Graphic novel weekend

The Regifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel





"... action, romance and introspection combine in an enjoyable and realistically muliethnic whole"


Booklist, starred review





Regifters is the story of rebellion, crushes and recycled gifts. Jen Dik Seong -or Dixie as she's known to her friends is a gifted hapkido (Korean martial arts) athlete, in fact she could win the up coming nation wide tournament, if only she could focus. Her instructor carefully points out to her that -" you are a good student Jen, perhaps the best I have ever taught, you know that hapkido is much more than a fighting style. You know the importance of Ki. The universal energy that some call spirit. This is not strength of body or mind, but it underlies all strength, and makes strength strong. Where is your Ki Jen? What has become of it?"


Jen unfortunately can only seem to focus on one thing - Adam (a fellow hapkido student) and how to win over her crush. Enter the gift, a sculpture of a Hwarang warrior which Jen decides will win over Adam but also costs her entery fee to the national tournament. As the story develops so does the idea of regifting.

(Re-gift - verb - 1. to give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift.)

Jen gives the gift to Adam, who gives the gift to Megan, who when she finds out she has been regifted gives it to her brother, who uses it to repay the debt he owes Dillinger, who doesn't know it all started with Jen but for some reason it reminds him of her and she is a true warrior and therefore deserves to have this kind of reminder of who she is. And if that confused you, well check the book out because it won't disappoint.

Thumbs up from me!

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