Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen, art by Faith Erin Hicks
Review by Lauren
copy for review, but all opinions are my own
Official Summary: You wouldn’t expect Nate and Charlie to be friends. Charlie’s the laid-back captain of the basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely—until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms—but not both.
It’s only going to get worse: after both parties are stripped of their funding on grounds of abominable misbehavior, Nate enrolls the club’s robot in a battlebot competition in a desperate bid for prize money. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot death match? Of course!
Review: Shen’s first book is a mix of genuine friendship, high school hierarchy, and kick-ass robots! Hicks takes this story and uses her lovely black and white drawings to make it come alive. I’ve only read one other graphic novel illustrated by Hicks, also written by her, which was Friends With Boys. I had some difficulties, I remember, in distinguishing some of the characters but I loved her work overall. This time around, in Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, everyone has their own distinguished look so it’s easy to keep track of Nate and Charlie, as well as their respective side of the social pyramid (robot geeks for Nate and cheerleaders for Charlie).
At first, the cheerleaders come off as a bit stereotypical and ridiculous. They are fearsome, rich, and always looking down on others. However, I liked that Shen showed just how much these girls (and the other characters) can grow and change throughout the novel. Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong is definitely a suitable graphic novel for newbies, I believe, because it’s easy to follow and is a suitable length to tell a full story with growth.
As for the main guys, Charlie was definitely not a typical jock. He was popular, but that didn’t keep him from being friends with Nate and he also had his own personal issues to deal with that didn’t include robots and cheerleader uniforms. While the parents are not completely present, it was nice to see that they were included in the storyline with Charlie throughout the novel. On the other side, you have Nate who is some great comic relief. He’s obsessed with the robot competition and will do anything to get the money, even running for class president (as the Student Council controls the money). Nate isn’t always the best friend, since he puts his own interests above Charlie’s and the two ultimately find themselves battling it out in the race for president.
Shen and Hicks make a wonderful duo, allowing a fairly normal group of high school students to come together in one amusing, realistic, and geeky quest!
I haven't heard of this one before. Thanks once again for putting this under my radar, love! <33
The geeky quest sounds good, but don't know if I could deal with the cheerleaders
I've never really been a huge reader of graphic novels, but you do have me curious about this now, especially as you think it's a good one for beginners. Lovely review!
Amazing how very different people become the unlikeliest of friends. This sounds like quite a fun read with a great message.
I can't wait to read this one – I love Hicks' art!
Hm… not thrilled about the sterotypical stuff, but I do like a fun geeky quest. 😀 Hm… this one might be for one of those days I just want something light. Great review.
I may have to show this to my guy, he loves graphic novels.
This one sounds like a lot of fun!
This one sounds really cute, I love how the characters really develop if they start out stereotypical or are spins on a stereotype. Charlie sounds like he could be really stereotypical, like the cheerleaders, but he turns out to be a big surprise. Nate sounds hilarious, too!
Fantastic review! <33
I haven't read any graphic novels, so I'm not sure that I'd enjoy it. This looks like a fun story, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Great review!
This looks adorable! 🙂
I like it when very different people get together. This sounds interesting.
I absolutely loved this one! 🙂
I read Friends With Boys and it was my first and only graphic novel! I really enjoyed it. I didn't like that it was an open ending, though. This one sounds fun, but Nate sounds sort of like a crap friend. I'll have to make this my next graphic novel read. Wonderful review, Lauren! 🙂
This sounds like such a cute book Lauren! I liked the premise as soon as I read it, but then when you mentioned black and white drawings I loved it even more! Brilliant review!!
This is new to me though I have heard of the author and illustrator because I believe they were at a local event a few months ago. Kinda bummed about the stereotypical cheerleaders though. Pet peeve of mine.
Character growth is a big bonus as long I can stick with it long enough to see it happen.
Glad you enjoyed this!
I love graphic novels, but I don't read them nearly often enough! Glad to hear this was a fun one that was well done. I'll definitely add it to my TBR pile. Lovely review!