QUIET CROSSINGS

A conflicted teenage girl navigates a complicated crossroads.

In this dreamy graphic offering, Selena, who has glossy black hair and light tan skin, lives in a quiet, secluded country inn with Alice, a brown-skinned woman with blond ringlets, and kindly Iris, who’s elderly and has pale pink hair and light skin. Selena spends her day tinkering with her pickup truck, working the inn’s front desk, and catering to the guests, who will eventually visit Charon for a ferry ride to the Great Unknown. One day, auburn-haired, light brown–skinned Lily appears. She’s a tempestuous girl who has a decision to make; can Selena help her choose her path? Meanwhile, Selena grapples with her own future: Should she head back to the city or embark on a voyage to the Great Unknown? Partridge’s slim, quietly meditative volume offers readers only whispers of exposition, predominantly showing rather than telling. Spada’s earth-toned palette hints at a lighter, whimsical tone. Adorably rascally mushroom creatures—seemingly present for comic relief—add charm, but the book also explores deeper and more serious themes, such as loss, death, and grief. While the story allows readers to draw their own conclusions, those who prefer more accessible and concrete worldbuilding and plot details may be frustrated by the lack of specificity. Charon uses ASL to communicate, and text bubbles translate the signs into English.

Contemplatively ethereal, certain to spark lively debates over its interpretation.