cover image Papillon, Volume 1

Papillon, Volume 1

Miwa Ueda, . . Del Rey, $10.95 (192pp) ISBN 978-0-345-50519-4

Ueda is the author of Peach Girl , and the lovely figures and flowing lines of that shojo manga are on display here as well. Like that series, this story is about mistaken perceptions and competition. Twin girls were raised apart; now that they're reunited in high school, one is pretty, popular and outgoing, while the other is shy and plain. The title refers to the shy twin's wish to blossom from her cocoon like a butterfly. There might be deep psychological and/or cultural implications to be drawn from the concept that one twin sister could be gorgeous while the other isn't, but here, it's a twist on the Cinderella story, living proof that the shy girl will be able to become more than she is with effort, spiced up with the idea that behavior creates attractiveness. The one's got a crush on a schoolmate, a childhood friend who grew up handsome. A mysterious stranger tells her she can create that reality if she believes hard enough... and then the real story begins. No one here is exactly what they seem, providing welcome depth to an involving teen drama. (Oct.)