Welcome to Litsy!

Recent Reads December 6: a poor choice of an audiobook, then a great choice (Murderbot is always great) plus lots of stunning visual narratives in my latest booktube episode:

https://youtu.be/Pf7IInjEvV4

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It can be a monumental challenge to capture the idiosyncrasies of youth, mental health, and high school friendships in a graphic memoir... but to do so while also tackling the intersections of race, culture, family, and identity is quite the feat.

Lee tackled these subjects with grace and honesty in a stunningly delicate and detailed illustrative style that, although entirely monochromatic, beautifully complimented the themes depicted.

I have GOT to stop reading graphic memoirs. Somehow the art always ends up taking a distant second place to the story that needs to be told. Which, hey, tell your story, but maybe memoir is just too wordy a concept to represent visually? This cover is stunning, but the interior is all gray scale, and mostly talking heads, photorealism over more creative representation. 1/?

Lee looks back on their difficult high school years in this emotional graphic memoir. They share their mental health struggles and feelings of being an outsider as a Korean American teen in New Jersey. Beautiful black-and-white illustrations.

What a sad, sweet, memorable graphic novel. Graphic memoirs is one of my favorite genres, and this is an easy stand out. Detailing her high school life, the book explore issues of mental health, suicide, friendships (good and bad), nationality, and family.