Review

Phoebe Zito , a newly transitioned trans girl, moves to California with her newly divorced dad, and gets lessons in girlmode (makeover & lessons-in-the-patriarchy) from popular hot girl Mackenzie Ishikawa. Phoebe makes an initial romantic connection with fellow Star Graph nerd Ben, but falters when she sees that Mackenzie thinks Phoebe can do better… like with popular Ethan. Romantic and other dramas ensue. Life as a girl is complicated, and both Phoebe and Mackenzie both have a lot to learn about how to live their lives for themselves and not for others.

*

This is a fun graphic novel — a (partial) reimagining of Clueless, with Tai (Phoebe) as the trans main character. Visaggio’s taken the nascent patriarchal critique in Clueless and leans into it, making it much more explicit. Visaggio says, “So I set out to tell that story: a girl struggling with traditional femininity gets schooled in the arts of grace and beauty by someone who has mastered them, only for both to realize how much they have been entrapped by the roles expected of them and then do something to break out” (Visaggio, 2024).

This probably makes it sound very serious, but it’s actually fun & beachy, rendered by Ganucheau in a popping sherbet palette… just with a fairly sophisticated Gen Z feminist political kick. Throw in significant intertextual references to Jane Eyre and Little Shop of Horrors, and you’ve got a really clever & entertaining text.

Year 8 & up.

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Phoebe has just transitioned and is getting used to that; parents are divorced — dad is supportive, mum is largely absent; characters conform to patriarchal ideas before they subvert them; plenty of patriarchal critique; a few transphobic moments, but transphobia mostly absent… author focuses on the trans girl experience as part of the girl experience; some brief slut-shaming, but mostly this is critiqued; misogyny & patriarchy (critiqued); someone gets angry and hits Phoebe; Phoebe’s personal business is spread on the internet; temporary social isolation; unwanted touching & street harrassment (critiqued); some kissing; a bit of swearing (f-words, d-words, s-words, dyke, slut, etc.); non-made up girls’ faces are made to look a bit rough, which I found annoying; in a couple of panels, characters are depicted with a cigarette or a vape; some alcohol & slight drunkenness + vomiting. Relationships are mlw.

*

Visaggio, M., & Ganucheau, P. (2024). Girlmode. HarperCollins Publishers.

Images are used on this blog post under the “Fair dealing for criticism or review” provision of the Commonwealth Copyright Act, 1968.