The Gulf
The Gulf
By Adam de Souza. Published by Tundra.
Hardcover, 240 pages, 2-Colour, 2024
Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends run away from home in order to join a commune in this YA graphic novel for ages 14 and up. Stand by Me meets Catcher in the Rye by way of Skim.
Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it’s all she can think about. Now that she’s nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing.
Everything comes to a head when Oli’s relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can’t help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli’s ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed . . . and simply trying to find their place in it.
This YA anti-coming-of-age road trip adventure, by talented up-and-coming comic artist Adam de Souza, captures at once the angst and humor of being a teen during a time of great transition.
“With its vintage aesthetic and emotive sketches, this explores the poignant uncertainties of growing up. An evocative tale reminiscent of Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer (2014), this book is a great match for teens searching for community, purpose, and the possibility of existing just for the sake of it.” —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
“Deep emotions emerge throughout this journey. . . . [A] way to reframe how [readers] see the world when facing a crisis, making it a purposeful purchase for social-emotional learning.” —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
“Evocatively captures adolescent earnestness and idealism for living meaningfully.” —Kirkus Reviews