Goody-two-shoes

What do you want to be when you grow up? It seems like a simple question, but as we grow older, it becomes one that hovers over us. Life isn’t always butterflies and roses. It’s hard to plan and structure because of its nature, which is to resist binaries—like “right” and “wrong.” Jen Wang focuses on these multifarious aspects of the universe in her graphic novel, Koko Be Good. We follow Jonathan and Koko along the streets of San Francisco as they share their journey to self-discovery. Jonathan, a recent San Francisco State University grad, has plans to move to Peru to pursue the girl of his dreams. Koko is a rebel without a cause, looking to transform her life under the socially constructed notions of what is “good.” Funny, captivating and true, Wang’s lightly colored drawings and story show us that sometimes it’s OK to just be, just live and bask in the unexpected.