15 year old Sydney explores her burgeoning sexuality against a typical high school and home life background. But Syd is extraordinary in one way: she gots the telekinesis!
Chuck Forsman returns to what he does best: teenage angst. And, like in Celebrated Summer and The End of the Fucking World, I Am Not Okay With This is a compelling character portrait of contemporary American adolescence. Forsman convincingly explores the inner life of a gay teen girl, slowly revealing the story behind her father’s absence and her part in it, as well as her superpower.
That said, I felt that her superpower was a misstep - the narrative didn’t need a fantastical element to it; the realism of Syd’s life was more than enough for this book. All the superpower provides are the two stupidest scenes in this book, one of which was the ending. And the ending was the only part of the book I really disliked. It was needlessly nihilistic, unimaginative, hopeless, and too easy. Besides being uninspired and abrupt, what a negative message it sends to gay kids dealing with their sexuality!
It might’ve worked if it had been metaphorical telekinesis – a symbolic representation of her outsider status/alienation/frustration - except the other stupid scene removes any ambiguity.
The art style is effectively minimalist, appropriately reflecting the bleak tone of the story. Though many of the characters are drawn cartoonishly, it somehow works and adds to the surrealism. I wonder if Syd being drawn like Popeye’s Olive Oyl was a visual pun on the name of Chuck’s imprint, Oily Comics?
Unnecessary characteristics and terrible ending aside, I Am Not Okay With This is an effortlessly compelling and enjoyable read. If you like indie comics, check out anything with Chuck Forsman’s name on the cover – dude is a brilliant creator!
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