YA Graphic Novels for Your TBR
Sometimes, you just need a good graphic novel. Something short, sweet, and perfect to read in a single sitting while the art washes over you and pulls you in. As a fellow comics fan, I perfectly understand. So here are some graphic novels worthy of your TBR when you’re just in an illustrated mood!
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
by Deya Muniz
Talk about sweet! And salty! And DELICIOUS! If you’re a fan of shoujo manga (or just lighthearted romance in general) you’re going to adore this fantastical, pun-filled romp. In the Kingdom of Fromage, Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms. But thanks to some very outdated laws surrounding women and inheritance, she’ll have to marry to keep her family’s fortune. But in a brilliant, Shakespearian twist, Lady Camembert will move to the capital and disguise herself as Count Camembert. But keeping a low profile becomes much more difficult when beautiful Princess Brie starts falling for the Count – and Cam starts falling back! This romantic comedy has everything you could ask for – true love, mistaken identities, and more cheese puns than you can shake a mozzarella stick at!
Lost in Taiwan
by Mark Crilley
This book is the closest you’ll get to travelling without having to leave your couch! The illustrations of Taiwan are so immersive and sweeping and they’ll have you falling in love with the place – whether you’ve been before or not! Paul is our reluctant traveler, who would much rather stay inside and play videogames than try anything like “cultural enrichment.” But when Paul gets lost in Taiwan’s winding streets, he has no choice but to explore. Along the way, he’ll meet new friends, learn a thing or two, and maybe even fall in love with a someplace new! And if you dear reader fall in love with this book, I’d recommend checking out Mark Crilley’s other graphic novel My Last Summer with Cass!
¡Ay, Mija!
Speaking of new places and experiences, ¡Ay, Mija! is a story of one teen’s summer in Mexico and how it changed their life. Based on a real-life summer in Christine Suggs’s life, this graphic novel follows sixteen-year-old Christine on their first solo trip to stay with family who only speak Spanish. But across language and generational barriers, Christine will learn how to connect to their family and maybe how to connect with themselves and their own identity
The PLAIN Janes
by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Jim Rugg
This story of four girls, who all share the same name, and their efforts to fight fear with guerrilla art will hit you right where it hurts – the heart.
When Jane Beckles is caught in the midst of a terrorist attack on Metro City, her family forces her to leave her beloved metropolis for the boring suburb of Kent Waters. At first Jane thinks her life is over, but then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by a frustration with the adults around them—the girls form a secret club dedicated to waking up their fellow citizens and inspiring them to fight against fear.
Passport
by Sophia Glock
Growing up, Sophia lived in so many countries she could barely keep count. But other than feeling displaced as an American abroad when she’s hardly spent any of her life in America, she’s pretty normal. Until she finds a letter she was never meant to see that reveals her parents’ secrets. They’re working for the CIA.
As Sophia tries to make sense of this, she can finally start to see the web of lies and double lives surrounding her. The thing most unbelievable about this story? It’s true.
Numb to This
by Kindra Neely
Speaking of true stories, this illustrated memoir is a searing account of a mass shooting. Kindra Neely never expected it to happen to her. But then one day, a mass shooting shattered her college campus. What follows is Kindra’s experience trying to rekindle peace and wholeness in the face of hopelessness. She will learn that for her the path forward was through her art, helping others, and sharing her story.