After two years, the long-awaited Snotgirl series is back! Fans have become anxious to see new Snotgirl content from creators Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung, as single-issue releases seem to be fewer and farther between. In fact, just after the release of this volume the creators of Snotgirl announced an indefinite hiatus. With that said, let’s take a close look at the latest from Snotgirl, as it may be the last look we get for quite a while.
Snotgirl Vol. 3: Is This Real Life? continues the saga of Lottie Person. Lottie—affectionately referred to as “Snottie” by her beautiful, elusive Coolgirl crush, Caroline—is a fashion blogger, social media influencer, and personal disaster. Lottie’s allergies and runny nose pose a constant threat to her image. After being prescribed a mysterious new allergy medication, Lottie’s reality begins to change. A sequence of strange occurrences turn this series from a millennial melodrama into a supernatural mystery thriller.
Though Lottie is your archetypal vapid, self-absorbed influencer, Is This Real Life? highlights the most growth of Lottie’s character thus far. In preceding volumes; Vol. 1: Green Hair Don’t Care and Vol. 2: California Screaming, Lottie was simply a fun trainwreck. However, Is This Real Life? shows the audience a slightly more likeable, more complex version of Lottie. She is no longer just a fashion sensation with a lot of self-imposed personal issues. Lottie is a 20-something woman dealing with both the mysterious circumstances surrounding her and her overt desire to confront her sexual identity. Though previous volumes have hinted at Lottie’s sexual identity, this volume provides the most in-depth exploration. As Lottie’s relationship (and unhealthy fixation) with Caroline develops, so does the enigma of Caroline’s existence. Is This Real Life? adds a new layer of supernatural mystery that fans will either love or find frustrating due to the lack of substantial answers to readers’ ever-expanding list of questions.
Snotgirl Vol. 3: Is This Real Life? is an excellent addition to the Snotgirl series. Hung’s artwork is consistently high-quality. Her attention to detail is impeccable. Every chapter is filled with beautiful clothing, designed in conjunction with the personal style and social media presence of each character. In addition, O’Malley, notable for his Scott Pilgrim series, writes dialogue filled with colloquial language, quippy back-and-forths, and tons of homoerotic subtext. O’Malley’s writing paired with Hung’s illustrations have earned the Snotgirl series a well-deserved cult following. Snotgirl is a great purchasing choice for any library collection. Given that, thus far, only three Snotgirl volumes have been released, purchasing the series for library patrons is an easy feat. Though fans have no idea when the Snotgirl hiatus will end, Snotgirl, Vol. 3: Is This Real Life? will hopefully tide over both old fans and new until the return of Lottie Person.
Snotgirl Vol. 3: Is This Real Life?
By Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung
Art by Leslie Hung
ISBN: 9781534312388
Image Comics, 2020
Publisher Age Rating:
Series Reading Order: https://www.goodreads.com/series/182773-snotgirl (Wikipedia or Goodreads)
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NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Adult (18+)
Character Traits: Bisexual
Creator Highlights: BIPOC Creator
