The Complete Persepolis ~ Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom--Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

I do not read many graphic novels, let alone memoirs in the form of a graphic novel; however, I made the exception for The Complete Persepolis. Although the book was originally published in the early 2000s, I had not heard anything about it until last year. Last year, I noticed some of my favorite booktubers mentioning that they had either read it and enjoyed it or had wanted to read it.

I read the entire novel in two days. It really was eye-opening. In school, we never really learned about any war that didn't pertain to the United States in a huge way (i.e. the World Wars or the Revolutionary War or the Civil War or the Vietnam War).  Therefore, I knew very little about the Iranian Revolution, which Marjane lived through. The book starts when she is very young and follows her throughout her early adulthood. It gives a unique look into a family whose views were vastly different from their country's, who were unafraid yet careful in how they rebelled, etc.

The artistic style of the illustrations reminds me a lot of a simple cartoon in a newspaper, but it worked really well for this story. There was no color which allowed for your imagination to take over, but still, have a guide of what was really happening. Although the main theme of the book revolved around the Iranian Revolution, you also witness Marjane deal with personal conflicts that have little to do with the Revolution yet everything to do with the Revolution because it is her life; such as, her relationships, friendships, identity struggles, grief, etc.

Pages: 341                                                                                                                               Rate: 5/5

El Deafo ~ Cece Bell

Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.

Book Review:

I have been really into memoirs lately and I have also been trying to expand my horizons a little bit. Therefore, when I happened across this graphic memoir, a memoir in the style of a graphic novel, I was very intrigued,  but when I learned that it was the life of a deaf girl, I was definitely going to read it. I have been trying to teach myself ASL (American Sign Language) for years now and from that I have grown an immense connection to the Deaf Culture. 

Cece's character is trying to deal with growing up with a hearing aid since she lost the majority of her hearing due to illness as a small child. For her, this hearing aid is huge, bulky, and extremely conspicuous. She is trying to deal with making friends and feeling so different from everyone else at the same time. Now, I think that every kid goes through that, I know that I did, but due to Cece's deafness, she feels even more introverted than many other kids who experience that feeling. 

I also really loved how adorable the graphics were.