Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not)

Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not) by Jason Shiga
Adult Graphic Novels - Main Level - EMP

Jimmy and Sara are best friends. When she decides to move to New York to take an internship in the publishing industry, Jimmy is distraught. He has a crush on her, and can't imagine life in California without her. He is very sheltered and naive, and doesn't understand why she needs to spread her wings and move on.

He finally decides to visit her in New York to proclaim his love for her. The book is funny - Jimmy mails Sara a letter telling her to meet him on the observation deck of the Empire State building (ala Sleepless in Seattle). She never gets the letter, so she doesn't expect him when he finally gives up and shows up on her doorstep. Jimmy meets Sara's new boyfriend, Mark. He's sophisticated and worldly, and knows much more about technology than Jimmy does. Jimmy is embarrassed because he thought he could get a job in the dot-com industry in New York, making web sites. It is clear that he barely knows what he's doing once Mark steps in.

So, readers have to get all the way to the end before they find out if Sara and Jimmy can ever be together as more than friends. Maybe they are becoming just too different, growing apart. Or maybe their reunion makes them realize how much they mean to each other. This is a cute, fast read with quirky, funny characters and comedic timing.