Modes of Survival in YA Graphic Novels
A quartet of recent graphic novels all deal with survival in some way. Whether set in a post-apocalyptic world or in the realm between life and death, the protagonists find their path and themselves.
Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (2023)
This graphic novel, by the creators of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, won the 2024 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens. Marguerite and her talking dog Daisy are on a quest to save the world. Their uncle has given them a list of totems they need to collect for a spell from the fragmented world they live in. Full of adventure, excitement, and questions about what it might mean to be the chosen one make this volume a great read.
The Pale Queen by Ethan M. Aldridge (2024)
Agatha does a favor for a mysterious woman in the woods and finds herself drawn deeper into a hidden world. She must separate herself from the easy enchantment the stranger promises and find her true friends to survive. Agatha finds herself falling for the niece of her employer (she is a governess, of course), but the mysterious woman uses that affection against her to manipulate Agatha.
Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang (2024)
I really liked this latest graphic novel from the creator of The Princess and the Dressmaker. Ash’s parents have agreed to call them by their new name, but the adults seem befuddled by their choice. When the adults agree to let Ash stay with her cousin for a month in the summer, Ash makes a plan to find their grandfather’s old cabin in the woods and live there. A gritty and heart-warming story of how to survive and how to find yourself.
49 Days by Agnes Lee (2024)
Lee explains in an author’s note that Buddhists believe that souls stay in a limbo-like state called bardo for 49 days after death. In this graphic novel, Kit forges her path toward rebirth and her family mourns and remembers her. Touching and sad, the book is also full of messages of how to make meaning out of ritual and how to find solace with your surviving family.