Stitches; A Memoir by David Small

My sixteen year old son asked for this graphic novel and I acquiesced quite easily because he tends to buy/ask for superheroes or anime which tends to be harmless. The book came and DJ disappeared to his room as he tends to do only to come down two hours later book in hand and deeply disturbed. He quietly handed me the book and said read this under his breathe. Well my son never requests me to read anything he gets as we have two different styles so it must have been important. I sat down and began to read.

The illustrations and text in Stitches: A Memoir are done by the author/illustrator David Small. The illustrations are exceptional and express an emotional force that almost tells the story more than the text itself.

I thought as I read the book about what torment the author went through in writing and illustrating the book. I could see why my son looked so disturbed. It is not easy to read about childhood mistreatment. I can't say that the illustrations added to the story but, it was the skill of the author that made me read on. It is another story telling of the toughness of adolescents in the face of an adult’s lapse in judgment and exploitation that were clearly based on their own, individual troubles.

4 Stars