Horn Book

The eponymous icon started life as a character on a T-shirt; now, after numerous comic book appearances, she stars in a novel detailing an amnesiac episode of her life involving a family feud. Journal entries and illustrations document her search for identity. The circular, insider-y plot and intrusively attitude-drenched narrative voice ensure that this oddity will appeal only to Emily's existing following.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Merchandising icon Emily the Strange—no stranger to T-shirts, accessories and Hot Topic stores—becomes much more three-dimensional in this novel from creator Reger and coauthor Gruner (the pair has also written Emily comic books). Designed to look like Emily's ever-present notebook, the book opens as the 13-year-old finds herself in the very beige town of Blackrock, with no memories of who she is, how she got there or if she has any family (“Got myself so worked up into fake-missing people who might not even exist that I even cried a little fake tear”). She gleans clues to her identity (such as an affinity for fixing machines) and gets caught up in a power struggle over control of the town, before discovering her connection to Blackrock (with some missteps and memory-related restarts along the way). Emily's diary-style narrative includes plenty of lists and her verbal quirks (“Flathering bogyarks”) are amusing. But it's her sarcastic, nerdy individualism—with a hint of buried sweetness—that will make readers want to spend more time with her. Ages 12–up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)

School Library Journal (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 7 Up-This novel is the latest incarnation of the popular and commercially successful "Emily the Strange" series of comic/graphic novels (Dark Horse). The lost days of the title refers to the protagonist's amnesia and the solution to the mystery of who she is, why she's in Blackrock, and her connection to the founder of Blackrock, Emma LeStrande. The story is told through diary entries and illustrations (done in the same black, white, and red color scheme as the comic series). In spite of the amnesia, Emily is still her usual sarcastic, cat-loving self, even when confused by the fact that she knows how to calculate terminal velocity and how to fix an espresso machine but can't remember her name or age or what a baby cat is called. The action moves along with no lulls, and none of the entries or illustrations are superfluous. This is a highly enjoyable read that will appeal to both readers new to the series and Emily fans alike. Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL

Kirkus Reviews

A young Goth is stricken with amnesia and must puzzle out the secrets of her existence in this contrived, multi-format tale. Emily the Strange, a young black-haired, black-clad girl with four cats always at her side, has been featured in a clothing line and a stationery series. More recently, the character appeared in comic-book form, so this expansion to the world of novels seems a logical, if primarily marketing-based, move. In a sly, deadpan first-person voice, Emily chronicles her awakening in a town called Blackrock, with no memory of who she is. She quickly becomes a fixture at a coffee shop called El Dungeon and there meets Raven, Umlaut, Attikol and other quirky folks. In a series of journal entries, drawings, lists of her most recent discoveries and conversational snippets, Emily slowly works her way through the unlikely mystery, but at a pace so glacial and in the company of characters whose only development is their similarly uncanny nature, it is hard to imagine anyone who isn't an established fan sticking out the journey. (Fiction. 12-15)

ALA Booklist (Fri May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Reger's gothy cult heroine, who began life as a sticker for skaters and other underground types before moving into comics, now makes the leap into full-fledged YA noveldom. But not to worry: this is anything but a sellout. The book (structured as the girl's diary) opens with Emily coming to with a fresh case of plot-device-grade amnesia. As she tries to figure out who she is, where she is, and just about everything else (aside from remembering an affinity for cats and the number 13), Emily gets involved in a power struggle among a cast of shady characters in the town of Blackrock. Although the lurching plot perambulations are increasingly difficult to follow, there's no doubting the lighthearted but darkly hued creativity on display, nearly always sacrificing sense for strangeness. A bevy of lists (all 13 items long) and black-and-red drawings work to break up the narrative. The central mystery of who Emily is eventually gets (sort of) resolved; any number of other unexplained peculiarities will have to wait for further installments. Pure black gold for the right readers.

Voice of Youth Advocates

After years as a popular character featured on clothing, towels, lunchboxes, and of course graphic novels, Emily the Strange takes on her first novel-length adventure. The book opens with Emily stranded in the strange town of Blackrock, not sure why she is there or even who she is. As she struggles to figure out her identity, Emily is plunged into another mystery surrounding BlackrockÆs most generous and now deceased benefactor Emma Lastrande, and the El Dungeon, the only dining establishment in Blackrock. Reger and Gruner do not stop there, however, and silly plot twist after silly plot twist are thrown in, weighing down the narrative and taking away from the original story of Emily trying to determine her identity. Although the humorous black-and-white drawings throughout the story are sure to appeal to that often ignored ôtweenö demographic (roughly fourth through eighth grades) as is the silly story line, the endless plot devices are bound to eventually wear out many readers. The authors also insist on adding one quirky character after another with little or no character development. Even Emily herself does not seem fully fleshed out but rather a one dimensional caricature. Buy this only for large collections with an avid Emily the Strange fan base.ùShari Fesko.