Reading about how the tragic events which haunt USA society become entangled in the dark web of conspiracy theories was both sad and an emotional black hole.
Sabrina disappears and her fate happens off page, so the reader can only deduced the truth of what happened to her based on probability, however, we do see what happens to those most closely affected by her disappearance, and the disturbing fantasies weaved about them informs our opinion of the (un)likelihood of the conspiracy theories about Sabrina.

Clear parallels to bullshit peddlers such as Alex Jones and their lies about national traumas like 9-11 and Sandy Hook. It's informative about how and why these "theories" arise, but it's also a fairly bleak look into the heart of a dysfunctional society. There is a vague sense of positivity towards the end, but you need a microscope to find it. Worthwhile low pick. ( )

[possible spoilers]

The themes of isolation in this book are so strong, as soon as I finished it I took the opportunity to reach out to several friends I hadn't seen in some time. And I'm not even from America. I imagine it's even more hardhitting for someone who actually belongs to that culture.

I don't want to give too much away - if you haven't read it yet I recommend doing so before you read anything about it. But I'll say a few things: it struck me as a non-American (and as a gay) how little the male characters touch each other. The character Teddy comes out to Colorado to process his grief, and I think it took until at least the 2/3 mark in the book before they so much as hugged.

The conspiracy themes that start around the halfway mark also strike me as something that could only progress to such extremes in a political climate like in the US. Well, perhaps. It's funny that they tie so neatly into the last book I was reading, [b:Them: Adventures with Extremists|1823|Them Adventures with Extremists|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400199696s/1823.jpg|5946]. I promise that wasn't deliberate!

The art is very minimalist, which might not be to some people's tastes, and yet it's somehow very nuanced and seems to convey feelings of isolation very effectively, especially the cramped, tiny frames that make up quite a few of its pages. I think it's great that we're seeing comic creators using the medium to their advantage in such ways. I'll be coming back to this book again, definitely. I think there's plenty I missed the first time. More please! ( )

Excellent story! I couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. ( )

From an author not yet in his thirties, a desperate vision of America based on loneliness and social hate, with an obvious role of technologically-mediated communication. The simple drawing style of the book serves well the rendition of characters, environments and daily gestures, describing a dark age seldom enlightened by acts of kindness. The ending pages promise an hopefully brighter future for the protagonists. ( )

There have been many great graphic novels over the years, but Sabrina is the first to have been nominated for the Man Booker prize. That raises expectations that, sadly, this book doesn't live up to.

A young woman is murdered and, unable to deal with his grief, her boyfriend Teddy departs the scene and seeks shelter with his childhood friend, Calvin, who is a technician in the Air Force. Teddy's frail state is made worse when a video of the murder goes viral and conspiracy theories start to swirl around the internet. Teddy gets drawn into this maelstrom and begins to listen compulsively to a radio commentator obsessed with dystopia.

Meanwhile Calvin has his own troubles, having been abandoned by his wife and separated from his child. He is faced with a career decision that would force him to give up his chances of a reconciliation, all while he is trying to look after Teddy and keep the fact of his presence secret. Eventually, the conspiracy theorists track Teddy down, and Calvin becomes the target of some unwelcome attention.

This is an affecting story mostly, but it feels incomplete and the resolution seems vague and unsatisfactory. The key measure of any graphic novel has to be the artwork, and the art in this novel is mostly flat and bland. The characters are often expressionless and it is sometimes hard to tell them apart. It's hard to believe, for example, that Teddy could be so dull and unemotional given what he is supposed to be going through. Overall, the book feels like an early draft of something that could have been great. ( )