Review by Frank Plowright

Misako Rocks! surprises right away with No Such Thing as Perfect, which isn’t cover-dressed as a sequel to Bounce Back. That concerned Lilico’s transfer from Japan to the USA and her gradual integration into school life via basketball. That path was rougher due to the poor behaviour of Emma, and this features Emma on the cover and she’s also the focus, although after the introduction Rocks gradually reintroduces the established cast. There’s no mention of the first story, though, so new readers can start here without having to know the background.

In the previous book Emma behaved badly, being nasty to Lilico before finally accepting her onto the basketball team, but eventually coming around and apologising for her attitudes. The opening chapter of No Such Thing as Perfect reveals Emma’s insecurities. Considered beautiful and confident, at home she feels her needs are not considered when her older sister is prioritised. Plus there’s still awkwardness with Nala, a friend from younger years whom she’s also treated poorly, and Julia’s sister takes care of a dog knowing Julia is scared of them.

It’s cleverly written, showing Emma’s feelings in an understandable way while also showing that her interpretation of events may not necessarily be correct and that she tends to over-react. An example features on the sample art, which also shows the prevailing style of girls with big eyes and the focus on the characters, not the locations, which are minimal.

Basketball remains a theme, but as means of integrating a large number of new cast members. Making the All-Star team means Emma and Lilico mixing with girls from other schools, and it ramps up Emma’s insecurities. Within her own school she’s able to control her friends, but in a new environment she struggles, and is contrasted with Lilico for whom setbacks are the means to push her further onward. For a fair while the mystical element of the previous book is absent, but astute readers will pick up on what’s happening, and the guardian spirit eventually emerges to point out some home truths about Emma’s self-obsessed personality.

Due to that personality taking centre stage, this is more uncomfortable reading than the first book, where nasty moments were passed relatively rapidly. The object is to show readers true friends will appreciate honesty rather than apparent perfection, but No Such Thing as Perfect is prolonged via repeated behaviour patterns as Emma escalates downward. Rocks isn’t in the business of shredding the expectations of her readers, so there is a way back for Emma, but it takes a little long to reach.

Bounce Back continues with Sew Totally Nala.