by
Liana Finck
Random
House, 2018, 222 pages, Graphic Novel.
Cartoonist
Liana Finck explores her own history and coming of age in graphic novel format
in this engaging and tender tale. Through her non-linear frames, she weaves together the
experiences of her doctor and architect parents with magical realism, a bit of
imaginative biblical creation retelling, and her own idiosyncrasies to
come to understand the world, and what it means
to find your way in it when you feel like an outsider. With humor and charm, she
learns to move forward in her search for ways to relate to others and better
understand herself.
While
the New Yorker cartoonist might not be a household name, the themes she
explores in her graphic memoir, like finding oneself and embracing your own strangeness,
are relatable and heartfelt. Starting several chapters as “Chapter 1”, she embodies
the feeling of discovery and starting over that accompany self-reflection and
exploration. Her simple pen and ink style drawings lend themselves well to the
emotions she represents, and the somewhat surreal world view of the characters
she introduces. This is a book for anyone who has felt as though they don’t
quite fit in with other humans, and it will reassure you that you’re not the
only one walking around with the fear that you may be found out at any moment.
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