Stitches

Stitches by David Small

I've previously reviewed HOME AFTER DARK which was also by David Small, but I don't think they're related. Maybe.

Here's an amazon summary, "David Small, a best-selling and highly regarded children's book illustrator, comes forward with this unflinching graphic memoir. Remarkable and intensely dramatic, Stitches tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who awakes one day from a supposedly harmless operation to discover that he has been transformed into a virtual mute―a vocal cord removed, his throat slashed and stitched together like a bloody boot. From horror to hope, Small proceeds to graphically portray an almost unbelievable descent into adolescent hell and the difficult road to physical, emotional, and artistic recovery.

A National Book Award finalist; winner of the ALA's Alex Award; a #1 New York Times graphic bestseller; Publishers Weekly and Washington Post Top Ten Books of the Year, Los Angeles TimesFavorite Book, ALA Great Graphic Novels, Booklist Editors Choice Award, Huffington Post Great Books of 2009, Kirkus Reviews Best of 2009, Village Voice Best Graphic Novel, finalist for two 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards (Best Writer/Artist: Nonfiction; Best Reality-Based Work). Illustrated throughout" AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

So something the amazon summary didn't explain at all is how the book began by illustrating different styles of communication. The main character grew up sickly, and to treat his sinuses and other ailments, his father used radiation treatment on him to cure it... which caused him to have cancer on his throat later in life. After the surgery, he's mostly mute as he has half his vocal cords left. Themes of communication everywhere!

That's enough summary.

Since this is a graphic novel, most of the story is in the visuals and enhanced by the dialogue, which makes writing a book review a little harder. That being said, here are some thoughts.

I really liked how the mother was portrayed not only from her communication in general, but her small acts of love.

I enjoyed the speculative wonder that the main character portrayed, but I also really enjoyed seeing him learn different lessons, how he dissected them, and then how he acted from what lessons he had gleaned.

I wish there had been more of the father and siblings. I think more of the story could have been shown through more passages with them, but that may have also disrupted the story flow and balance.

One of the last scenes with his mother definitely tugs at the heart strings.

It was a worthwhile read.

Happy reading!