SALVAGE

In a dystopic near-future, teens figure out how to bridge the great divide between haves and have-nots.

Nault, who created the graphic novel adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, debuts her original graphic novel set in a new world beset by rising waters. Privileged Jules, who has pale, rosy skin and white hair, lives in the Uplands “at the top of the city,” neglected by her famous actor mother. She’s an aspiring ceramist who’s working on an upcoming exhibit in between glamorous evening outings with friends, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for school. Brown-skinned, red-haired Paolo and his parents live in the Flats, where crowded ramshackle buildings perch on stilts above open water. There, Paolo paints with his kitty, Miró, by his side, and joins his family in diving for treasures scavenged from a submerged city. Paolo finds a suitcase containing a pristine vintage wardrobe—exactly the threads that could get him in with the Uplands crowds he follows on social media. Boy meets girl: But what’s the fate of a relationship that’s dependent on lies? Beyond the love story, Nault’s narrative deftly confronts socioeconomic barriers, inadequate parenting, environmental devastation, bioengineering, and the tremendous power of art. Her inviting ink and watercolor illustrations are a spectacular blend of vibrancy and shadow, brilliantly catching motion within and without panels, particularly emotions on upturned faces and sideways glances.

Resonating fodder for the heart and brain; an utter feast for the eyes.