A top-shelf rendition of one of the greatest survival stories to come out of the Age of Exploration.
With just a hint of artistic license, a retelling in graphic form of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17.
Keeping readers oriented with maps and dates that heighten the drama (if it were possible), Bertozzi introduces Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic career with glimpses of early ventures in 1901 and 1907. He then provides a captioned portrait gallery of each member of the expedition, including the dogs, before going on to retrace in detail the course and fate of the ship Endurance, which was trapped in ice and eventually crushed. The exhausting, monthslong trek over rough ice and treacherous waters to reach a rescue point takes up most of the book. The author places figures drawn with a fine pen within small but easily legible panels, and he uses a color scheme of black, white and a midtone gray that effectively captures the Antarctic’s alien, implacable harshness. His tale is infused, though, with both humor (“My posterior is chafed thoroughly from cleaning with ice,” complains an expedition member, pulling up his trousers) and a strong sense of the stiff-upper-lip camaraderie that, along with Shackleton’s outstanding leadership, kept the expedition together and led, against all odds, to the survival of its every (human) member.
A top-shelf rendition of one of the greatest survival stories to come out of the Age of Exploration. (source list) (Graphic historical fiction. 10-16)Pub Date: June 17, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59643-451-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 8, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
PROFILES
One teen’s vision of hope shines through.
An African-American teen explores the way his life has been affected by his imprisoned relative and racial profiling.
Fifteen-year-old Johnathan Harris tells his story in a graphic format that enhances his young voice. Johnathan and his close-knit working-class family (mom’s a nurse, dad’s a probation officer) live in Long Beach, California, but one of the biggest influences in his life, his uncle Russell, is serving time in Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, four hours away. “Crazy, right? My dad works in law enforcement and my uncle’s in jail.” Despite this, Johnathan’s uncle provides guidance during visits and via other communication, encouraging him to understand and appreciate both his culture and those of others. Both early trauma and incidents as an older child playing soccer and in Boy Scouts make Johnathan question his uncle’s efforts to get him to relinquish skin color prejudice, but he is ultimately able to hold onto those teachings. This memoir has a strong authentic youth voice and reflects a young teen’s perspective. The full-color graphics are a strong accompaniment, often using visual metaphor. The concept of “colorblindness” is a dubious one, but it is Johnathan’s efforts to avoid racial bitterness as he grows into manhood that come through. This volume, part of a series of graphic novels written by young adults, includes additional biographical information, information for parents, and teacher support (through the publisher’s website).
One teen’s vision of hope shines through. (Graphic memoir. 11-14)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947378-12-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Zuiker Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
A sensitive, firsthand treatment of the topic made all the richer by its inclusion of the author’s religion and culture.
In this graphic memoir, Awada, a “young Muslim woman who lives in America’s heartland,” shares her struggle with body dysmorphic disorder.,
Awada was raised in a Middle Eastern culture in which “there is never a shortage of food nourishment, and love”—in fact, “feeding your children is love.” But when Awada was 6, her aunt called her “too big,” and “that was the day…they flipped a switch that could never be turned off.” As she ages, she finds a “new family [in] food,” which becomes her best friend in a world where she wants to be perfect, just like her meticulous mom. In high school, Awada turns to dieting, then starving herself, and then purging. Although she feels “such euphoria” after purging, Awada only grows weaker. The author admits that she could have died, “but, by the grace of Allah (God), I am here… / …alive to tell my story.” Illustrations capture her fragile body and growing weakness. Meanwhile, her family struggles to pay for her treatment. With help, she starts to heal and realizes that “imperfection is beautiful.” Heartfelt narration works with Firmansyah’s art and Kamaputra’s bold colors to depict Awada’s changes—weight gain and finding comfort in food to weight loss, all while struggling to be perfect. A closing note from a professional provides tips for identifying and avoiding eating disorders.
A sensitive, firsthand treatment of the topic made all the richer by its inclusion of the author’s religion and culture. (Graphic memoir. 11-15)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947378-07-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Zuiker Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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