GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Lonesome Era

by Jon Allen (text) & illus. by Jon Allen
Iron Circus Comics. Oct. 2019. 424p. pap. $30. ISBN 9781945820380.
COPY ISBN
Gr 8 Up–Allen tells the story of a young man, Camden, struggling with a painful secret crush on his bad boy best friend Jeremiah. Camden’s strong feelings prevent him from recognizing Jeremiah’s dangerous tendencies, including drug use, underage drinking, and fighting. This is a painfully sweet story about first love and growing up, yet its lack of nostalgia makes it accessible to teen readers. The characters are anthropomorphic animals (Camden is a cat, while Jeremiah is a monkey), rendered in crisp black-and-white cartoon in easy-to-follow panels. The small, 7x7” format of the book will bring to mind manga. Some readers will feel shortchanged by the brevity of the text, but its short length also makes it a good gateway for newcomers to graphic novels.
VERDICT Tackling serious issues, this title is a strong addition to YA graphic novel collections.
Reviewed by Tammy Ivins, University of North Carolina at Wilmington , Sep 01, 2019

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