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A review by laurel00
Squire by Nadia Shammas, Sara Alfageeh
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"History is, in actuality, quite personal. All narratives should be interrogated, including this one. But don't let any one story tell you who you are."
Shammas does it again (yes, I know this is her debut, but it's the second book of hers that I pick up) with a deeply heart-breaking yet beautifully hopeful story that I absolutely adored. Paired with Alfageeh's truly stellar art style, these creator have delivered an amazing graphic novel. Although this may be aimed at a YA audience, I can wholeheartedly guarantee that many adults and people of all ages will be able to learn something new and find something significant within the pages of this book.
Squire does a phenomenal job at showcasing to its readers exactly how a specific narrative can be fed to you, so as to convince you not only to work against your own interests, but also to make you, in turn, perpetuate and spread that same false narrative—all while making you believe that are you doing the right thing. It perfectly lays out the insidiousness of colonialist propaganda: the fact that it is built on bigoted and racist stereotypes, the way that it preys on the hopes and dreams of young and vulnerable people, the manner in which it rewards those who uphold its violence and punishes those who try to criticize it.
Shammas and Alfageeh did an amazing job of creating characters that are realistic and relatable, and of bringing them to life so that their readers can feel personally invested in their stories. I loved just how diverse the cast was—not just when it comes to race and ethnicity, but also with regards to class, background, mindset, personalities. All of these elements perfectly translated into the ways each of the characters experienced the collective journey that they were on, and I really appreciated that we got to touch on each of their individual stories.
I definitely recommend this! To take the words of G. Willow Wilson's blurb on the back cover: "Squire makes you want to fight for a better world."
Shammas does it again (yes, I know this is her debut, but it's the second book of hers that I pick up) with a deeply heart-breaking yet beautifully hopeful story that I absolutely adored. Paired with Alfageeh's truly stellar art style, these creator have delivered an amazing graphic novel. Although this may be aimed at a YA audience, I can wholeheartedly guarantee that many adults and people of all ages will be able to learn something new and find something significant within the pages of this book.
Squire does a phenomenal job at showcasing to its readers exactly how a specific narrative can be fed to you, so as to convince you not only to work against your own interests, but also to make you, in turn, perpetuate and spread that same false narrative—all while making you believe that are you doing the right thing. It perfectly lays out the insidiousness of colonialist propaganda: the fact that it is built on bigoted and racist stereotypes, the way that it preys on the hopes and dreams of young and vulnerable people, the manner in which it rewards those who uphold its violence and punishes those who try to criticize it.
Shammas and Alfageeh did an amazing job of creating characters that are realistic and relatable, and of bringing them to life so that their readers can feel personally invested in their stories. I loved just how diverse the cast was—not just when it comes to race and ethnicity, but also with regards to class, background, mindset, personalities. All of these elements perfectly translated into the ways each of the characters experienced the collective journey that they were on, and I really appreciated that we got to touch on each of their individual stories.
I definitely recommend this! To take the words of G. Willow Wilson's blurb on the back cover: "Squire makes you want to fight for a better world."