Author: Beka
Artist: Camille Méhu
Translator: Motana Kane
Editor: David Byron
Letterer: Cromatik Ltd.
Publisher: Europe Comics
Recommended Age: 12+ (Europe Comics)
Four high school girls who have problems fitting in decide to join forces and form their own club, which they feel will empower them to better face the world and their own individual problems. Their first goal is to get girl No. 5 to join them: Paloma, a troubled and anti-social teenager who’s lived in more than fifteen foster homes since she was six. But before the Misfits can welcome Paloma into the fold, they must first get her to confront her difficult and tragic past.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Adoption & Foster Care Trauma
Depicted: Arson, Death of a Guardian
Mentioned: Harry Potter, Dy*e
Tags:
Adoption & Fostercare Trauma, Teen Hacker, Misfit Teens, Sapphic Characters, Making Friends To Riot Against the System
Review
~ Review copy provided by NetGalley and Europe Comics ~
The Misfits Club For Girls is the beginning of a great series that focuses on female friendship and its trials and tribulations.
The Misfits Club for Girls presents us in each entry with the back story of one of the girls in the club. Through their perseverance and friendship, they try to help solve each girl's problems. The first issue introduces us to Paloma, a teenage girl who has been through 15 different foster homes before the story started and is written off by the system as a troublemaker. Her final foster home before being sent to a group home is with Liselotte Berger. Liselotte gives Paloma a year to make a genuine friend, or else she is sent to the group home, and each year, Liselotte continues to extend this deadline as Paloma fails. In her fifth year, Paloma is given the opportunity to join the newly formed Misfits Club, but thinking the idea is stupid, so she rejects them. The girls of the club, Chelonia, Sierra, Apolline, & Celeste, then become determined to make Paloma join. Through their determination, they are able to understand the root of Paloma’s problems.
While the first volume primarily focuses on Paloma’s struggles with accepting others and her foster care trauma, it gives us glimpses into each of the other girls’ issues that will hopefully be explored in more volumes - as of reviewing, only volume two Celeste has been released. The group consists of; Chelonia, an expert hacker who lives alone with her severely disabled father. Celeste, a meek girl who is being bullied by her classmates. Sierra, a girl with a fiery temper. And Apolline, a kind lesbian rugby player who has a budding romance with Sierra.
Our budding friendship group is at the core of The Misfits Club For Girls. Each girl brings their strengths and weakness to the group, and they bring out the best in each other through their friendship. Sierra’s fiery temper often causes setbacks within the group, but she can recognise her wrongdoings and deeply cares about her friends. Chelonia’s hacking skills gets them crucial information about Paloma’s foster care situation that allows for Paloma to have closure. Apolline’s kindness is their first inroad into gaining Paloma’s trust. And Celeste, despite being timid, does not give up on Paloma because she believes Paloma needs them, rallying the other girls into continuing their quest.
However, Paloma is not easily won over due to her foster care trauma. She trusts no one, not Liselotte, and especially not her peers. Having been proven time and time again by the system that no one will stick around. However, it is through the Girl’s determination that they are able to give Paloma closure and bring her into their group.
The Misfits Club for Girls is the beginning of a great series that focuses on friendship and overcoming trauma. And I can’t wait for its next release.