Follow Hitori Gotoh’s journey to become a band member in a story that is told through a 4-panel style that is easy to follow and fun to read.
Hitori teaches herself how to play guitar in middle school with the plan to form a band and become popular and gain friends; however, she lacks the social skills to communicate her desires to any of her classmates. At the end of middle school, she finds herself without friends and vows that high school will be different. Hitori gets a chance to shine when someone randomly asks if she can play the guitar that she has with her and is drawn into playing with a band as a substitute guitarist. This does not go smoothly and ultimately provides many laughs to the reader.
Besides discovering herself and personal interactions with new friends, Bocchi also learns a bit about the music gig industry. A quick note that there are a few pages where the main character is shown in an ice bath or in her underwear; however, it is not sexualized.
The format of the 4-panel style with an occasional half page illustration makes the story easy to follow, but it does not mean there’s a lack of detail in the illustrations. In fact, the level of detail is quite high and sometimes I wish it were bigger to better appreciate it.
Full of humor and coming-of-age tropes, Bocchi the Rock is a great addition to any upper middle grade collection. This can fill any holes your collection might have for contemporary, music, or humor.
Bocchi the Rock Vol. 01
By Aki Hamazi
Yen Press, 2023
ISBN: 9781975378004
Publisher Age Rating: Teen
NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13)
