Grace is ill with a mysterious disease that also claimed the life of her mother. As a result, she must stay in bed all day. Grace’s father treats her badly, while Ashley, Grace’s sister, tries to comfort her and buys her journals. Still, Ashley can not give Grace the desire to live. Then, one day, a strange boy shows up in her room. He wants Grace to let visit the outside world…

Go With Grace is not a manga title because it is not Japanese, and the illustrations do not have the typical manga style either (you know, big eyes). The author, George Alexopoulos resides in New Jersey. It was also read right-to-left which makes it a good start for beginners to manga or graphic novels. The illustrations are decent. They are not bad, but they don’t really stand out either.

My favorite part of Go With Grace is the setting. The world it takes place in is not a modern world, but it is close. There are televisions, but there are no cars. Instead, the characters travel by carriage. It seems odd, but it works. I can’t really imagine Grace living in the modern world, and this world was much more interesting than say the early 1900s. I would love to see more stories set in this world. ( )

Merideth says: Grace is a bedridden girl with no reason to live until one night, when she is visited by a mysterious boy who invites her to leave her room for the first time in years. But the world outside is stranger than Grace could ever have imagined. And the risk of her leaving is greater than either of them could have known.

Only well rendered and subtly shaded artwork keep this OEL manga from being utterly forgettable. The story, such as it is, is confusing and badly paced. Grace is bedridden, but it's unclear if she's actually ill or willing herself to be ill. She has a clownishly evil father, concerned only with the cost of her treatment, and a perky and nurturing younger sister, who brings her journals that she fills with poetry. Grace is also troubled by the ghost of a boy, with whom, of course, she shares a tragic love story. Beautiful art alone can't save a inconsistent ending and poorly developed characters from dragging this book down. (cross-posted from MeriJenBen) ( )

Grace is a bedridden girl with no reason to live until one night, when she is visited by a mysterious boy who invites her to leave her room for the first time in years. But the world outside is stranger than Grace could ever have imagined. And the risk of her leaving is greater than either of them could have known.

Only well rendered and subtly shaded artwork keep this OEL manga from being utterly forgettable. The story, such as it is, is confusing and badly paced. Grace is bedridden, but it's unclear if she's actually ill or willing herself to be ill. She has a clownishly evil father, concerned only with the cost of her treatment, and a perky and nurturing younger sister, who brings her journals that she fills with poetry. Grace is also troubled by the ghost of a boy, with whom, of course, she shares a tragic love story. Beautiful art alone can't save a inconsistent ending and poorly developed characters from dragging this book down. ( )