Betty Blues

Gr 10 Up—In this noir-inspired graphic novel, Rice Duck is one of the best trumpet players in the West Wood. When his girlfriend, Betty, leaves him for a slick millionaire, he throws away his horn and skips town to try and cope with his loss. With little backstory, it's hard to get truly invested in these characters and their relationships, but some dream sequences do provide background in an abstract way. However, once the main characters really start to develop and learn about what they have taken for granted, the story abruptly ends, which readers will find either poignant or frustrating. Though the story is lacking in parts, the illustrations are flawless; drawings are heavily shaded, leaving a bit of grit and rawness that perfectly matches the dismal tone and filthy settings. Slinky characters with oblong angles bring jazz-fueled craziness to life. Like a jazz song, Betty Blues is a short but wild ride that doesn't hit all the notes just right but comes together in the end and lingers well after the music is over.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI