Graphic Novel

Wildful / Kengo Kurimoto

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Wildful
By: Kengo Kurimoto
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 216
Published: February 6, 2024
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Dates Read: February 18, 2024 - February 18, 2024
Format: eBook

One day while Poppy’s out walking Pepper, her dog leads her through a hole in a fence; there she finds a forgotten wild land as well as a new friend – Rob. Poppy’s mother hasn’t been the same since her Gran passed away and barely leaves the couch. Poppy spends more and more time outside with Rob, who teaches her all the magic of the wilderness. Poppy would love to share it with her mom, but her mom barely has enough energy. Can Poppy help get her mom to see the beauty of the world again?

This is such a beautifully illustrated story. It’s almost a silent graphic novel, with few words – and even those words weren’t really spoken much until near the end.

This story is a lot about grief and how to find joy again after the passing of a loved one.

It’s simple, but still powerful.

The Talk / Darrin Bell

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The Talk
By: Darrin Bell
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
Number of Pages: 352
Published: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Dates Read: February 18, 2024 - February 18, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

The Talk is the graphic novel memoir of Darrin Bell as he recounts his childhood and growing up as a Black man as he decides how to best give his own son The Talk. 

This novel goes from Bell’s coming of age story where he finds his voice through cartooning and becomes well aware of just how dangerous his teachers, neighbors, and police see him. He also talks about how much his mom advocated for him as well as trying as hard as she could to protect him; his dad on the other hand had failed to teach him how to be a Black man in America.

There’s a lot to process in this book – a lot that Black Americans have to go through just to live their day to day lives. It’s honest. It’s raw. It’s very moving.

Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir / Denise Dorrance

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Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir
By: Denise Dorrance
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
Number of Pages: 256
Published: March 5, 2024
Publisher: The Experiment, LLC
Dates Read: February 5, 2024
Format: ARC / eBook

Denise Dorrance’s memoir about the two months of her life when she suddenly must fly back to America to care for her mom with dementia who desperately needs to find her last home.

The way insurance was in this novel both shocked  and yet didn’t surprise me at all. Made me think about my own grandma who had dementia in her last years who was in a nursing home. My mom never got into details about it with me, but she is 8 of 9 children, and the surviving 7 pitched in to help with her care at the place. Still – dementia is hard. The last time I visited my grandma before she passed, she thought I was my mom but had no idea who my mom actually was (I am my mother’s mini-me). 

Unlike the author though, I’m close with my mom and my sisters, so even though I worry about what it will be like for my mom in her older years, I know the three of us have got it handled.

This isn’t a happy story. You kind of know where it’s going when you go into it, you know?

But, nowadays, everyone at least knows somebody who had dementia – maybe not a close family member, but someone. This book will kick you in the heart, that’s for sure.

A Fox in My Brain / Lou Lubie

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A Fox in My Brian
By: Lou Lubie
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
Number of Pages: 160
Published: April 24, 2024 (1st Published October 12, 2016)
Publisher: Fairsquare Comics LLC
Dates Read: February 3, 2024
Format: ARC / eBook

A Fox in My Brian is about author Lou Lubie’s journey in discovering what causes the chaos in her brain: it’s cyclothymia – a bipolar disorder. Lubie describes dealing with her disorder in the form of taming a fox.

The art in this graphic novel is beautiful and playful – even though the pages are still teaching you something, and it’s something I wasn’t aware of: cyclothymia. The author explained the disorder in a way that I was able to understand, using the fox in her brian.

I read this as a digital ARC and there were still a few speaking bubbles and descriptions that were in French that hadn’t been translated quite yet, but for the most part, I was able to keep up with everything.

I’m definitely going to be recommending this novel, especially around Mental Health month and beyond.

*Thank you Fairsquare Comics LLC and Edelweiss+ for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Color of Always / Brent Risher (editor)

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The Color of Always

By: Brent Risher (editor)

Genre: Graphic Novel

Number of Pages: 144

Published: June 6, 2023

Publisher: A Wave Blue World

Dates Read: January 9, 2024

Format: eBook

Trigger Warnings: (some stories have or mention of) transphobia, dysphoria, religious homophobia, mentions of parent death, sexual assault, misgendering, panic attack, PTSD

A graphic novel anthology filled with LGBTQ+ experience. 

I loved seeing all the different artists, their styles, and their stories. I especially love that we’re seeing more and more Trans and Nonbinary stories included in things like this.

As usual when it comes to anthologies, there were some stories stronger than others, but each of them were touching in their own way. 

I would recommend this to everyone – especially a good read for Pride Month in June too.

Nimona / N.D. Stevenson

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Nimona
By: N.D. Stevenson
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 266
Published: May 12, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Dates Read: December 31, 2023
Format: Paperback

Lord Blackheart wasn’t exactly looking for a sidekick, but when Nimona shows up and turns into a shark, he hires her. The duo begin to wreak havoc to both fight and expose that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and the Institution are up to something and aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

Right, I knew I was going to love this graphic novel. I’ve known for years, but just hadn’t gotten around to it for whatever reason. But, when I needed one more novel to complete my 2023 challenge, I knew I wanted a graphic novel I would devour in one setting. Nimona did not disappoint.

