Reviews

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

erincthome's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

luchev's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

mbhoppe13's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

4.0

myriadreads's review against another edition

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5.0

Small is an incredibly talented artist, and the best parts of this memoir have no words. He captures facial expressions and scenes expertly, creating mood and conveying meaning in images. His life story begins in a dysfunctional family, a place where Small felt no love and no connection to others. There was no music in his house, no laughter. No communication. Everyone in the house was angry and unhappy, and expressed it it different ways. Fortunately for us, Small sought therapy and avoided the madness that could have pulled him under. He focused on art, and he's been awarded the Caldecott Medal, the Christopher Medal, and the E.B White Award. The memoir is unsparing and gritty, but the biographical notes at the end of the memoir are compassionate. Highly recommended.

ivandrueda's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

brenbrown's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

5.0

aberdeenwaters's review against another edition

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5.0

Being author and illustrator makes this that much better. Very creative, and pretty heartbreaking as well.

snoopyfigurine's review against another edition

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5.0

Amazing art truly displays and is reflective of the author’s experiences

stephxsu's review against another edition

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3.0

STITCHES is David Small’s memoir of his horrific childhood with parents who believed that silence was the best way of raising a child. When David was younger, his father treated his sinus infections with heavy doses of radiation. As a result, he developed cancer, and without telling him the reasons for their actions, doctors removed half his vocal chords and rendered him silent at the age of fourteen. STITCHES is drawn in a sparse, black-and-white style that’s reminiscent of noir and horror films, as we the readers perceive David’s world through his child’s eyes. The result is a stomach-twisting but compelling graphic novel memoir.