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Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir

Review

Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir

Maggie Thrash makes her debut with HONOR GIRL, a graphic memoir depicting her experience at an all-girls Christian summer camp and the events that followed.

Fifteen-year-old Maggie spends all of her summers at Camp Bellflower, a traditional all-girls summer camp. As if life at that age isn’t complicated enough with rumors, cliques and bullying, she finds herself in love with a girl named Erin, one of the camp counselors.  

This story is a really important addition to young adult novels because there is a severe lack of LGBTQ+ books. Thrash delves into the different emotions linked with coming out, which might help those who are in similar situations. Thrash describes different levels of acceptance and prejudice she experienced during the summer and describes how she handled it. Even if the reader is not part of the LGBTQ+ community, it is great to see an honest representation of teen experiences.

The importance of HONOR GIRL extends to topics beyond sexuality; Thrash discusses bullying, friendship and growing up with a refreshing honesty.

The importance of HONOR GIRL extends to topics beyond sexuality; Thrash discusses bullying, friendship and growing up with a refreshing honesty. One topic that isn’t explained is the fact that a counselor and a camper is an inappropriate pairing, and at times, that made me uncomfortable. The ending, though a bit of a disappointment, reminds readers that life isn’t always a fairy tale and that young adult fiction often sets unrealistic relationship standards for teen romances.

The medium of graphic novel makes this reading this story a unique experience. With minimalist drawings, the reader is left with a lot of room to imagine. There are some choppy transitions that might confuse the reader and stunt the flow of the story, but the overall format and reading experience is a positive one.

This book was a quick read that managed to be both funny and hard hitting. I wish I had this kind of book when I was 15; it is a coming of age story featuring a real girl and real events without any glorification, which is a rare commodity. Overall, Thrash told a tale that is important to be heard. I hope that she will write another story for readers like me who are curious about what happened after this story ended.

Reviewed by Alyssa Luis on September 9, 2015

Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir
by Maggie Thrash