura very appealing, personally, and it can be one reason that I’m not super-into this book. And while I’m not crazy about the art, I do love the way she’s inked it. I think the way present and past have been visually represented is very clever.

I really disliked Radar. I cheered when they broke up. I thought she pressured Nicole too much and was really harsh about it, too. It’s not easy to cut other people out of your life and treating it like it’s an easy thing is rather callous. I also personally hate when people pressure others to come out before they’re ready. I can sympathise that it’s hard to date somebody when everybody else believe you’re just roommates, but I still don’t think it gives you to right to pressure somebody to come out.

Since the title is “Calling Dr. Laura”, I had expected it to have a much more prominent role. I had got it into my head that she would be calling her several times. But it was just once, and that scene felt a bit anticlimactic.

As I mentioned, I could hardly put it down once I started reading. I got really involved in Nicole’s life and really wanted to see where this was going. But when I finished it, I thought, “That’s it?”. I wasn’t satisfied by the ending.

Like I mentioned before, I’m still not sure what I thought about it and I think I need to re-read it at a later time to really make up my mind.

I'd like to thank Cassandra for her comment. I didn't realize exactly why I was having trouble commenting on this book, until I read this post and realized I didn't really like the book either.

I disliked Radar as well. I disliked her constant pressure on Nicole to come out to her mother, as well as force her mother to give her information about her father. I didn't like the relationship between Nicole and her mother, either. Although, it is one of the more true depictions of mother/daughter relationships I've seen. I guess one of the things I also really had a problem with is that Nicole does look toward Dr. Laura as a problem solver for her, and in my opinion, Dr. Laura gave the worst advice as well as made Nicole's problems seem unworthy and unimportant.

I do appreciate the art of the graphic novel and the decision to present a memoir in this media. But I guess for me, I didn't feel that Nicole's problems were ever handled well. Except, I did like the fact she eventually learned the truth about her father, but unfortunately it is a bitter sweet ending because she found it all out too late.

I suppose if anything, it could a story about the consequences of inaction. But all along, the characters trying to force Nicole into action seem very callous and villainous.

So, I did enjoy things about the novel, but overall, it was not one of my favorites.