An autobiographical account of an American girl's time as admin support to the Israeli army. The art is fine, feeling quite intimate and also producing a rather dreary atmosphere that fits the army theme. It must be said, though, that it feels rather less appropriate for what are presumably supposed to be more cheerful interludes.

It's a very personal take, with a heavy focus on the author's uncomfortable sex life, interspersed with excerpts from news bulletins about the conflict. It gives some impression of how things are as a member of the army, and how some of the recruits feel about things. On the other hand, I felt like the very idiosyncratic angle diluted that. Much of the book is both mundane and personal, and so not interesting to me - quite generic conversations that don't particularly inform the reader or produce an interesting narrative. I was expecting a much bigger focus on the army life side of things, but essentially what you've got here is a personal diary that happens to take place in the army, one-third of which is about sex, and one-third of which is illustrated news bulletins. Also to my regret, we never find out how the author really felt about the conflict - there are loads of images of them watching reports of Palestinian deaths, but we don't even learn whether she feels torn or is hawkishly pro-Israeli. It's not really what I was expecting; I'd even say not really as advertised. ( )

Libicki's memoir of her time as a "jobnik" (someone with a deskjob) in the Israeli army is simply drawn, but really gives insight into a young girl's heart. If you don't have a connection with Israel and have no emotions about the Intifada, you'll still be moved by the experiences and the mistakes made by a young girl on her own for the first time. If you do have a connection, you'll be hit double with the frightening onset of the war. Libicki's simple drawing-style adds to her persona's wide-eyed view of the world around her, and she has a true eye for the "sabra" look and feel. A stunning panel shows Libicki overwhelmed by the starry sky, falling (in slow-motion!) to the ground in awe. Libicki is a natural story-teller, and I sincerely hope she eventually turns to fiction - I would love to see what she does with fiction if this is what she does with reality. ( )