By Agnes Lee
Levine Querido, 2024
352 pages
978-1338749571
Age 14 and older
In Buddhist tradition, a person is in a transition state called bardo for 49 days after death. This graphic novel opens on “Day 1.” Korean American Kit wakes in a lonely landscape of rocks and water with a map, a distant destination marked by an X. The 49 days following Kit’s accidental death unfold in scenes that chronicle her bardo experience as a literal journey, one that is frustration- and grief-filled before she finds acceptance, and then peace. On Day 5, something in Kit’s efforts sparks a happy childhood memory—a scene in which pale gold replaces the gray hues. Additional memories appear over the subsequent days of Kit’s struggle to traverse the landscape. On some days, scenes in which the accent color changes to a soft coppery-brown, follow her surviving family members (mother, sister, little brother, cat) and close friend, Kevin. These, too, are punctuated by memories. Details of Kit’s childhood, young adulthood, spirited personality, and relationships emerge. For those left behind, as for Kit, memories and time are both part of the journey from pain toward peace. It takes some work to contextualize Kit’s bardo state and the weaving of present and memory—always clarified by the accent color. But the effort is worth it in this original story that takes readers on their own journey that is sad, tender, and ultimately hopeful. A brief author’s note makes clear this is an artistic interpretation of bardo, not a model of what is “true or false.” ©2024 Cooperative Children’s Book Center