Graphic novel series featuring young authors and their true stories

Written by Kaitlyn K., Lisa W. and Taylor K.

Through the graphic novel medium, Zuiker Press has been able to both convey the stories of real people as well as help young readers understand and relate to the situations described. This graphic novel series, which currently contains nine stories, explores a variety of topics, some of which include racism, suicide, bullying, and divorce. One graphic novel, titled Activist, describes the story of a student during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting. This does not only especially impact young readers in Florida but also shows how Zuiker Press has committed itself to help readers “cope with the challenges they face today” (Zuiker Press). While reading is a powerful tool on its own, these graphic novels will strengthen this power. By giving young readers the ability to explore various emotional and social issues, this series acts as a guarantee that they are not alone and empower them. 

Here's a closer look at some of the titles:

Activist tells the story of a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting in Parkland, Florida. Lauren lost two very close friends that day, and 15 other students lost their lives. Instead of choosing to let her grief overwhelm her, Lauren became an activist and was determined to march for the right for every kid to be safe in their school. 

Brother tells the story of Bridget Hudgens and her brother Carlton, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at an early age. As she grows up, Bridget realizes that, even though she acts as Carlton’s protector, there are other people in his life who can guide and aid him. Through the ups and downs of life, Brother demonstrates that even though someone has special needs, they still have the ability to live and learn, and don’t always need a “protector”. 

The story of Click begins with Lexi leading a normal teenage life, participating on sports teams and hanging out with her friends. However after a misinterpretation, Lexi becomes the target of cyberbullying at the hands of her peers. While it does depict a specific story of cyberbullying, the emotions Lexi experiences are universal to those who have faced bullying of any kind. By showing how one can rise up against their bullies, Click leaves readers feeling empowered.

Goodbye is the story of Hailee, told through her parents. Two days after her 13th Birthday, she committed suicide. Hailee's parents decided to tell her story in the hopes that they can reach other people in time, and the result is a book that highlights the struggles of a mourning family.

Identity is the story of Corey, a transgender girl. Corey, with unconditional support from her mother, moves from school to school in the hopes that she might fit in somewhere. Along the way she has to deal with bullies and other obstacles, but later in life she joins pride parades and becomes a beacon of hope for other transitioning teens. 

Imperfect portrays the struggles that come with Body Dysmorphic Disorder through the voice of Dounya Awada. Transfixed by her body image, Dounya finds herself at a point of self-destruction, by starving herself and purging. This graphic novel is an ideal way to bring awareness to Body Dysmorphic Disorder and portray the horrors faced by many teens in this day and age. 

Mend depicts the story of nine year-old Sophia as she navigates through her new life following her parent’s unexpected divorce. Focusing on a topic familiar to many readers, Mend provides hope to those who have experienced divorce by helping them understand what it is they may be feeling. 

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi

Reviewed by Lauren M.
Grade 11

What would you do to absolve guilt? What would you do for power? These two questions go hand in hand in Roshani Chokshi’s The Silvered Serpents. Her latest masterpiece snatches the reader and plunges them into a vivid world that will stay with you long after the last page.

The Silvered Serpents picks up in the aftermath of The Gilded Wolves, and is set in 1889. Haunted by tragedy, Laila, Enrique, Zofia and Séverin try to piece their lives back together, but the guilt is too much for Séverin to bear. He reassembles the team to go hunt for a mythical object that is believed to grant the power of God. Each member has their suspicions about the nature of this quest but they go along into a dangerous and fantastical Russia, where their secrets and fears wear the faces of beloved and feared memories.

The book has four narrators, and the secrets and fears each character battled with fleshed them out and made them easy to empathize with, even if you don’t agree with their actions. Each narrator has their own scars that they are battling with, yet I loved how they were able to function as a team regardless of their personal struggles. The entire theme of the book is grief, and I loved how it was portrayed through the settings which were cold and confounding and reflected the nuanced emotions of each narrator. The characters had to journey not only though an external unforgiving climate, but also an internal one. The fantasy aspect is most certainly there, with forgotten palaces, ice animals, and goddesses. Another thing that drew me in was the diversity in the book. Everyone was different from the others, and that melded the team together because everyone brought something unique to the table.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fantasy but cannot commit to a long novel. A relatively quick read, it is enjoyable and immersive. However, if you are looking for a lighthearted story, this may not be for you because there are solemn and weighty emotions running throughout the novel. All in all, I would rate this as a four out of five stars, because I would have liked to see a bit more character development.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Katherine Webber

Reviewed by Lacey R.
Grade 11

Most people have a place they go when they need a break from life, where they go for solitude, peace, or just to feel nothing. There could be a certain room in one’s house, a diner, a park, or even the beach, but for 17-year-old Reiko Smith-Mori, it is the California desert. Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Katherine Webber is a book filled with romance and intrigue--the story of a girl who had it all: the looks, the grades, the confidence, but all that changed when she lost her sister. She finds peace and solitude in the desert, and unexpectedly, a boy. This book relays the ups and downs of the pair’s relationship, if it could even call it that.

Reiko, is what one would call “an average teenage girl,” but she is far from average. She struggles with maintaining her veil of perfection, which can be depicted through her thoughts and sometimes extreme action. What those around her don't see is that she is not well, she is grieving her sister's loss, and moreover, repressing it. Someone stands in her way and isn't letting her move on--her sister, Mika, who she still sees and talks to as if she has not passed. Reiko, to escape the heartache of her sister, often escapes to the desert to relax. One night when she wanders out to the desert, she runs into a boy. They bond over a dreamlike moment of time, with the bright moon casting a soft glow across the abyss and the serenity of the desert night. The next day she sees him at school, and over time their relationship grows, until it doesn't. They unexpectedly and slowly grow apart, both dealing with dramatic changes. Reiko has to navigate her world of popularity contests, suppressed emotions and grief, and now a rocky relationship that may have been doomed from the start.

The book has a well-thought-out plot, yet character development would have made the read much more enjoyable. The plot follows the main character and her struggle of losing a loved one, with small scenes and short chapters, but the timeline becomes confusing. The rapid pace only deterred the characterization. The characterization, or lack thereof, seemingly changed the message of the book. While the author is trying to show the negative effects of miscommunications, there wasn't much communication between the writer and the audience. Emotions were told directly through the internal dialogue of the main character instead of actions or reactions. 

The book was a quick read, and seemed as if it were a quick write as well. There were chapters that did nothing for the plot, only reiterated something that was already known, useless conversations between characters, spontaneous trips that were only set up for later chapters to reveal something unimportant. There were many clichés in the book, with lines written in a way that it seems I have read them before, such as  “You’re selfish and spoiled, and usually you can get away with it, because you’re beautiful and charming,” which shows an overplayed arc and cheap characterization that is directly revealed to the audience.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick read for a school project, this is it, but if you are looking for a good book with a cute romance story, I would not recommend Only Love Can Break Your Heart. It seems as if the book was written in a short amount of time, with little attention to character development, conflict, and plot. The moral was produced in a way that was slightly insulting to the readers, such as a Disney movie about never judging a book by its cover; this book’s moral is that you never know what is going on with someone else and a lack of communication can be detrimental. The deeper moral, that was scattered throughout the chapters with a repetitive trope and a rocky relationship, was that to move past something, you must accept it first, which is of course a good lesson to learn, but in this book it seemed cheap. A book with a similar lesson would be The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds, which goes about accepting loss and love, in a more defined and readable way.