Publisher: First Second
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Price: $19.99
Creator: Penelope Bagieu
Format: 128 pgs., Full-Color, Hardcover
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-6267-2082-4
Age Ratings: 17+
ICv2 Ratings: 5 Stars out of 5
Zoe's life sucks. She works as a product rep at trade shows (you might crassly know them as "booth babes"), has a boyfriend who treats her like trash and she's generally unhappy. She wants more from life; she wants a job that will fulfill her and a boyfriend who will treat her kindly.
While out for lunch one day she spies a man looking at her through his window and taking a chance she asks to use his bathroom. What she doesn't realize is that the apartment that she's stepped into is actually the residence of a world famous author… or that he's dead.
Exquisite Corpse is one of those books where you might pick it up out of curiosity due to the title or cover but once you start reading you will not be able to put it back down. Sure, the art could be described as simplistic but within these pages is a story that is filled with laughs and a surprise ending that you won't find anywhere else.
As I read this book, I was drawn into the story bit by bit and before I knew it I was hooked and when it was over I was sad. Very sad. Distraught even that there was no more to be had.
This is a book that found me at the perfect moment in my life due to the theme contained within it that says that the only people who should be unhappy with their lives are those who refuse to do anything about it. In the early going, all Zoe does is complain about her life and as the story progresses we learn that her new boyfriend is much the same. He lives for the praise and love of others but when it stops appearing in the form of positive reviews for his books, he loses himself in depression.
Even if you're not a writer, this is a book that will brighten up your life with even a single reading though I can hardly believe that you'll be able to pick up this book and only read it once. This is something that I will revisit again and again in the future whenever I need a pick-me-up.
This is a book for adults who want a solid but easy-to-read story that is aimed at them. This isn't a graphic novel for children or even teens, but for mature adults who have faced hardships in their lives (which, let's face it, is basically all of us).
Exquisite Corpse is highly recommended to everyone!
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.