title: Serenity Rose Volume 1: Working Through The Negativity
author:  Aaron Alexovich 
description: *Starred Review* Serenity "Sera" Rose tries to live a quiet life. She has her friends Tess and Kelton and her art. For the most part, she is happily sullen among Crestfallen's gothy not-quite-subculture. But the fact that she is a witch makes her dreams of anonymity seem out of reach. It's bad enough trying to avoid becoming a tourist attraction and dodging the goth wannabes, but when vampires start turning up and rock star-witch Rivet Hed's creepy manager wants something from her, she knows her life won't be quiet much longer. There are a lot of words to read in <i>Serenity Rose,</i> but in the first collection of it, they're all worthwhile. Aaron A. (for Alexovich) isn't afraid to take time to develop a plot, which means there is also time to get to know the characters and appreciate the full-on snarky sarcasm of his humor. While the setting is an urban gothic subculture, plenty of potshots are taken at the cliches of cool among its inhabitants. A.'s artwork is beautiful, a sort of dark homage to animation genius Chuck Jones with a splash of Ameri-<i>manga</i> for good measure. Even in shades of gray rather than color, it has enough attitude to stop a truck, making it a nice contrast to all those stuffy superheroes on the graphic-novel shelves. <i>Tina Coleman</i><br /><i>Copyright  American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>
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  ## Search for Love
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Nora Roberts
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter One
  
  
  
  
  
  The train ride seemed endless, and Serenity was tired. The argument the night
  before with Tony had not helped her disposition, plus the long flight from
  Washington to Paris, and now the arduous hours in the stuffy train had her
  gritting her teeth to hold back the groan. Al in al , she decided miserably,
  she was a poor traveler.
  
  
  
  
  
  The trip had been the excuse for the last, terminal battle between Serenity
  and Tony, their relationship having been strained and uneven for weeks. Her
  continued refusal to be pressured into marriage had provoked several minor
  tiffs, but Tony had wanted her, and his patience seemed inexhaustible. Not
  until her announcement of the intended trip had his forebearance cracked, and
  the war had begun.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can’t go rushing off this way to France to see some supposed grandmother
  you never knew existed until a couple o