Brilliant; at once terrifying and fascinating.
A graphic compendium of apocalyptic scenarios past, present, and future.
“Humans,” Doughty writes in her debut, “have been the cause of many species’ extinction. One of these days, it’s bound to be our turn.” The only question is how this might come about. She begins with historical analyses of the Black Death, the European colonization of the Americas, and other events that underscore how devastating and fiendishly adaptable deadly microbes can be. She reels off a range of possibilities for our future, punctuated by attention-grabbing anecdotes and exchanges of insights with a diverse array of experts. After touching on apocalypses described in sacred writings, Doughty dives into past and possible future “captivating doomsday scenarios”: supervolcano eruptions, falling asteroids, climate change, and AI “killer machines.” All of these pale in comparison to the inevitability that our sun will one day expand to consume Earth and other inner planets. A brown-skinned, black-haired tour guide clambers through and between the variously sized panels that depict disasters from the deep past to the distant future. The author has distilled an impressive amount of research into a lucid, matter-of-fact narrative—and, counterintuitive though it may seem, there’s a pervasive optimism running through the doom and gloom, a conviction that no matter what goes down, humanity is special enough that something of us will survive. The attractive illustrations in highly saturated colors illuminate the content through both imaginative whimsy and helpful diagrams.
Brilliant; at once terrifying and fascinating. (recommended reading, source notes, bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781536232790
Page Count: 247
Publisher: MITeen Press/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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