MINUS

A convoluted graphic novel thriller about a teen discovering the dark and twisted secrets of her childhood.

Beck, a brown-skinned young woman with straight black hair, is en route by car with her father to begin her first year at the University of Chicago. The excitement of leaving her isolated home-school environment is abruptly derailed when a routine stop at a gas station turns fatal. Beck flees, and a concerned woman drives her into the city, but urban Chicago is bewildering for Beck, who is accustomed to rural living. This chance encounter with a seemingly random stranger later proves pivotal when Beck learns about mysterious circumstances from her past. An innocuous stuffed toy holds clues to Beck’s deep family secret and sets off a chain of events that forces two men in her life to confront one another. Themes of social media and surveillance, complicated familial relationships, and so much more are overshadowed by hasty plot twists, lackluster characterization, and a polarizing conclusion. The dark vector-style illustrations, heavy with deep crimson and indigo, are reminiscent of Faith Erin Hicks. Variations in the panels add visual interest. The cast is ethnically diverse.

The disturbing and rushed ending may baffle some readers while opening up discussion for others.