Enlightenment is Sachi Ediriweera’s passion project — a vision of Prince Siddartha’s life as Ediriweera’s heart and mind piece together his lessons in the faith. First, the artwork is phenomenal. The calming watery blue and earthy tan color choices keep the tone calm and grounded, reflecting the subject matter well. Siddartha’s anguish in discovering what is necessary to “search for life’s truths”, and contemplating the necessities of life while struggling with human bodies and minds, is illustrated in facial expressions and other imagery just as powerfully as in the word choices of the author. “Desire and suffering” feed each other, but they are not the focus. Teens who ask powerful questions about the “why” of this life we live will enjoy watching Ediriweera’s vision of Siddartha bloom into the Gautama Buddha. Character development sketches at the very end are a bonus look into Ediriweera’s technical skill as an artist. It is a recommended fictionalization of what might have been back in 500 BC.

Cerulean, erroneously called Sara by the English teacher Cerulean hates, is struggling with their place in the confines of high school. While they know they are smart and have strong friendships, including a doting partner, Cerulean doesn’t feel as successful because so much of what is success in young adulthood involves how well one does in school. The story told in verse jumps between present and past experiences as well as between the voices of those in Cerulean’s sphere of influence. After an explosion that nearly kills their father, Cerulean must escape, even if it means leaving behind everyone who loves and has been influenced by their spirit. Cerulean is a character you cheer for, and they will find their happiness just around the next page. When Curulean purposefully disappears, some readers could praise the character for finally putting themself first, walking away from a situation they had little control over to forge a new path. Other readers will be frustrated that they left behind so many people who love them. But just like the sourdough starter found in the very back of a forgotten refrigerator of moldy items, Cerulean is still alive, out there somewhere, for her younger sister to find.

The graphic novel Prince in Comics by Tony Lourenco is an odd mix. It is part of a publishing series about worthy topics that seeks to meld graphic novels, comics, and textbook prose/articles and in doing so results in an unsatisfying reading experience. The work is a distant though detailed act of storytelling that misses the visual vibrancy of a graphic novel and defeats the intent of the genre by relying deeply on long text. 

The book takes a painstakingly (and sometimes painfully) thorough tour of the commercial life of the artist once known as Prince. The detail is perplexing as it is a tedious slog filled with minor characters in Prince’s life who enter and quickly disappear. They discuss record deals or band deals but they become a blur and it is difficult to dissect just why their inclusion adds import to the story of Prince’s life. 

Prince is a worthy topic to explore. He led an interesting life and was an important artist. But that can be difficult to take away from this work. The book is cluttered with boring details and hampered by odd style choices. 

One value of a graphic novel is its visual vibrancy. But this work has contributions from many artists resulting in confusing visual inconsistencies. Characters drawn by different artists are difficult to recognize as the same character. Changes in visual style can be jarring and take the reader out of the story. 

Another value of the genre is to hear directly from characters. But this work relies so much on text over dialogue that the immediacy of the first person is lost. Even worse the comic format is interrupted by large sections of block text. Those who came looking for a graphic novel are confronted with pages of textbook-style paragraphs defeating the joy and purpose of the genre. 

Prince as a person never really comes through. The text and other characters talk a lot about him and his music but he speaks rarely himself. He seems more of a silhouette than an artist or a person. 

Unfortunately because of a reliance on contradictory design, style, and genre decisions the work fails in its purported aim – to bring Prince alive and show the meaning of his artistry, something he never failed to do.  – David Johnston, retired English teacher.

Book Review of “Writing in Color”

Dreams of becoming a writer? Want to tell the real story of who you are, to share a fantasy world of your creation, or to write a family saga in your native language? Writing in Color is a collection of essays from 14 writers of color who have made that dream become a reality. Each entry is in the voice of a successful writer who has ‘made it’ and the consequences of that accomplishment. The book explores the craft of writing and publishing. The style of writing for each author is very unique. With hopeful encouragement, each author shares their experience of anxiety, nervousness, elation, and confusion. Reading the essays is like having a friend holding your hand to inspire and assist in making a dream come true. Writing in Color is especially aimed at high school teenagers in the choice of writers presented. A valuable resource to propel the reticent writer and it would be an excellent gift!

You: The Story. The Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory is a how-to guide for aspiring writers. The book draws from the author’s personal experiences as a writer and the methods they have used to add detail and depth to their characters, setting, and dialogue– specifically using personal memories to create the details and emotion that go with storytelling. The book covers eleven elements essential to storytelling such as plot, character development, developing a writer’s voice, perspective, setting, dialogue, how to do research for a story, surviving the revision process, and how to find the courage to tell your story. The author uses personal experiences to illustrate each element of the writing process. Chapters end with a recap of ideas and concepts presented in the chapter for easy reference, writing prompts to help initiate each part of the process, and a unique “Stories to Uncover and Discover” page where a little research about the person/group/thing could open a fountain of ideas to write about. Since Sepetys is famous for her historical fiction novels, it is so intriguing to see how she incorporates her passion for research into sparking creative opportunities for writers this way.

