On Monday, July 21, Rebecca will be appearing as a panelist in "Women Working in Panels," an event sponsored by The Desk Set, Behind the Book & Desert Island Comics
Other great panelists include Fly, Miriam Katin, Leslie Stein, Sara Varon & Lauren Weinstein
& moderated by the lovely, Children's Librarian and blogger, Betsy Bird (aka "Fuse #8")
**
Monday, July 21, at 7pm
Huckleberry Bar
588 Grand Street (near Lorimer Street)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
(718) 218-8555
Jennifer Contino from "Pulse" interviewed Rebecca about the process of writing Burnout.
THE PULSE: What were some of the challenges of getting this story completed?
RD: Inaki lives in Spain, so we had to communicate entirely by email. I’d send him the script and he’d send me breakdowns and I would send back my suggested revisions and so forth. Surprisingly, though, the arrangement ended up working out really well, once we got the hang of it. We inspired each other with our work, which galvanized both of us to continue moving forward. It was a wonderful, symbiotic collaboration.
John Hogan with Bookreporter.com reviews Burnout:
"...Just as she did in her excellent debut [Sunset Terrace], Donner crafts a hauntingly evocative story in Burnout...With a character as flawed yet appealing as Danni as a guide, Burnout is a welcome journey through the psyche of women in love with the wrong kind of guy and the myriad ways people can convince themselves to do anything. Ultimately, Burnout is a nicely taut story of the perils of desire and how people trap themselves in situations they should have left long ago."
"You can always count on a lively read from Minx, DC's year-old line specializing in sassy comics for the young adult market. With Burnout, they've released one of their best works yet. Donner's uncompromisingly gritty tale makes for a scorching hot read, loaded with complex characters and dangerous situations. After relocating to the Northwest, Danni develops a crush on hunky Haskell, son of her mom's drunken lout of a boyfriend. But Haskell harbors a secret: He's a militant environmentalist whose rage is playing with fire. The enormously talented Donner is unafraid of taking risks with "Burnout," and it pays off, with a cautionary, edgy and unputdownable story. Grade: A."
--Randy Myers
Contra Costa Times / San Jose Mercury News / Oakland Tribune
Comics Worth Reading has just published a review of Burnout!
"...The story is typical for the Minx line — a teen girl goes through a significant growing-up experience that gives her a better understanding of love and family — but there’s more depth than in other releases, and more mature treatment of the themes. This book doesn’t provide a lot of pat answers or simple life lessons. Like reality, things here are more complicated...."
Joanna Draper Carlson interviewed Rebecca for Comics Worth Reading:
CWR: So, a logging town in Oregon. Why that setting? Any personal connections?
RD: Years ago I went on a road trip with friends, and one of the places we stopped was a small town in the coastal mountain range of Oregon. It made an indelible impression on me.
CWR: What’s your take on eco-terrorism?
RD: When an act of vandalism is considered an act of terrorism, an important distinction has been lost.
Eye on Comics Reviews Burnout!
"I’ve read nothing of novelist Rebecca Donner’s work before, but I enjoyed the quiet tone, her sullen characters and slightly off-the-wall premise...Burnout definitely stands out as another creative success for the Minx line."
Van Jensen reviews Burnout in ComicMix:
"Donner very effectively translates the caged sensation of youth, and the struggles (often misguided) to break free...while the message of Burnout isn't a happy-go-lucky one, it is honest. For that and much more, it's a story that lingers in the mind, like the sharp pain of a burn."
Van Jensen interviews Rebecca for Comic Book Resources:
"Of the new books coming out from DC Comics' young adult Minx line this summer, Burnout is surely the hottest, featuring fiery teenage relationships and forests ablaze..."
Kirkus Reviews reviews Burnout:
"Novelist Donner tries her hand at graphic novels in this new offering in the Minx line. Relocated to the Pacific Northwest by her mother, Danni is thrust into a new household with her mother's temperamental alcoholic boyfriend, Hank, and his enigmatic son Haskell. Strangely assigned to room together by Hank, Danni falls for her brooding almost-stepbrother and shockingly discovers that he is an eco-terrorist. Both Danni's and her mother's destructive relationships compellingly demonstrate how smart girls' bad choices can land them in troubling situations. Danni is a likable character, and her flaws and missteps should resonate with any teen girl who has ever fallen for the wrong boy. Miranda's art, sweeping and cinematic in scope, greatly complements Donner's writing..."
