“Sometimes I wonder…does anyone ever see me? Do I even want them to?”
Genre: Fiction/Graphic Novel
This graphic novel by Libenson incorporates the hardships of middle school and even finding yourself in a lighthearted and comical fashion. The main character, Emmie, is very easily relatable for anyone who has ever felt invisible or like their voice wasn’t being heard.
Emmie is a shy 13-year old girl who has a lot of trouble speaking up for herself. There is a moment in the beginning when two boys are chatting in front of her locker and it takes an incredible amount of self-persuading for her to make a sound that makes them move slightly so she can reach her locker. This is also the first moment when the audience sees Emmie wonder if anyone can even see her while also asking herself if that is even something she wants. She seems to make the most of her time spent going unnoticed as she sits in the back of her classes and draws, never socializing with anyone apart from her best friend.
Throughout the novel, there is another story running parallel to Emmie’s day that follows a girl named Katie. She is the embodiment of a beautiful, popular girl, who is always surrounded by friends and never overlooked. Readers learn at the end of the novel that Katie was created by Emmie as a way of coping with her loneliness and invisibility. However, after the actions of the characters in the story that originally leads to Emmie’s humiliation but later turns into her making two new friends at school, she realizes that she doesn’t need to escape into a perfect world and live vicariously through Katie. She just needs to accept herself and not live in so much fear.
There is a powerful message in this graphic novel that is cleverly told in a light way that would appeal to audiences of all ages. The story of a girl struggling with belonging is one that, as I mentioned, anyone who has felt invisible could relate to. I think it’s important for children of this age group and maybe even older to read this story and connect to the world that Emmie creates.
The Grand Adventure 