The Wonderful World of the Graphic Novel: Must Reads
Images from Amazon.com (Covers by Trung Le Nguyen, Kerilynn Wilson, Nora Dåsnes, Pénélope Bagieu)
As someone who has a deep love for graphic novels, I too often notice people quickly forming opinions about the genre and those who partake in their consumption. Many think graphic novels are childish or are not “real” books since they have pictures in them and are often shorter reads than most chapter books. But, I will say these people are missing out. These “pictures,” which to me are much deeper and nuanced than that, add a whole other visual component to a story. One of my many goals in life (besides possibly becoming a graphic novelist myself) is to convince everyone I meet that graphic novels are an amazing feat of art, need to be held in high esteem, and are a delight to read! To hopefully get everyone started on this journey of the wonderful world of the graphic novel, here are some brief reviews of the ones that have stood out in my extensive reading. And trust me, it was hard to narrow this list down because there are just that many amazing books out there!
The Magic Fish - by Trung Le Nguyen
This has been one of my favorite graphic novels for a very long time. The story follows Tiên, a middle school boy living in the United States with his parents who are Vietnamese refugees. There are three perspectives in this book, each represented by one monotone color pallet. The one of Tiên’s story is red and takes place in the current day, detailing his relationship with his mother, his school experiences, and his difficulties coming out to his parents. Another perspective, in blue, is of the fairy tales he reads with his mother including a version of “Allerleirauh,” “Tấm Cám,” a Vietnamese fairy tale, and “The Little Mermaid.” This is a way they are able to connect as there is sometimes a language barrier between them. The third perspective in yellow is of Helen, Tiên’s mother, and her experiences in Vietnam and immigrating to the United States. All of these stories weave together the past affecting the present, the fairy tales echoing the past, and helping to fill the current divide between generations. You become very invested in all the timelines, learning about a variety of fairy tales, the history of Vietnam, and the challenges of immigration in this masterful book.
The drawings are hand done and are very intricate, especially the costume designs for the fairy tales. The process is detailed in the back of the book with concept art and long passages from the author about his inspiration. I love graphic novels that show the process of making the book (especially the art) and this one does that beautifully. Sadly, this is Nguyen’s only graphic novel, but if more ever come out, I encourage you to read them!
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World - by Pénélope Bagieu
This is a nonfiction graphic novel about many different women throughout history, ranging from ancient Greece to the present day, who have challenged social norms and changed history. As I read, I was able to learn about so many new (to me) amazing women. Bagieu does a fantastic job presenting the lives and accomplishments of all of them, adding a sense of humor throughout, which I appreciated. I would say this book makes history more accessible to people in a way that is interesting and entertaining, leaving the reader with some newfound knowledge! This is definitely where the illustrations really contribute to the words and certainly do not make this book childish in any way, instead leading readers to be invested in each woman’s story. The illustrations are done with flat colors, each chapter starting with a portrait of whom it’s about and ending with a full two-page illustration encapsulating their story and contributions. Overall, this is a must-read in the genre of nonfiction graphic novels, especially because you can just pick it up and read one chapter before coming back later to hear about someone else.
The Faint of Heart - by Kerilynn Wilson
It is difficult to assign a genre to a book about a world where everyone has given up their hearts with the promise that no one will feel any negative emotions ever again. At least, everyone except June, who is now the only one left who can feel. Even her own family members and classmates have had the surgery to get rid of their hearts and emotions, and now she feels so alone. When she finds an abandoned heart in an alley, she sees it as a way of bringing her sister, Maya, back to her old self. Soon that leads to finding a friend who helps her in her journey to learn more about the heart surgeries. Max, her friend, has secrets of his own, but the two work together to get to the bottom of what happens when your heart is removed–and whether it is reversible.
The illustrations are beautiful, with thin, loose lines and pops of color representing June as the only one who can still feel, painting everyone and everything else in shades of gray. I wasn’t sure what this book would be like going in since it has a slightly strange premise and is really unlike anything else I have read, but I felt like it dealt with some deep topics and brought up interesting questions about the human experience and conformity. I won’t spoil the ending, but I felt like everything was wrapped up well, and it was satisfying in a way I can’t quite place. This is Wilson’s first graphic novel, but if more of her books come out, I would highly recommend you read them too.
Persepolis - by Marjane Satrapi
This is a beautifully illustrated two part memoir about Satrapi’s life growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In the first book, we witness her day to day growing up in Tehran and how her experiences coincide with the history of her country. We also get a deep look into the politics of Iran at the time and throughout history. The first book ends with her going to Vienna, Austria to attend school as the situation back home intensifies, leading to her not being able to get the education her parents wanted for her. In Vienna, she attends school, makes an eclectic group of friends, and goes through all of the ups and downs of young adulthood with her family all back in Iran. She eventually returns home to finish her education where she sees how her country has changed in her absence. The repression intensifies as she finds love, continues her studies, and tries to reconcile her feelings of failure.
The art in this book is beautiful with striking black and white drawings that are cartoony and very powerful in their simplicity. These were some of the first graphic novels intended for older audiences that I read. Persepolis really opened my eyes to the fact that graphic novels don’t have to just be for young children and that there are plenty of books written for young adults (even though I do still enjoy graphic novels for middle grades too, and there is nothing wrong with that!) Overall, I love these books and have read them multiple times. They are funny and also very sad and serious at times, painting a nuanced picture of Iran in the 1970s. I didn’t know much of Iranian history so along with being invested in the story of Satrapi’s life, you also are able to learn a lot of rich history.
Cross My Heart and Never Lie - by Nora Dåsnes
By Norwegian author Nora Dåsnes, this book is her first one translated into English, but after reading this one, I certainly look forward to reading her others once translated. This book follows Tuva, a twelve year old girl in her final year before junior high. It is the beginning of the school year and she is excited to see her two best friends and continue to play in the forest behind her school. But her friend Linnea tells her and her other friend, Bao, that she got a boyfriend over the summer and Tuva doesn’t quite know what to think about this. This starts to create a divide in her once close-knit friendships, and all of a sudden everyone is acting so much more grown up and like teenagers, but she doesn’t know where she fits into it all. And as she deals with all of the turmoil of growing up, she also finds herself falling in love with a girl in her class.
This book illustrates the craziness that is middle school and I related to what Tuva was going through. Even though this book takes place in another country, so much in this book can be applied universally. The book is formatted as if Tuva is writing in her diary with words, illustrations, and little doodles throughout, leading the reader to feel very emotionally attached and invested in her story. The book has beautiful drawings paired with cartoony and childlike sketches, all adding to the personal feeling you get with the story. It is a warm hug in a way that reaffirmed a lot of my middle school experiences, leading to me cringing my way along with Tuva and feeling her lows.
To wrap up, here are a couple honorable mentions I have to include, which did not make it into the ones detailed above:
Into the Woods - by Emily Carroll
Spinning - by Tillie Walden (and all of her other books)
Nimona - by ND Stevenson
The Girl from the Sea - Molly Knox Ostertag
M is for Monster - by Talia Dutton
I hope you are inspired by my descriptions above and take a moment to either check one out from a library or buy one of these graphic novels. I will say once you get sucked into this genre, it is hard to ever escape, so read at your own risk! But seriously, I highly recommend you try out one of these books! And since these don’t take very long, there are plenty of other amazing graphic novels to explore once you’re done!