ANYA' S GHOST A GRAPHIC NOVEL

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Comics and graphic novels are a fun, fast way to read without having to spend hours on a book. The dialogue is short, one or two sentences and aided with illustrations. The old expression "a picture tells a thousand words," rings true in comics and graphic novels, which help describe the moods and emotions of the characters.  

Graphic novels are appealing to boys, girls, teens and young adults. They are great for a reluctant reader, fast paced without a lot of text. 


 A graphic novel is not a genre, but a format, styled using sequential frames, bubble dialogue and animated illustrations. Genres vary from fantasy to action packed adventure. Graphic novels are written in both fiction and nonfiction.   

The first graphic novel came out in 1976 and since then has risen in popularity. Over the past ten-fifteen years graphic novels have exploded on the market, especially the Japanese Manga from Sailor Moon to InuYasha.


I had the pleasure of reading a YA  graphic novel called Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol. 


Vera Brosgol (August 1984-)

Vera Brosgol is a graduate in classical animation, and a writer. She has combined her talents together and created  Anya's Ghost, capturing the teen nuances perfectly.  

ANYA'S GHOST

    

Anya a rebellious teen is dripping with attitude. She is riddled with hang-ups, from body image to her Russian roots, an immigrant now living in the United States.  

For years Anya has tried to fit in with her peers working hard to lose her accent, dressing in American fashion, even going as far as trying to hide her last name.  None of this works. She still sees herself an outsider, her only friend a tomboy named Siobhan.  

Life takes a turn for Anya on the way to school. With one misstep she finds herself at the bottom of a well. Lying by her feet are the skeletal bones of Emily, a ninety year old ghost. It is here she learns that Emily too is a teenager whose murder still remains a mystery today. 

Rescued from the well, Anya arrives home only to discover she isn't alone having mistakenly slipped one of Emily's bones in her bag. With the bone comes Emily's ghost. At first Anya is thrilled to have her new friend by her side who tries to shape her into a different person, from her way of dress to her behaviour. Anya's changes don't go unnoticed, now attracting more attention from her peers.She begins to question if this is what she really wants. 


Anya begins to see the real Emily, not a true friend, but a ghost who is trying to control her life. She must rid herself of Emily, but how? 

Anya's ghost is a multi layered YA graphic novel, a coming of age story diving into teenage angst sprinkled with attitude and humour. Sometimes what we think we want turns out to be very different. This becomes evident throughout the story. 

A fun read!


IMAGES FROM ANYA'S GHOST 

      

Happy reading,
Bye Rosalyne