THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE

A graphic memoir about a man contemplating the consequences of his mother’s untimely death.

Mechanic was 14 years old when his mother died of cancer. Before she died, the family took a trip to the Bahamas so she could undergo an experimental treatment. By the time they got home, though, it was clear that the treatment had not worked, and that his mother was on the verge of death. When she did die, Jesse, devastated, was unable to function. He neglected his schoolwork, not because he wasn’t interested in learning, but because he couldn’t concentrate—a situation that may be partially a result of “ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, and intrusive thoughts,” all of which are issues that persisted throughout his adulthood. Eventually, Mechanic found a community of fellow “bad kids,” all of whom “went through something” that “dented our innocence.” Mechanic is convinced that these peers, along with punk and hip-hop, saved his life. After high school, the author worked at a bookstore, cultivating a love of literature and eventually graduating from college with honors. Years later, he became a father and saw his mother’s death in a new light, understanding how much it must have hurt to lose her chance to know her children as they grew older. Mechanic’s illustrations are vibrant and richly detailed, and his use of patterning is especially impressive. This is a raw account of grieving. While the prose feels overwritten at times, overall it’s a tender and frank memoir that will resonate with readers.

A raw and eloquent graphic memoir about the shifting nature of grief.