October 2022 Indie Bestseller New York Times-bestselling author
Claribel A. Ortega and star debut artist Rose Bousamra's Frizzy is
about Marlene, a young Dominican girl whose greatest enemy is the
hair salon! Through her struggles and triumphs, this heartwarming
and gorgeous middle-grade graphic novel shows the radical power of
accepting yourself as you are, frizzy curls and all. Marlene loves
three things: books, her cool Tia Ruby and hanging out with her
best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only
thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means
straightening her hair every weekend so she could have
"presentable", "good hair". But Marlene hates being in the salon
and doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by
those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and
the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby--she slowly starts a
journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.
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Review This Product
Fantastic important graphic novel
Mon, 2 Jan 2023 | Review
by: Penny O.
Frizzy follows Marlene, a middle schooler of Dominican heritage who has curly hair from the Black side of her family. Every week, her mother hauls her to the salon to have her hair straightened so that she can have "good hair" and "look presentable". She loathes the salon visits and feels that she can't look like herself. Marlene is tormented by her family over her hair and compared to relatives who have "good", straight hair. The kids at school bully her about her frizzy hair. With the help of her friend Camilla and her Tia Ruby, Marlene learns to care for her hair and to tell her mother how much she hates the salon and being made to feel ugly and unacceptable. The reason for the value Marlene's family places on straight hair is explained by Tia Ruby as the internalization of society's anti-Blackness. It is so important that we all understand from an early age how racism has affected beauty standards. I loved reading about Marlene's brave journey to self-acceptance and self-advocacy, Tia Ruby's wisdom, and their big, complicated family. The illustrations convey Marlene's struggle so perfectly. Frizzy is about hair, but so much more than hair. It's a fantastic book.
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