Chiggers

In this graphic novel by Hope Larson (Atheneum 2008), Abby—age 13 or so—is drawn to her late-arriving bunk mate, Shasta, who claims to have been struck by lightning. Problem is Shasta’s an all-around weirdo. She’s abrasive. She’s geeky. She has secrets. She’s scornful of Abby’s other more mainstream, boy-crazy friends. Sensitive Abby is torn between her old friends and her new geeky pals, made harder when Abby falls for Teal, a sweet, bespectacled Dungeon Master—and Shasta threatens to steal him away.

The art is gorgeous: bold, fluid lines, captivating, expressive characters. The story is realistic and compelling. I remember there was a flurry of favorable blog reviews for Larson’s Gray Horses two years ago, but the story left me nonplussed. Chiggers makes up it. There is some of Gray Horses’ whimsy in the mysterious sparks Shasta seems to attract, but the main focus is Abby’s struggle to navigate the treacherous waters of adolescent society and find happiness in herself. Recommended for middle school on up.

You can read a preview of Chiggers online at New York Magazine and an interview with Hope Larson at Comic Book Resources.