A friend gave me this when I admitted that I've read fewer than 5 graphic novels in my life. I enjoyed this one, and think it's clearly a legitimate form -- with the images and expressions, the exposition is distinctly different than traditional novels, and I think the impact on the reader is quite different. I've read three in the last few months, between Diary of a Wimpy Kid , Persepolis, and this. Won't replace more traditional books for me, but I think we'll see more and more mixed format work over time.