Now, in that magical way the entertainment world has about adapting adaptations, the book that became a musical has now been adapted into a graphic novel, by noted author David Levithan and illustrated by Rick Bertozzi. I never saw the musical or read the book, but after reading the graphic novel, I'd love to do both!
Nobody pays much attention to Jeremy in high school, other than to make fun of or spread rumors about him. He's so used to this occurring that he keeps score of the insults and jibes he sustains in each class. The only person who really talks to him is his best friend and fellow misfit, Michael.
Jeremy has a crush on Christine, but of course she’s dating a popular boy and Jeremy will never have a chance with her. He can barely sustain a conversation with her half the time. But somehow he hopes that things might change someday.
And then he gets a “squip”—a pill-sized supercomputer that you swallow. The squip transforms Jeremy into a confident, handsome heartthrob. It tells him how to dress, how to act, what to say, and whom to avoid. Suddenly Jeremy is cool and can have any girl he wants—but he still only wants Christine.
Of course, getting everything you wish for, especially because of a supercomputer, is fraught with disaster and never turns out quite like you think it will. I mean, does anything turn out well when you let a digestible supercomputer take control of your life?
Be More Chill was a fun, poignant read, although it was shorter than I would've liked. (How often do you say that about books?) I'm guessing the actual novel developed the characters and the situations more, but I enjoyed this tremendously. I definitely found myself wondering what parts might have led into a song in the musical adaptation.
Disney Books and Storygram Tours provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
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