Queen Bee
- Posted by Johanna on December 15, 2005 at 9:18 am
- Category: Graphic Novel Reviews
- CREDITS: by Chynna Clugston
- PUBLISHER: Graphix/Scholastic, $8.99 US
Chynna Clugston’s never been shy about acknowledging her pop culture inspirations and interests, and in this book, it’s no different. During the talent competition, lead character Haley sings The Go-Go’s “We’ve Got the Beat”. When trying to figure out how to be popular, Haley watches classic teen movies from the 80s and today. Clugston also mentions Mean Girls a couple of times, which given how similar the plot is, may be too often.
Haley is psychokinetic — she can move things with her mind. She’s always been an outcast, so when her mother moves them to the big city, Haley sees her new school as her chance to be popular. She studies up, gets new clothes, and practices being cool. A nice girl named Trini shows her around and introduces her to the cliques in a scene you’ve seen before if you’ve ever watched any teen movie.
Since this is intended to be a series of graphic novels, we’re introduced to a set of interesting girl characters, Trini’s friends, that promptly disappear from this volume. Instead, Haley’s conflict comes with the jealousy of one of the already popular girls. That’s another plot element that gets truncated strangely, with their competition being a problem and then suddenly not.
The main story begins when Alexa shows up. She has powers similar to Haley’s, but she’s more experienced with them. She quickly takes Haley’s place among the popular girls, which undercuts the ultimate message of the book. If Haley’s meant to learn that there are more important things than being popular — like honesty and trust — then why spend so much of the book setting up a situation where we’re supposed to root for her to get the better of Alexa?
Due to Alexa’s evil plotting, Haley winds up in scholastic trouble, which leads her to making friends with a nice boy named Jasper. Once they get together, we hear no more about Haley’s grade problems. Instead, the focus switches to the talent contest. Also, the mental powers didn’t seem to me to be fully integrated or even necessary to this kind of story.
Others have speculated that this book isn’t as enjoyable as Clugston’s other work (most notably Blue Monday) because of forced editing from the publisher. I see the opposite problem; I think tighter, experienced editing might have provided more focus and fewer aborted plotlines. In preparation for future volumes, the author is still introducing new elements in the last 12 pages, plot questions that the teenage or older reader will easily figure out.
In short, while a new Clugston is always fun to read, this book wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as I’d hoped, perhaps due to the focus on a younger audience. It’s hard to write for them without writing down to them, and for the older reader, this book is too familiar in the wrong ways. I do hope, though, that readers new to comics will use it as a stepping stone.
More information on the author is available at the publisher’s website.
February 3, 2006 at 10:08 pm
I thought It was a fantastic book. Anyone who is interested in teen comics, this is the best.
February 19, 2006 at 12:54 pm
I thought that Queen Bee was pretty good. Can’t wait to read Chynna Glugston’s other books and the next volumes of Queen Bee!
June 5, 2006 at 8:54 pm
awsome book!
June 26, 2006 at 6:13 pm
aww yes, it was, i think, an adorable little novel. and if you read at least the first book, you would know that haley and alexa are sisters and haley eventually will get with jasper. sorry, didn’t mean to ruin it for you……..
February 10, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I loved this book! Buy the sequal too!!!!!!!!! I
February 10, 2007 at 3:58 pm
I will, when it’s available.
February 15, 2007 at 3:00 pm
[…] Instead, the people that populate her stories are charming, sometimes in spite of themselves. They’re human, interesting people you want to meet. There are preview pages at the publisher’s website. Clugston has also created the Blue Monday series and Queen Bee. […]
February 15, 2007 at 8:18 pm
[…] has also created Queen Bee, a graphic novel for younger readers about two telekinetic teens. She did a short story about Fate […]
February 20, 2007 at 11:15 pm
It’s a cool book, I didn’t know the sequal already came out, Is it available already?
February 25, 2007 at 4:01 pm
This is so cool. WHen i read this book i was amazed. I waished there is Queen Bee 2!!!
April 5, 2007 at 12:20 pm
[…] of graphic novels for teen girls. The group of juniors in high school might be the friends from Queen Bee or The Babysitters Club grown a little older. […]
May 2, 2007 at 9:07 pm
I loved this book, recommend it 4 any one! I don’t like to read and this was like the 1 out of like 5 books i got into.
May 2, 2007 at 9:42 pm
That’s wonderful! I’m glad you found something you enjoyed so much.
May 12, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE queen bee.
im her #1 FAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
welllll is number 2 coming out???????????????
tell me what sequel means too.
ok?
im kinda young, 8 years old.
BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
May 13, 2007 at 7:54 am
“Sequel” means a second book. As for when it’s coming out, I don’t know. The publisher hasn’t announced anything yet.
May 17, 2007 at 9:12 am
[…] would no longer resemble the one we know. And it’s easier just to publish something like Queen Bee (fundamentally a superhero comic) at a “real” book publisher and sell it through […]
May 17, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Can someone please tell me what the title of the sequel is?
Is it even out yet? But I LOVE the first book it is soo awesome. :)
July 19, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I LOVED the Queen Bee book. Seeing pictures with the words helped me know what the characters were doing. It was one of my FAVORITE books. Does anyone know when the sequel will come out, or what it’s titled? Please reply.
November 12, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Where is Queen bee 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222
just 2
April 5, 2008 at 11:22 am
Don’t you guys think that after 2 years the sequel to Queen Bee would have come out already?
April 29, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Ya… I hope it is coming out at all, I LOVE THIS BOOK it is one of my faves.
I mean its been like a year…
Maybe shes just tryin to make it REEEALLY good and takin her time
Its a thought…