Book review: Mia&Co, vol.1

by Vanyda and Nicolas Hitori De

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Europe Comics through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mia&Co is the first in (hopefully) a series of graphic novels about the life of Mia and her best friends. She’s just an ordinary teenage girl who gets along better with boys than with girls. The friend group loves hanging out together, playing video games and listening to music. This story doesn’t have any wild adventures, or magic, or vampires – and that is what’s so appealing about it. “Mia&Co” is a slice of life, a look at how us, regular folk, live our lives. And who would have thought that our lives could look so charming?

Mia is the only girl in her friend group, which instantly made me relate to her – I used to get along better with boys than with girls when I was younger. In fact, this whole friend group feels so relateable, the whole book made me nostalgic for my teenage years. I also used to play video games and listen to music with my friends; go to concerts; explore the city; try to venture outside the friend group, but always ended up going back.
The author does such a great job of making the characters feel real with just a few words, and of course the illustrations help tremendously. The color palette is very cozy, it makes the reading experience so relaxing.
Mia&Co is like a very chill episode of a teenage TV show, without any major drama, just some kids hanging out, enjoying life and each other’s company.
I really hope there will be more books in this series!