BLOG TOUR | Slip by Marika McCoola, Illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya
Publication Date: June 7, 2022
“A fierce, transformative graphic novel about art and relationships.”
Kirkus Reviews
“This graphic novel successfully brings the story to life via symbolism and figurative language coupled with deeply developed characters…With themes ranging from mental health to self-discovery, this art-infused text will entice graphic novel fans and art students and leave them wanting another installment of Jade’s story.”
School Library Journal
Thoughts:
Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing me a copy for review. This did not affect my view of the graphic novel.
Jade is very excited to attend art camp until her best friend attempts to commit suicide. She's stuck between trying to focus on working on her skills, and understanding what could have caused her best friend, Phoebe, to hurt herself. There's also this feeling of guilt: does every good feeling — making friends, doing well on her craft, possibly falling in love — means she's abandoning her best friend?
I don't know anything about pottery, but I did look up "score and slip". From what I gathered, score and slip are essential especially when applying small pieces of clay or ceramic pieces.
I found it interesting for this graphic novel to be titled "Slip". Firstly, it's a nod to her art. It's part of the feedback she was given by one of the instructors in the story when her work exploded affecting another person's work. Secondly, score and slip is supposed to help attach small clay pieces or ceramic pieces together, and she's barely keeping it together.
Slip comes out today, June 7, 2022. Thank you again to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Author bio:
Marika McCoola is a writer, illustrator, educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of Baba Yaga's Assistant. She has spent over a decade working to connect books with readers. She studied illustration, art history, creative writing, and ceramics at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and received her BFA in illustration in 2009.
Illustrator bio:
Aatmaja Pandya is a cartoonist and illustrator born and raised in New York. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2014 and has been illustrating professionally ever since. Slip is her first graphic novel.
