For The Love Of God, Marie!

By Jade Sarson. Published by Myriad. 

Softcover, 240 pages, Colour, 2016. 

Selected —Best of the Year, Forbidden Planet: Andy Oliver's pick 2016

'It is an incredible achievement of intelligent social storytelling… the book is highly progressive. No two pages of the book are the same, the story dictating the flow of panels. The only constant is Marie’s hair, which is as wild as she is.'—Ink Magazine

This is Marie. Excuse the hair – she’s had a long night.

Armistead Maupin meets Ab Fab in this sparkling, sexy comedy of manners that celebrates the life and loves of Marie and a cast of LBGT characters.

Marie is a girl with the gift of understanding, who is often misunderstood. At home and in her Catholic sixth form, she confounds family, friends and teachers with her innocent attempts to make everybody feel loved.

As we follow Marie from the 1960s to the 1990s, we find out what it means to be a spirited young woman from a religious household who believes that maybe, just maybe, God doesn’t care what you do with your body as long as it makes you happy. Because really, what harm can come from loving people?

With exuberant art and trademark lightness of touch, Jade Sarson shows us how attitudes to love, sexuality and religion have changed over the last fifty years.

A beautiful Japanese-influenced graphic novel, this is the debut by the winner of the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition 2014.

A wonderful graphic novel that stays with you once you've finished reading it. Sarson fills her pages with beautiful illustrations and her characters have a strong identity which really comes through. I am looking forward to reading more from Jade! - Books of Shelf

Sexy, funny, emotional, and completely unforgettable…If you want to let a teenager know about sex - and the soaring highs and crashing lows that come with sex as part of adult life – just give them For The Love of God, Marie! And don't stop at giving it to school children either – it's one I think everyone could do with reading, embracing, and loving.  - Luke Marlowe, Disclaimer Magazine

An absolute revelation… Jade’s free-flowing visuals are stunning, as is her gorgeous use of colour to accentuate mood and theme, and her ability to make her audience feel totally invested in her characters remains undiminished. - Andy Oliver, Best of the Year 2016, Forbidden Planet

Brilliant, surprising… Beautifully drawn… I found [it] touching through to heartbreaking. This is the least erotic book I’ve encountered with a polyamorous lead; a bisexual character and a woman whose life and sexual identity don’t stop in response to motherhood or becoming middle aged. I wish there was more of this sort of thing. - Nimue Brown, Druid Life

A fun, sexy and moving account of changing times and a life lived defiantly outside of society’s demands. - For Books Sake

The lush, lively, manga-influenced art is to die for. If this were just a good-looking sex comic, that would be enough. But it delves into deeper issues of faith, family, aging, love, and loyalty with light, sure strokes. As this debut graphic novel shows, U.K. cartoonist Sarson is an up-and-coming talent to watch. - Publishers Weekly

I finished reading this book with a smile on my face wanting to meet a real world Marie and chat with her over coffee about what she’s been up to since. - Emily Owen, downthetubes

It is an incredible achievement of intelligent social storytelling… the book is highly progressive. No two pages of the book are the same, the story dictating the flow of panels. The only constant is Marie’s hair, which is as wild as she is. - Ink Magazine

One of the pleasures of Jade Sarson’s debut graphic novel For the Love of God, Marie! is that it takes sexuality seriously. - Teddy Jamieson, Herald Scotland

Marie is one of the most joyful, open and accepting characters I’ve ever encountered in the realms of fiction. This graphic novel is a glorious, hilarious, tender, heartbreaking yet liberating romp that will move you to laughter and tears and back again. It’s an absolute joy to read. - Pamreader

This is a book so bursting with love that it will make your hearts SOAR! If understanding and kindness is what you crave, I present you with 225 pages of pure passion initially presented in the most heavenly, cohesive coupling of purples and gold. - Page 45

A visual, narrative feast with the kind of heart that I downright crave… By cultivating a visual style all of her own, or by braving the depths of human flaws and desires in her writing, Jade never disappoints. - Emma Vieceli

A beautifully individual and dreamlike succession of fun and filth to add to the Myriad roster... a very individual and entertaining book… It’s going to be a knockout! - Woodrow Phoenix

In turns dramatic, sexy, funny and heart wrenching... This book (much like Marie herself) is completely and unapologetically itself from beginning to end, and I loved it! - Paul Duffield

Full of energy with dynamic characters who jump off the pages… Sarson is a great storyteller and definitely one to watch on the UK comic scene. - Karrie Fransman