Graphic Novels You Need to Read! – Part One

I have having so much fun doing these two part post series each month in which I recommend some books. My last series was all about books to devour in Summer! This month I wanted to discuss and recommend some Graphic Novels that will help you get started with the genre or if you are already a fan, ones that you need to read. This is going to be a two part post as there are a lot of graphic novels I want to recommend for the summer months! Here is part one of Graphic Novels You Need to Read!The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

“Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend?”

This was one of the first ever graphic novels I picked up and is the first one that comes to mind when people ask me to recommend a graphic novel. This is such a sweet story that you will fly right through. The art throughout this graphic novel is absolutely gorgeous too. This is one I feel needs to be talked about more.

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Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

“All Vera wants to do is fit in—but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range—Russian summer camp.

Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!”

I remember picking this graphic novel up on a whim one morning and I had read it by that night. This is just a fun-filled graphic novel that I actually wrote a full review of a while ago. You can find that review here.  I love the art style in this book a lot and want to read more from Vera Brosgol. This is the graphic novel if you are looking for something fun and quick to read.

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In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang

“Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It’s a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It’s a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. 

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer–a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behaviour is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realise that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person’s real livelihood is at stake.”

This is actually the first ever graphic novel that I read and it is the reason I fell in love with the genre. I remember picking this up one day before going to a concert that night. Despite being excited for the concert I sat in the queue reading this book because I just couldn’t put it down. I am so glad I picked this up on the whim and I cannot recommend it enough!

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Sheets by Brenna Thummler

“Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical thirteen year old in charge of the family laundry business, her daily routine features unforgiving customers, unbearable P.E. classes, and the fastidious Mr. Saubertuck who is committed to destroying everything she’s worked for.

Wendell is a ghost. A boy who lost his life much too young, his daily routine features ineffective death therapy, a sheet-dependent identity, and a dangerous need to seek purpose in the forbidden human world.

When their worlds collide, Marjorie is confronted by unexplainable disasters as Wendell transforms Glatt’s Laundry into his midnight playground, appearing as a mere sheet during the day.”

This is a graphic novel that I had thought about picking up for a few months before I actually picked it up. I wish I had picked this one up a lot sooner. The art style in this one is beautiful but not only that the story is wonderful. It is such a heart-warming story that I’ve read it twice to appreciate both the story and the art. I love this graphic novel a lot.

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On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

“Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As Mia, the newest member, gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. When Mia grows close to her new friends, she reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.”

This graphic novel is absolutely stunning. I carried this round with me a long time and read little bits of it when I had the opportunity. Tillie Walden’s stories always have a way of capturing me and her writing is beautiful. On top of that is her illustrations, which are incredibly gorgeous. Her art is something I could look at for days on end and I’m surprised I haven’t already done that. This graphic novel is one that is worth spending your money on!

What graphic novels would you recommend? Which graphic novels do you think everyone should read? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to look out for part two of this series coming soon!