The Mega Metal Diary of Cleo Howard:
1998 is the second in Sarah
Ginger Tipper's second series. It's strangely encouraging to read
Tipper's work as she has come incredibly far since her debut with the
Eviscerated Panda series. Her essential strategy of writing youth
fiction with a metal twist remains the same but her prose has come
far and her storytelling ability, even in this fragmented diary form
is wonderfully well done and makes for some really good reading. Sure
this may not be high art, but it is a jolly good read!
This
particular novel covers another year in the life of Cleo Howard. The
character of Cleo remains a lot of fun to read and Tipper has become
a lot more comfortable in writing about her. What's interesting to me
about this particular text is that though it does not have the
narrative tension that the first novel presented with the death of
Cleo's father, we still find a lot to read about. It's strangely
illuminating to read about Cleo's budding relationship with her
friends and watch her grow into the character we know and love in the
Eviscerated Panda books.
That
being said, my big struggle with this particular text is the same as
that which I had with the fourth Eviscerated Panda book, I'm kind of
starving for more plot. Though Tipper does an admirable job for a
young writer I sometimes find myself wishing we had a bit more moving
things along than weekends with Barry. (Sidebar: Cleo's relationship
with Barry is adorable in perfect in every way, Tipper went above and
beyond the call of duty with that one!) I'm sure though that as the
series progresses it wil be easier for Tipper to find things to fuel
Cleo's adventures. After all, most teenage girls don't have a whole
book series worth of gripping drama in their lives!
The
point being, The Mega Metal Diary of Cleo Howard is
a very fun read, and it probably will stand up to multiple readings
too. Tipper has a lot going on and you start to develop a very deep
sympathy for young Cleo and the day to day struggles that her
existence as a young metalhead embodies. And yet beyond it all there
is a wondrous sense of hope that guides her forward and gives meaning
to the incredibly powerful work that Tipper has created here. Yes
it's a suburban tale, yet it is one that many of us can relate too.
What
I'm trying to say is that with her Heavy Metal-verse Sarah Tipper has
been able to speak to the eternal power that metal has and the common
experience that metal provides. She is turned on to what defined so
many of our youths and gave so many of us meaning and for that I am
eternally grateful. Beyond that there is something strangely
refreshing about reading a book about metal from a female
perspective, we need more of that. It makes for a work that is
iconoclastic and endlessly enjoyable, a tasty addition to the metal
canon!
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