Graphic Novels

Snug by Catana Chetwynd

I love these. They are cute little comics about dating your best friend! They remind me of Matt and I. The drawings are funny and playful.

Warm Fuzzies.

129 pages






Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle

Catwoman's backstory is always so sad.The scenes with her mom's abusive boyfriend made me cry. Poor kitty!! It was fun watching her learn parkour and make it on the streets to learn her heist skills. Portrays depression, self harm and abuse realistically. All in all, a good take on the character.

222 pages



The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp

When a gunshot leaves her paralyzed, Barbara Gordon, daughter of the police commissioner and hacking extraordinaire, enters the Arkham Center for Independence for rehabilitation. Although a DC comic, I thought it was a thoughtful depiction of characters with a wide range of disabilities. The dark foreshadowing and unexpected answer to a mystery left me pleasantly surprised with the ending. Many teens could relate to Barb's search for identity and acceptance of herself.

Read Harder Task #21

198 pages

A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern

A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Belinda's POV was well done. It was nice to read a perspective of someone with some developmental disabilities. I especially enjoyed the audiobook version of this story.

This books was a reminder for me, not in how to treat those who have some kind of challenge be it physical, mental, emotional, or all of the above, but instead, in how to think of people. I don't know if that makes sense, so now I'm going to ramble as I try to process that comment. If you're not in for some existential rambling today, this is your cue to check out now.

What I think I'm trying to say is that I get that I should be kind, patient, and understanding with all humans. Am I always? Nope, not at all, and least of all with myself.

However, kind, patient, and understanding behaviors are really not enough. People don't just want me to behave politely. Most of them also want me to take them seriously and check my snap judgments at the door, even the quiet, internal judgments that are never spoken aloud.

Do I always do that? Nope.

Do I know I should? Yep.

Do I feel guilty when I pretend to be a better human on the outside than I actually feel on the inside? Definitely.

This book reminds people to be a good human on both the inside and the outside, and it shows you how to both succeed and fail at that, based on your every day choices. That's what I like about it.

Pages: 384

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Dark

 
 
 
 
Lou is autistic. He is high-functioning, but autistic nonetheless. He has a job, lives independently in his own apartment, and has his own car. He has built a life for himself; perhaps not one that others understand as 'normal', but a life that suits him, for the most part.  Sometimes he wishes he were 'normal', but then he wonders if being 'normal' would be better.

Then he is offered an experimental 'cure' for his 'condition'. If he takes the chance for this treatment, he will be just like everyone else. But would he still be himself? Will he still love classical music, and the shapes and colors and patterns he sees in his mind - that 'normal' people can't see? He has to decide whether to have a surgery that might completely change the way he sees the world, and the very essence of who he is.

Written in first person, this is an interesting study in the inner workings of the mind of someone who can't express himself in 'normal' ways.


378 pages

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This contemporary YA novel spotlights characters with disabilities and disorders, and I really enjoyed that. The main character has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair bound, and her new student helper has obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It's a good read that will put you through the full range of emotions. It makes some beautiful points and is a fantastic character study, though it lacks something in the area of plot, at least for me. It's more of a story that follows the characters through their day-to-day lives. Since their lives are different and fascinating, that kept me turning the pages, but I wouldn't have minded having just a bit more from the story. I really liked it, but I felt it lacked that little extra something that would have made it a 5 star book and had me shoving it on everyone I know.

Pages: 368

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

On a cold winter's night in Lexington, KY, Norah Henry goes into labor. It is 1964, and Lexington is in the midst of a blinding blizzard. Norah's husband, Dr. David Henry, administers drugs and delivers twins; a healthy baby boy and a girl with Down syndrome. Deciding that his wife cannot handle having a 'handicapped' child, he instructs his nurse, Caroline Gill, to take the child to an institution and never reveal its existence.

However, Caroline cannot bring herself to leave the child when she sees what life is like in the institution, so she takes the child and disappears. She moves to another city and raises the little girl as her own. Norah is told that her son Paul's twin died at birth.

Norah and David's life deteriorates under the burden of guilt (David's), grief (Norah's), and the longing for a lost sibling (Paul's).  Meanwhile, Caroline and baby Phoebe build a warm, satisfying life, albeit one also built on a lie, as is David and Norah's. A compelling read.

434 pages