The book is easy to read. The chapters are not too long or short but provide the right amount of information without weighing the reader down with too many details. The book flows easily from concept to concept and provides sufficient detail to help new, reluctant writers understand the process, get started, and survive the writing and revision process. This is an excellent book for all libraries, and to give as gifts in this graduation season. It is highly recommended.

This review was written by William Grantham and edited by Kristi Bonds

The graphic novel Nina Simone in Comics, by Sophie Adriansen, dramatically tells the life story of the brilliant musician and political activist, Nina Simone. Using music as a “weapon” to express the pain and emotion of being black in America in the 1950’s and 60’s, Simone creates a unique life of meaning and substance. Her initial dream of being a concert pianist was thwarted due to the color of her skin. Forced to support herself, she begins performing in nightclubs and town halls where her amazing talent leads to fame, record contracts, and international recognition. Simone’s long life is a roller coaster of success vs failure, wealth vs poverty, romance vs abuse, acclaim vs obscurity. Her natural abilities as a musician, a singer, and a songwriter are motivated by her fierce determination to use her talents for social justice. She writes the anthem: ‘Young, Black and Gifted’. Her lifelong resilience is admirable. The graphic illustrations portray the vibrant, emotional aspects of jazz music and social unrest, and the text inserts clarify the historical timeline of those tumultuous times. This book would appeal to both middle school and high school students.

If you were the only one left one morning in your town, you might freak out a little. When ominous messages appear for you to find, you’d likely freak out more. Ally Condie’s The Only Girl in Town attempts to be more than it should though. Hooking the reader with a scary mystery setting, Condie uses alternating “Once” and “Now” chapters to bring the real story behind July Fielding’s loneliness. July found herself in a bullying triangle and she didn’t become the upstander that she should have been. There’s also a love interest that doesn’t work out. But the mystery is more confusing than thrilling. The repetitive message of “Get Th3m Back” could be seen July’s need for retribution and the reader must prod along to find out why. But it was also read as longing for companionship as July wondereds if she can wish people back into her life like she wished for her cat to appear and it did. July’s own mental state becomes the focus as a reader realizes the metaphor at play and then follows her as she literally runs to a possible suicide. So why set readers up in the initial form of a mystery? Is she getting the readers back because, shocker, she doesn’t jump? Saying this is a spolier, I know, but when would a publisher let the character’s suicide actually succeed in YA? Other reviewers have commented that if you haven’t experienced depression or severe loneliness, you won’t get this book. If the fault is all mine, I can own it. But I just can’t give it a high recommendation.

In Ali Hazelwood’s spicy romance Check & Mate, Mallory Greenleaf appears to be a confident, charismatic, and clever high school graduate stuck in her hometown working as a mechanic to support her mother and two sisters. But this characterization will be challenged by the very game that put her into her current situation: chess. Mallory was a child chess prodigy and her father a Grand Master. But at 14, events unfolded that made Mallory choose to quit playing. At her best friend’s request, Mallory joined a charity team tournament. Upon winning the tournament, which sent a minor earthquake through the chess world, Mallory’s own world opens to amazing opportunities through chess. Is she willing to endure the pain of the past and the conflicting story of the person she thought she had become? Readers need to know that Mallory is mature in her sexuality. Comments made by her younger middle-school-aged siblings might even shock some people. But Hazelwood’s exploration of the chess world and the game itself is fascinating. Even a person who has never played the game will love the tension Hazelwood produces. Add in a tantalizing romance that builds and builds over the whole book and this is a winner, much like Mallory.

A rom-com with Asian flair, Jennifer Yen’s Love, Decoded mixes the pressures of high school classes, friendships, and angst into a predictable yet modern melodrama. Gigi Wong is a super smart girl with nothing holding her back — she comes from a family with money, she has respect from her peers and teachers, and she has a school that offers the high-level classes to take her anywhere. But like most teens, Gigi doesn’t know where to go after high school. An app creation assignment in class that includes the option of being entered into a contest brings out Gigi’s natural drive to be the best, but this will create conflict in multiple friendships as the story plays out. Gigi is a nice girl that readers will want to succeed and they may get frustrated as they know the tripwire is coming…she will fall down. How she handles both the elements she is in control of as well as those she lost control of will be the make-or-break point for readers. They’ll either see her as authentic or not. This is recommended for all high school and public libraries.

Craving that authentic, richly Hispanic fresh cooking one finds in many small-town, family-owned Mexican restaurants, then this fiesta of a cookbook is for you. While this beautifully crafted collection is meant to be breakfast forward –from salsas to drinks, to salads, soups, and sides– any of the recipes can be served for any meal in the day. Most of the recipes are made from traditional yet simple ingredients found in most major supermarket chains, though a trip to a specialty store will be required here and there. Pair a cactus and tomatillo cooler with the chicken mole folds. Perhaps a marinated panela cheese with watermelon, peach, and cucumber salad to bring a bit of health to the banana run french toast. Each recipe comes with a half-page or larger vividly colored photograph of the finished dish. Fifteen “Something Sweet”s finish this collection. The intro method on “How to roast a poblano chili” sets adventurists up for the several recipes that require the chili’s presence. This is a lovely addition to any cookbook collection — one that will make my Hispanic students proud to see and all other children hungry to try.