Gothic & Lolita Bible: Vol. 1    by Jodi Bryson Order:  USA  Can TOKYOPOP, 2008 (2008) Softcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto The Gothic & Lolita Bible is a quarterly mook. Now, I had never heard of a mook before I received this one, but luckily, the description on the back cover explains that a mook is a magazine/book hybrid, and the Gothic & Lolita Bible is specifically 'a combination fashion magazine, culture guide, and art book.' The Gothic & Lolita Bible has been around in Japan for a number of years, but this is its first English-language edition (in fact, most of the articles are translations from the Japanese version). As the name suggests, the Gothic & Lolita Bible covers two popular street fashions in Japan that are slowly making their way around the globe – Gothic and Lolita. Unlike the goth style with which Americans are familiar, Japanese Gothic is closely related to the Gothic period of architecture. While it does involved a lot of black, the clothing style is more along the lines of Victorian dresses and accessories. Lolita, on the other hand, is a much sweeter style, with lots of frilly dresses and cute purses. Of course, both have many different permeations. For those interested in Japanese street styles - and those already into Gothic and/or Lolita - the Gothic & Lolita Bible contains loads of useful information (plus a short manga, Asumiko Nakamura's Till Dawn at the end!) A ton of pictures exemplify the two styles. Even the fashion spreads are more entertaining than in a true magazine because they tell a story. For those who like to craft their own accessories, patterns are included. Of the articles, I enjoyed best a few covering Gothic and Lolita styles in the US, because they were a little more relevant than articles translated from the Japanese version. I hope subsequent volumes have even more stateside coverage and original articles. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews