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A-Okay #2
A for Effort
The next semi-autobiographical graphic novel from Jarad Greene continues to follow Jay, this time as he faces his freshman year of high school—and a whole new world of friendships, self-discovery, and stress about the future. The start of Jay’s freshman year is full of new things. . . .New friends. New classes. New challenges. All of which are expected, until his new friend group’s obsession with perfect grades puts the pressure on—especially when his best subject, art, is full. Without it to anchor him, Jay hopes theater class will be the easy A he’s looking for. But when the class begins, Jay finds himself struggling like never before. Turns out balancing Shakespeare with biology and geometry is a lot harder than he thought. Will Jay be able to step into the spotlight and deliver an A+ performance? Perfect for readers of Yehudi Mercado and Rachel Elliott, A for Effort ’s refreshingly witty and honest story is a heartfelt exploration of how it’s not always the outcome but the journey itself that truly matters.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2024
About the author
Jarad Greene
3 books30 followersHi there! My name is Jarad Greene and I’m a cartoonist and illustrator originally from Lutz, FL. I graduated from the University of South Carolina, with a BA in Criminology & Criminal Justice, and minors in Theatre, and Public Relations. My comics and cartoons have appeared in publications throughout the Southeast and Vermont. I spent eight years in Columbia, SC before moving to White River Junction, VT where I received my MFA at The Center for Cartoon Studies; I currently work for CCS as their Administrative and Development Coordinator.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 29, 2024
I enjoyed the follow up to book 1. It was nice to see Jay settle into himself & understand more about his identity & what makes him happy & proud.
February 4, 2024
Thank you HarperAlley, a digital review copy was provided for an honest review. It has been a few years since I read Jarad’s first book, A-Ok, and I did a reread of the Tale of an eighth grade boy, dealing with growing up: having his clean complexion plagued by serious acne, finding friends and also discovering his own ace identity.
So I was eager to pick up A for Effort, which is a sequel, but could also be read as a complete standalone. Now we find Jarad entering a new high school, having to make brand new friends, and find a new elective other than art—theater class.
This book has all the charm from the first, but we really focus on our MC’s struggle with academic expectations from friends, family, and himself.
This would be a great read for grades 5 and up, even though it is set during Freshman year, because it still has universal appeal of dealing with friendships, doing well in school, family, and finding your way.
So I was eager to pick up A for Effort, which is a sequel, but could also be read as a complete standalone. Now we find Jarad entering a new high school, having to make brand new friends, and find a new elective other than art—theater class.
This book has all the charm from the first, but we really focus on our MC’s struggle with academic expectations from friends, family, and himself.
This would be a great read for grades 5 and up, even though it is set during Freshman year, because it still has universal appeal of dealing with friendships, doing well in school, family, and finding your way.
August 6, 2024
Jay jumps into freshman year with an unexpected elective: theater! While memorizing lines, he tries to keep up with his other grades and changing friendships. What a semester! With fun color artwork and a mix of serious matters and humor, this is another fun semi-autobiographical comic about the author's teen life. A good follow-up, and more books would be welcome, especially since there is a lack of books about ninth graders.
March 25, 2024
I really like this series so was looking forward to reading the sequel to A-Okay. This one didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the story-line of the pressure to have top grades while discovering new side of himself. There is less Ace focus in this book but a brief mention of it. Very curious if the author will tackle this topic in further sequels as the character/himself gets older.
April 11, 2024
Public library copy
Liked that this was a character just starting high school, but this had more of a YA level of pacing and introspection, so not sure how well middle schoolers will like it. There aren't as many graphic novels with boys as the main character, so it's worth a look.
Liked that this was a character just starting high school, but this had more of a YA level of pacing and introspection, so not sure how well middle schoolers will like it. There aren't as many graphic novels with boys as the main character, so it's worth a look.
March 17, 2024
This wasn't as good as the first book in the series, second books are hard, but still 5 stars. Hope there will be a 3rd to round it out.
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April 5, 2024Reading to review for professional magazine- see review there.
June 21, 2024
Not bad but slow.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews