Yeesh, it feels a little weird to be posting about one of my own reviews! I assure you, it really isn't shameless self-promotion; rather, I wanted to post about a graphic novel for teens, since I'm on the judging panel for this year's Graphic Novels category. We post about graphic novels as well as other fiction for YA and MG audiences over at Finding Wonderland (where I blog with author and Cybils SFF panelist Tanita Davis), and this summer I had the opportunity to read one of the nominees.
The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa is the first book in a trilogy that follows the coming of age of Ehwa, a young girl in rural Korea, and her relationship with her single mother. It's also the mother's story, though, and the story of both of them exploring romantic love, one for the first time, and one revisiting it after a period of loneliness. It was written as a tribute to the author's own mother:
The artwork reflects this, illustrating with sensitivity and vividness, remaining simple and expressive throughout, yet unafraid to add flourishes and whole spreads rendered in exquisite detail when called for by the storytelling.
Click here for the full review.