MINUS

A convoluted graphic novel thriller
about a teen discovering the dark and twisted secrets of her childhood.

Beck, a brown-skinned young woman
with straight black hair, is en route by car with her father to begin her first
year at the University of Chicago. The excitement of leaving her isolated home-school
environment is abruptly derailed when a routine stop at a gas station turns
fatal. Beck flees, and a concerned woman drives her into the city, but urban
Chicago is bewildering for Beck, who is accustomed to rural living. This chance
encounter with a seemingly random stranger later proves pivotal when Beck
learns about mysterious circumstances from her past. An innocuous stuffed toy
holds clues to Beck’s deep family secret and sets off a chain of events that
forces two men in her life to confront one another. Themes of social media and
surveillance, complicated familial relationships, and so much more are
overshadowed by hasty plot twists, lackluster characterization, and a polarizing
conclusion. The dark vector-style illustrations, heavy with deep crimson and
indigo, are reminiscent of Faith Erin Hicks. Variations in the panels add
visual interest. The cast is ethnically diverse.

The disturbing and rushed ending may
baffle some readers while opening up discussion for others. (Graphic
fiction. 12-14)