Nimona is wonderful and snarky and I just loved her from the very first page. The banter between Lord Blackheart and her never ceased to make me either smile or laugh out loud. I’m actually so sad I hadn’t read it as a webcomic back in the day – which, I was on Tumblr at that time, how did I miss this?! Guess I could go down that rabbit hole one day when I’ve got the time. The adorable-ness overload of this found family will probably give me a toothache.

Overall, this is going on my highly recommended list. Those who love fantasy? Check. Those who love found family? Check. Those who love friends to archenemies? Check. And who doesn’t love a snarky, sarcastic shapeshifting “evil” kid?

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy / Faith Erin Hicks

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Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy
By: Faith Erin Hicks
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance
Number of Pages: 304
Published: October 3, 2023
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: December 30, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, bully, domestic abuse

After Alix lashes violently out at her rude and mean teammate, Lindsay, she knows she needs to control her anger. So, she goes to Ezra; the cool, calm theater kid from her grade, for help. As they begin to hang out more and more, Alix learns there’s more to Ezra than the levelheaded front her puts on. And maybe, there’s something more than just friendship forming…

This is a cute YA graphic novel romance with a bit of the gender roles switched than what you usually see in rom-coms.

I enjoyed the storyline and the chemistry between the two felt genuine and wasn’t that insta-romance. I do however wish the ending as a little longer, so it could flush out a little more of the story better.

Overall though, I will be recommending to those who enjoyed the author’s other works, like Pumpkinhead by Rainbow Rowell, and the series Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu. And those that like a cute YA graphic romance.

Heartstopper: Volume Five / Alice Oseman

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Heartstopper: Volume Five
By: Alice Oseman
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance
Number of Pages: 336
Published: December 19, 2023
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Dates Read: December 28, 2023 - December 29, 2023
Format: Library Book / eBook

Trigger Warnings: discussion of mental health, eating disorders, and sexual references

In this volume of Heartstopper, Charlie must persuade his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s house, but he’s also got to get passed all his tests. Meanwhile, Nick is going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

I went most of this year thinking this was going to be the final installment of the Heartstopper series, but then Alice Oseman says we’ll get one more. Now I have a little more time to prepare myself. And also to get it set up on hopefully a physical copy of it so I don’t have to wait on the back order my library has and then setting on a digital copy. Nothing was going to stop me from reading this story as soon as I possibly could!!

As always, the boys were adorable and so supportive of each other. I would love to wrap them both in blankets and let them be cute and adorable together always. It still makes me happy about the friend support everyone gives each other – even sometimes with the tough love or the hard questions, it was also with love.

We also got a hint at Tori and her story in this too. I haven’t officially read her stories yet, but they are on my Shortlist TBR.

Overall – I’m going to be recommending this series until the day I die, so there is no question here if I like it or not. I loved it.

Odessa (Odessa #1) / Jonathan Hill

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Odessa (Odessa #1)
By: Jonathan Hill
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 328
Published: November 10, 2020
Publisher: Oni Press
Dates Read: December 24, 2023 - December 26, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

After a massive earthquake hit along the Cascadia fault line eight years ago, everything changed for the west coast of the United States. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, her life changed the most when her mother left and never came back shortly after the quake.

Ginny has always helped her father out and taken care of her brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a mysterious package arrives for the eighteenth birthday, Ginny wants more to life than what she’s been surviving on. Maybe it’s selfish of her, but she’s determined, now more than ever, to find where her mother is, or what happened with her – even if she must leave her family behind.

Right, so I read this going into it, knowing that there will be more volumes. But I thought, this was written in 2020, at least the second volume would be out, right?! NO! I finished this book, expecting I would go grab the second volume at the library but it’s still not out! I’m quite hooked on Ginny’s storyline thank you very much and want to know where it’s going.

Is this the absolutely best graphic novel out there – no, but I still really enjoyed it. The twists and such kept my interest and I’d like to see what has become of the world past San Francisco after this massive earthquake eight years ago.

I did enjoy the art, it’s done in one of my favorite shades of pink.

I would really enjoy it if the second book would come out soon though. You can’t just leave it on the cliffhanger that it’s on!

Mall Goth / Kate Leah

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Mall Goth

By: Kate Leah

Genre: Graphic Novel

Number of Pages: 256

Published: September 26, 2023

Publisher: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

Dates Read: December 15, 2023

Format: eBook

Trigger Warnings: Child Grooming

Liv Holme is starting over in a new town with her mom. And a new town means a new high school. If that’s not hard enough, Liv is a fifteen-year-old bisexual goth. As Liv tries to find her community, the only person who seems to make time for her is one of her teachers, Mr. Trent, but she’s not sure how she feels about the way he acts towards her sometimes. Thankfully, she finds solace in the mall, where she’s away from all her troubles. Now she must set off on a journey of self-acceptance and the ups and downs of life and high school.

I loved the art in this – that is one of the main reasons I wanted to read this.

Secondly, the storyline isn’t what I thought it would be and I really enjoyed it. 

I both feel like it could have been longer (more in depth), but then at the same time, the story fit in the page length that it was. There was just a lot going on – especially with stuff like her Dad and sometimes conversations with Liv’s mom, I felt like it could have been more elaborated on, but I still understood what was going on.

I’ve already recommended this to two friends, so this will be on my graphic novel list for sure.