Hello friends! I am excited to share about a graphic novel today. Crushing by Sophie Burrows is a slice of life story about two individuals. Algonquin Young Readers released the title recently. The synopsis does justice to the book so let’s start there.
She’s lonely and searching for connection. He’s lonely and afraid to reach out.
Life in the big city means being surrounded by connections—making them, missing them, and longing for them. But is finding someone else really the answer to their problems?
Crushing, the stunning debut graphic novel from Sophie Burrows, is a story told in silence; a story without words but bursting with meaning; a story about loneliness and love.
Achingly beautiful, quietly defiant, and full of subtle wit and wisdom, Crushing is a unique meditation on the human condition in the twenty-first century, and a timely examination of young adult life in an age of isolation.
My Thoughts on Crushing
As the saying goes, pictures are worth a thousand words. Crushing expresses so much through the comics that words are not really required. In the silence, I felt like I was weaving in the story based on the expressions of the characters as well as the setting that the pages depicted.
The mundaneness of life is depicted beautifully. Shopping, putting stuff away, relaxing on the couch with the cats, watching tv and flipping through channels because our mind is bored… and hence, heading out for a midnight snack… Crushing portrays single life in its true colors. The awkwardness of wanting to know someone but not wanting to take the first step, sneaking glances at this person of interest and not saying a word for the longest time.
There are also tiles that show the mess that life can be. People aren’t always considerate, some are rowdy and depending on how late it is at night, one can have some rough encounters. There are also joys in life though like drawing on glass windows, relaxing in the park, reading a book that many people will relate to. I really liked the tiles about health and wellness. The struggles of going to a yoga class and the satisfaction that comes with doing someone for oneself.
And finally the moment that gets our two main characters to chat. 🙂
Crushing is a lyrical wordless commentary on life. How we live through it. The things we hope for and the chance encounters that make life more interesting.
About the Author
Sophie Burrows is an award winning British writer, illustrator and comics creator. Inspired by the everyday, she loves to tell stories which explore themes of human behaviour, mental health and relationships. In 2019 she graduated from the MA in Children’s Book Illustration course at Cambridge School of Art, and subsequently won Student Illustrator of the Year 2019 at the V&A Illustration Awards.
Her first picture book as writer/illustrator, Ig Pig and Og Frog! was released in 2020, and her debut graphic novel, Crushing , publishes in 2021. Alongside her illustration, Sophie is also an associate lecturer and teaches on the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art.
Sophie lives and works in London with her partner Daniel. Besides drawing, she also loves to cook, and enjoys being creative in the kitchen. She is an avid music lover, and often spends her spare time watching live music and going to festivals. You can follow Sophie on instagram and twitter.
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Many thanks to Algonquin Young Readers for a digital review copy of the book. Share this one with a loved one!
Banner Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
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