Written and Illustrated by Ariela Kristantina
With Sarah Stern and Bernardo Brice
Published by Dark Horse Comics
It is really hard to do a young adult graphic novel well.
The difficulty of it stems from making the book palpable enough so kids can enjoy the book as well as adults. It is a heck of a tightrope to walk on and not everyone is successful. That is what makes this book so exciting.
There is a lot for kids to dive into but it is also a blast to read for adult.
Ariela Kristantina did a hell of a job with this book, getting it together and making something truly winning. It is inventive and smart and does a great job handling its many diverse themes throughout.
The book takes place after a big event known only as The Great Flood. It is several centuries after the event happened but the world is still reeling from it.
Sister Wangi and her younger brother named Banyu live in this really well composed sea village. Wangi seems to have a special power that nobody seems to be able to explain. She is able to draw on the whale’s backs because of a special bond that she seems to have developed with them. This is where we start off with this story and it only gets more intriguing from this point on.
Some of the whales start coming back into the village with drawings on them that Wangi did not draw herself. They are brand new drawings as well. Wangi starts to suspect that there are other sea villages or maybe even some island settlements that they are unaware of. She thinks that these drawings are messages from the other places and that it could mean something pretty big. Sadly, none of the elders seems interested in what her theories are. Wangi sits alone in her newfound beliefs. Then something happens that she wasn’t at all expecting.
A new whale appears before Wangi.
This whale is wounded and seems to be dying. The new whale also has a new drawing on its back. It doesn’t like anything remotely like the other drawings that have come before it either. This intrigues Wangi to no end. She decides that she wants to unravel this new mystery. So, she sets forth to go investigate just what the heck is going on. Needless to say, not everyone is pleased that she has chosen to this and some drama happens because of it.
The elders of the sea village aren’t too happy with Wangi. Neither are her parents. But Wangi is determined to find out exactly what is going on. And so she sets forth to do exactly that. She takes off out of the village to go solve the mystery. She does take a stowaway with her (but it turns out to be her brother Banyu…one of the more weak moments of the book). It is high adventure and a lot of fun from there as a lot happens and all of it is interesting and well done.
A lot happens in this book from there. It is a great journey that Wangi and Banyu go on.
For some reason, it reminded me a bit of the novel Moby Dick, but also Moana. There is a lot of depth going on here in each and every scene. The best part of the book is the interaction between Wangi and Banyu and how their relationship evolves and deepens as the book goes on. Needless to say, there are a lot of beautiful images in the book but there is also a focus on the characters as well. This benefits the book greatly and it made it a fun read from start to finish.
Eventually, we do find out where the drawings are coming from and the answer is both intelligent and creative. I love how the characters react and how the resolution really makes sense. It lands perfectly.
Ariela Kristantina really took the time to craft a book that resonated and it does pretty much on every level. It is a book that accomplishes a lot very simply. It also is a book that takes chances and always succeeds beyond what I had hoped when it does. This was a truly great read, and really an accomplishment as well.
RATING: A-
