Will I See? addresses the topic of violence against women with beauty and power
Will I See?
by David Alexander Robertson | illustrated by GMB Chomichuk
Portage & Main Press
HighWater Press
Comics & Graphics Novels, Teens & YA
Pub Date 31 Dec 2016
Review
Absolutely unforgettable! Will I See? addresses the topic of violence against women with beauty and power. The black and white images are realistic, but there is also a dreamlike quality to them. Swaths of red add a dramatic flair, implying violence and death. Will I See? has a strong emotional affect and is best suited for teens and older readers.
May, a young teenage girl meets up with a cat who helps her to find various keepsakes. With each item, readers are shown what happened to the previous owner. In each instance, a violent crime was committed against a young native woman. May's kookum (grandmother) fashions these into a necklace for her to wear and warns her that her youth doesn't protect her from being taken. Young native women are disappearing. When May faces danger she must rely on her own strength and that of those who passed before.
Will I See? is beautiful, powerful and dramatic, skillfully addressing a topic of immense importance. Violence against women is underreported, and those who do bring charges are often attacked again by the public. Will I See? would make an excellent addition to a junior high or high school reading list. It makes a great starting point for discussion. It is also a graphic novel that would be good for parents to share with their daughters.
5/5
I received a copy of Will I See? from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
Based on the story by Iskwé and Erin Leslie
May, a young teenage girl, traverses the city streets, finding keepsakes in different places along her journey. When May and her kookum make these keepsakes into a necklace, it opens a world of danger and fantasy. While May fights against a terrible reality, she learns that there is strength in the spirit of those who have passed. But will that strength be able to save her? A story of tragedy and beauty, Will I See? illuminates the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
