A fierce, transformative graphic novel about art and relationships.
Enrolling at the Art Farm should have been fun, but Jade’s best friend, Phoebe, has just attempted suicide; the residency is more intense and competitive than she had imagined; and she’s feeling lost among the creative, inspired residents.
Yet the summer is full of promise, beauty, and friendship—especially the possibility of romance with the absolutely lovely and whimsical Mary—even as it comes with a side of guilt for Jade as she thinks about Phoebe. When pushed to consider her creative process, Jade turns clay and inner turmoil into ceramic monsters, which in turn change form, springing to life from the kiln. The color palette shifts from monochrome to sepia as Jade finds herself missing Phoebe and starts rationalizing her newfound feelings through imaginary conversations with her friend. Splashes of fabulism are seamlessly incorporated through illustrations and text to celebrate art—its purpose and technique and powers to heal, disrupt, and inspire—all without being sentimental. Slip is liquefied clay that’s used to attach and protect pottery, and it serves as a metaphor running through the work about transformation, fragility, and bonding. Yet, there is space for more depth of character development, especially of the other artists at the Art Farm and in the relationship between Phoebe and Jade. Jade has brown skin and wavy dark hair; Mary has light skin and dark hair.
A fierce, transformative graphic novel about art and relationships. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64375-249-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A thoughtful, relationship-driven story.
A high school girl is unhappy about starting over in a new town and school, but she finds solace at the local mall.
It’s 2003, and 15-year-old, proudly out bisexual Liv Holme is struggling after her family’s move. Navigating high school is hard enough, especially since being bullied at her old school after the other girls found out about her crush on Angelina Jolie has left Liv feeling defensive. On top of that, her parents’ marriage is in trouble, and her father is gone a lot. But Liv enjoys hanging out at the mall where her mother works and where she meets some fellow goths who go to her school. Poetry lover Liv also receives attention and support from Mr. Trent, her English teacher: He goes out of his way to compliment her, gives her a copy of Lolita, and chats with her online outside of school hours. Over time, Mr. Trent’s behavior makes Liv increasingly uncomfortable, and she struggles with intense feelings she doesn’t know how to handle. Liv’s emotional struggles, vividly shown in the expressive art, will feel relatable to many readers. Leth’s clean, uncluttered illustrations expertly transport readers back to early 2000s suburbia through details such as technology, fashion, pop-culture references, and mall storefronts. Sousa’s muted color palette adds to the feeling of nostalgia. Liv and most other characters read white.
A thoughtful, relationship-driven story. (Graphic fiction. 12-17)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781534476950
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
A fresh story exploring timely issues.
Ariana Ruiz had a terrible evening.
She’s not sure she actually consented to having sex with Luis Ortega, which brings on horrible feelings, including dissociating for hours. Queer Mexican American Ariana is autistic “with a heavy dose of selective mutism,” and she’s starting to wonder if her silence is precisely what Luis liked. Shawni, Luis’ ex-girlfriend, told Ariana to stay away from him only to see them go into a room together at a party. So when Ariana texts Luis, and he agrees not to tell anyone what happened but everyone still seems to know, she assumes Shawni is to blame. Boys start harassing Ariana, and the situation spirals into hellish bullying. And then, she finds a note in her locker reading “me too.” The mystery writer and Ariana connect on Tumblr, although Ariana is initially against their suggestion of getting back at Luis. But after learning that he was even more deliberate in his exploitation of her than she realized, she goes to the appointed meeting place. There, she discovers she’s not the only one invited: It’s a support group for people whose reputations were ruined by Luis. Readers may find that the actual revenge they take feels flat against the violent trauma Luis put each of them through, but the group of teens, who are diverse across many dimensions and were previously socially isolated by Luis’ actions, forge new bonds and help each other heal.
A fresh story exploring timely issues. (author’s note, content warnings) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9780063060302
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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