Today we’re celebrating the book birthday of YA graphic novel, Slip, and my stop on the Algonquin Young Readers blog tour! Let’s go to art camp!
Slip
Marika McCoola (author)
Aatmaja Pandya (illustrator)
June 7, 2022
Algonquin Young Readers
Blurb: From Eisner-Award nominated writer Marika McCoola and debut artist Aatmaja Pandya, an emotional coming-of-age graphic novel for fans of Bloom and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me.
Right before Jade is about to leave for a summer art intensive, her best friend, Phoebe, attempts suicide. How is Jade supposed to focus on herself right now?
But at the Art Farm, Jade has artistic opportunities she’s been waiting for her whole life. And as she gets to know her classmates, she begins to fall for whimsical, upbeat, comfortable-in-her-own-skin Mary. Jade pours herself into making ceramic monsters that vent her stress and insecurities, but when she puts her creatures in the kiln, something unreal happens: they come to life. And they’re taking a stand: if Jade won’t confront her problems, her problems are going to confront her, including the scariest of them all—if Jade grows, prospers, and even falls in love this summer, is she leaving Phoebe behind?
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Shop your local indie bookstore
Jade and Phoebe have been friends forever. In fact, it was Phoebe who found this great summer art intensive for Jade to attend. Before Jade is set to leave, though, Phoebe attempts suicide, leaving Jade with all kinds of questions and guilt that make it difficult for her to think about art much less concentrate on her project for Art Farm.
Author Marika McCoola and illustrator Aatmaja Pandya have put together an emotionally effective (and affective) graphic novel about the repercussions of a suicide attempt on the victim’s best friend. The reader feels all of the intensity of Jade’s guilt, bewilderment, and turmoil as she deals with trying to create art while wondering how she let her friend down. Didn’t she listen to her? What did she miss? Should she have asked more?
Meanwhile, Jade’s attempts at art take on a life of their own. Literally.
There are many takeaways from this wonderful and inspiring graphic novel. One for me is to relinquish your fears as an artist because they will always pin you down, make whatever you want to create half-hearted. Also, for anyone who’s known someone who has attempted or succeeded at committing suicide, the questions and guilt raised here are right on the mark.
An amazingly poignant and hopeful graphic novel.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
