When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

5 stars A heartfelt book recounting Omar Mohamed’s experiences growing up in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. The book goes through Mohamed’s daily life and long-term struggles including taking care of his brother, arguments with friends, trying to get an education in the camp, learning English, coping with food shortages, fighting for resettlement in…

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Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

4 stars Another winner from Brosgol! In this part-memoir graphic novel, Brosgol tackles her time at Russian summer camp, complete with mean tent-mates, horrific outhouses (aka the Hollywood), new friends, run-ins with wild animals, camp competitions, reluctantly getting caught up in drama, and the desire to belong. Brosgol doesn’t shy away from some of the…

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The Flower of the Witch by Enrico Orlandi, Translated by Jamie Richards

4 stars A fast-paced adventure story that blends mythology, coming-of-age themes, and questions of what it is to be a man. The artwork has a cartoon-y style but with a darker aesthetic. It pulls together some great folklore elements (ravens, shapeshifting, skulls, walking dead, demons, spirits). I really enjoyed the sinister elements in the artwork,…

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Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Colleen Doran

3 stars A dark coming-of-age story featuring a manipulative main character and a troll set on eating his life. Weaving together fairy tale themes, the punk scene, and the hauntings of fear and regret, Gaiman creates a memorable tale of coming to turns with life. Good fit for those who enjoy the odd side of…

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Almost There and Almost Not by Linda Urban

3 stars This one took me a bit to get into. It deals with so many heavy topics: puberty, looking older than one’s age, sexual harassment, parental neglect, addiction, death of a parent, and being shuttled from one “home” to the next. But once I dove into the narration and story, I was swept up…

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Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

5 stars A powerful tale of a life lived and how quickly the world can change. Inside Out & Back Again tells the story of a year in the life of Hà, based on Thanhha Lai’s own childhood. In that year (1975), Hà experiences the Fall of Saigon, the treacherous journey by ship to America,…

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