Soupy Leaves Home

For the next couple of weeks, I will be reviewing books that have been nominated for the Excellence in Graphic Literature Award in the Middle Grades category. First up, Soupy Leaves Home is the tale of a girl named Pearl set in Great Depression-era United States. Her father is abusive, and finding no recourse she runs away from home. Not really knowing what she is doing, she disguises herself as a boy and falls in with a hobo named Ramshackle.

Together the duo look out for each other and tramp all over the country. Along the way, Pearl takes on the name Soupy, and she learns to take care of herself, deal with with railroad bulls, navigate the complex system of hobo life, and also read the signs left by others. Still, as much as they get to know each other, both Soupy and Ramshackle keep important secrets from each other.

I felt that overall, this book was a well crafted piece of historical fiction, with likeable characters and a few parallel plots that tied together well. Probably the strongest part of the book is the characterizations, with Soupy and Ramshackle really standing out. I especially liked spending time with Soupy as she grew and became more confident and capable over time. I do not really want to spoil much, by the end of the book, there are multiple revelations about the main characters, some happy and some sad, with lots of provocative thinking about social class, gender, and gender roles. And none of it is as stuffy as I just made it sound.

This book was a collaboration between writer Cecil Castellucci and artist Jose Pimienta. Castellucci is a prolific writer with many books to her credit, including YA novels and comics like The Plain Janes and Shade the Changing Girl. Pimienta has drawn a number of other comics, and his best known work is probably The Leg, a kooky piece of historical fiction starring Santa Anna's amputated leg(!). Castelluci speaks more about her work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews summed up, "A compelling graphic offering that explores relevant gender roles and self-identity through a historical lens." Stephanie Cooke wrote that it's "a book that will resonate in everyone’s heart and you’ll be happy that you checked it out." And I agree strongly with Eric Kallenborn's observation that "the last act of the book is powerful and emotive."

Soupy Leaves Home was published by Dark Horse, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

TEOTFW

TEOTFW is the spare, direct, powerful, and addictive story of two teenagers who run away together and the consequences of their actions. James and Alyssa decide that life with their parents in their small town is not worth pursuing any more, so after James punches his dad in the face and steals his car, they strike off on their own. James is frighteningly blank and unfeeling, and gaining insight into his life and thoughts is very unnerving yet oddly compelling.

James is on the cover as an adult, but here is a flashback to his childhood.

Alyssa is more emotional and human, a mix of insecure and resilient that makes her alternately prickly and sympathetic.

Here she is lying to a security guard.

The couple run afoul of some satanists, lie, steal, break and enter, and end up visiting with Alyssa's estranged, pothead father whom she has not seen in years. The authorities end up on their trail, and I am not going to spoil the ending, but things do not turn out pretty. The narrative here is so simple, starkly presented, and violent, as well as extremely suspenseful and compelling.

Charles Forsman is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont, and a three-time Ignatz Award winner for his series Snake Oil. He also is the proprietor of Oily Comics. TEOTFW was originally published as a series of mini-comics from 2012-2013, and it and this collected version have certainly brought much more focus on his upcoming works. He speaks about his inspirations and work on TEOTFW in this interview.

The mini-comic series has been highly celebrated, and this collection has been well reviewed also. Kevin Cortez summed up, "The discomforting, disturbing story is a unique comic book nothing short of fantastic." The Comics Journal's Rob Clough wrote of Forsman's work, "He has a knack for giving voice to a certain sense of ennui and desperation for connection and meaning, yet manages to do so in a way that avoids navel-gazing and static storytelling." I agree with what his statements, and what I found so amazing was how Forsman was able to work with familiar tropes and characters, in a style that is cartoonish and reminiscent of newspaper comics, and to spin that combination in a way that avoids cliches and creates an excellent, suspenseful, and affecting story.

This collection is published by Fantagraphics, and they provide previews, reviews, videos, and more links here.

This book is certainly not for children, as it is full of strong language and graphic violence, but I recommend it highly for mature readers.