Scan barcode
A review by laurel00
Displacement by Kiku Hughes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"And keep drawing, too. Draw what you see, what happens here. It's important. They can scare us but they can't make us forget.
Trying to keep my tears from falling down my face while I read this in the middle of a very public library was... an experience. I honestly had no idea what this was about before picking it up. I vaguely recognized the cover while browsing the shelves and decided to take a quick peak. And I'm so incredibly happy that I did!
This book touches on so many important aspects of cultural history and generational trauma, and Hughes meshes them so effortlessly to a fascinating plot and an extremely endearing and relatable main character. There are a lot of realizations and elements in her own journey that I recognized within myself: feeling powerless throughout the story because of the lack of information she has with regards to her grandmother's experience and her community's history, the difficult-to-place feeling of being disconnected from your family's culture but also acknowledging that your own life experiences are so deeply affected by it.
I never really took the time to ask my grandmother about the hardships she suffered in her home country, and I feel very far-removed from that part of my family's past. So reading this graphic novel was an extremely personal and very emotional experience. I think a lot of people, especially in my generation, will be able to connect with this story; and I think a lot of other people will have the opportunity to learn something new through it.
The illustrations are beautiful, the art style is simply but extremely effective, the characters feel really well fleshed out—which I think is hard to do in such few panels. I loved the subtle sapphic romance arc that was included; it didn't overpower the main message of the novel, but it was a nice, comforting surprise in an otherwise heavy read.
I wholeheartedly recommend it!
Trying to keep my tears from falling down my face while I read this in the middle of a very public library was... an experience. I honestly had no idea what this was about before picking it up. I vaguely recognized the cover while browsing the shelves and decided to take a quick peak. And I'm so incredibly happy that I did!
This book touches on so many important aspects of cultural history and generational trauma, and Hughes meshes them so effortlessly to a fascinating plot and an extremely endearing and relatable main character. There are a lot of realizations and elements in her own journey that I recognized within myself: feeling powerless throughout the story because of the lack of information she has with regards to her grandmother's experience and her community's history, the difficult-to-place feeling of being disconnected from your family's culture but also acknowledging that your own life experiences are so deeply affected by it.
I never really took the time to ask my grandmother about the hardships she suffered in her home country, and I feel very far-removed from that part of my family's past. So reading this graphic novel was an extremely personal and very emotional experience. I think a lot of people, especially in my generation, will be able to connect with this story; and I think a lot of other people will have the opportunity to learn something new through it.
The illustrations are beautiful, the art style is simply but extremely effective, the characters feel really well fleshed out—which I think is hard to do in such few panels. I loved the subtle sapphic romance arc that was included; it didn't overpower the main message of the novel, but it was a nice, comforting surprise in an otherwise heavy read.
I wholeheartedly recommend it!