Meandering and experimental but surprisingly evocative
Abirached, who grew up in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war, shares childhood memories in this unconventional graphic memoir.
Born in 1981, Abirached grew up surrounded by the realities of war: Her family’s home was close to the demarcation line between East and West Beirut. In her earlier graphic memoir, A Game for Swallows (2012), she focused on a single evening when she and her brother anxiously awaited their parents’ return. In this follow-up, Abirached takes inspiration from French experimental writer and filmmaker Georges Perec and forgoes a traditional narrative structure in favor of a catalog of childhood memories, almost all beginning with “I remember.” Her memories juxtapose mundane details, such as the “tchic” sound that cassette tapes made when shaken and the three layers that made up old Kit Kat wrappers, with haunting reminders of wartime, such as her brother’s shrapnel collection and the bullet holes in the family car. The black-and-white illustrations and inventive layouts ably convey the contrasts of the text. Abirached does not use tones or shading, but her ornate patterns soften the stark contrasts created by her bold lines and her frequent use of black to fill negative space. Taken together, her many memories create a distinct sense of time, place and emotion.
Meandering and experimental but surprisingly evocative . (Graphic memoir. 12 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-4458-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
A biography fit for a queen.
One of history’s most influential rulers became queen just out of girlhood and led her country during a time of great change.
Victoria, until recently Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, became queen through a series of tragedies and accidents. Her father, the Duke of Kent, died when she was an infant, so she and her German-born mother moved into Kensington Palace, where Victoria grew up as part of the royal family but suffered the machinations of her mother and her late father’s assistant. Although Victoria was just 18 when she became queen, she was old enough to act on her own behalf—and did so. During her reign, she worked with various prime ministers, saw her country and its empire through multiple wars, and presided over a nation coping with vast technological and social change. Reef is an accomplished biographer for young readers, and this is one of her best. Victoria’s personality comes through in the lively narrative, though Reef never shies from the public and personal controversies that Victoria brought on herself. All the necessary context for understanding her life and times is woven through without ever getting in the way. The text is enhanced by a plethora of contemporaneous illustrations, making this a handsome volume. The backmatter includes a list of British monarchs, family tree, extensive source notes, bibliography, and picture credits.
A biography fit for a queen. (index) (Biography. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-71614-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A quiet powerhouse of a memoir.
Graphic novelist Walden recounts her years coming-of-age as a competitive ice skater.
Tillie Walden knew she was gay since she was 5, which was also when she began ice skating. This memoir recounts the years from when she’s 11 to when she reaches her late teens, as her life marches on through fledgling romances, moving halfway across the country, bullying, and various traumas with skating as her only constant. Her story is largely insular, with her family only visible in the periphery, even with regard to her skating. Walden’s recollections tend to meander at times, with an almost stream-of-consciousness feel about them; her taciturn introspection mixed with adolescent ennui creates a subdued, yet graceful tone. For a young author (Walden is in her early 20s), she is remarkably adept at identifying the seminal moments of her life and evincing their impacts on her trajectory. Her two-toned art is lovely and spare, utilizing the occasional splash of an accenting color to heighten visual interest. She draws herself as a blonde, bespectacled, white girl, a depiction that brings Harriet Welsch to mind. Walden deems herself “a creator who is happy making a book without all the answers,” and while she may not solve any of life’s great conundrums, her offering is intimate and compelling.
A quiet powerhouse of a memoir. (Graphic memoir. 13-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62672-772-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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