This is the best type of graphic novel, where it drives you to tears, but with it comes a kind of catharsis. Mags has a secret, one with sharp teeth and the potential to hurt. Nessa, her childhood best friend, was the only one who learned of it, and now she’s back, armed with questions about that secret and everything that happened all those years ago. Reading this and bearing witness to their solace found in vulnerability was a bit like communion – coming home and finding peace with someone who knows the scariest parts of you.
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag, (List Price: $16.99, Graphix, 9781338839999, June 2024)
Reviewed by Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina