I was not expecting this one to be such a gut punch. I don’t know why because looking at the cover with the flames, the derogatory name, and the unhappy boy scout it should’ve been obvious, but still it got dark.
There was so much in this that I identified with from growing up as a boy scout, being chubby, and figuring out my sexuality. It was like looking in a very unflattering mirror with added identities for the protagonist who was half Filipino and making the transition from private middle school to public high school.
The graphics were mostly black and white with some reds and oranges used sparingly and when they were used they stood out. The final scene when they were used was both incredibly beautiful but also harrowing and frightening. I honestly wasn’t sure how it was going to end, even though this is semi-autobiographical, I was holding my breath.
My favorite scenes though were the lake scenes when Aiden (protagonist) and Elias, his crush. There were a couple of full pages and a couple of panel pages and they were so beautifully drawn. They also were the last few moments before the book turned because Aiden kisses Elias’s cheek and everything seems to go to hell for a few days, which was very sad.
The funniest part to me about the book was the three merit badges and two big activities Curato profiled: archery, orienteering, and basket weaving; and overnight camp out and troop building activity. Those are probably the things that I remember most about camp. Well, that and avoiding the showers, just like Aiden. Oh and the X-Men comics, I mean come on pretty much all of it except maybe the scene with the bottle, but I’m sure it happened and I just wasn’t aware of it/avoided it like the plague.
Recommendation: This was a stunning work of art. The use of black and white and the selective orange and red was incredibly powerful. My favorite scenes and panels were when Curato took advantage of white space and used black and grays as the primary focus. This book does get dark with thoughts of suicide, but the hopeful outlook afterward is rewarding if you get to it.
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