Empire State

Jimmy is a stereotypical geek who works at the library in Oakland, California, and is trapped in his own torpidity. Sara is his best friend, but she wants to get a life (translation: an apartment in Brooklyn and a publishing internship). When Sara moves to New York City, Jimmy is rattled. Then lonely. Then desperate. He screws up his courage, writes Sara a letter about his true feelings, and asks her to meet him at the top of the Empire State Building (a nod to their ongoing debate about Sleepless in Seattle).Jimmy's cross-country bus trip to Manhattan is as hapless and funny as Jimmy himself. When he arrives in the city he's thought of as "e;a festering hellhole,"e; he's surprised by how exciting he finds New York, and how heartbreakinghe discovers Sara has a boyfriend!Jason Shiga's bold visual storytelling, sly pokes at popular culture, and subtle text work together seamlessly in Empire State, creating a quirky graphic novel comedy about the vagaries of love and friendship.Praise for Empire State:"e;He [Shiga] displays a wicked sense of comic timing."e;-Publishers Weekly"e;Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not) is funny, sweet, geeky and affecting, and definitely worth a read."e;-Wired.com"e;Shiga's illustrations . . . are unique and endearing, and his images of NYC are instantly recognizable."e;-am New York"e;If Woody Allen grew up in Oakland rather than Manhattan, he'd most likely see the world, and especially New York City, as Jason Shiga does in Empire State."e; -Big Think.com