Helpful Score: 6
This was a haunting memoir about the author's sad and tragic childhood. The book really deals with some hard issues including parental neglect, lack of family communication, and the fears and nightmares of childhood. This book was recommended to me and was not disappointing. I really hadn't read any graphic novels (or memoirs) since my youth when I devoured comic books, but this is well worth a read/look. The drawings are haunting and go hand in hand with the story. This only took about 30-40 minutes to read but it will be long-lasting in its impressions. High recommendation.
Helpful Score: 3
This is my first graphic novel, and i found the format enriching to the story - the pictures explained beautifully his fears, his nightmares, his losses. I can't imagine words alone would have had the same impact.
Helpful Score: 3
STITCHES is David Small's memoir of his horrific childhood with parents who believed that silence was the best way of raising a child. When David was younger, his father treated his sinus infections with heavy doses of radiation. As a result, he developed cancer, and without telling him the reasons for their actions, doctors removed half his vocal chords and rendered him silent at the age of fourteen. STITCHES is drawn in a sparse, black-and-white style that's reminiscent of noir and horror films, as we the readers perceive David's world through his child's eyes. The result is a stomach-twisting but compelling graphic novel memoir.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a graphic autobiographical novel about the author's upbringing in the midwest with distant and sometimes abusive parents. Because of the graphic format, I was able to read it inside of an afternoon. Though it was a brief read, it was difficult to read about David's mistreatment at the hands of his parents, specifically his mother and grandmother. Nonetheless, I did enjoy reading this and am starting to enjoy the graphic novel format.
Helpful Score: 1
A very emotional story, the facial expressions were really intense and said more than any words could have. This is definitely not a children's book.
This is a very painful and insightfully written memoir of a severely emotionally and physically abusive childhood. While the author wasn't beaten by his parents, he was very badly physically harmed by their lack of good judgement, and the emotional scars he picked up from the toxic atmosphere created by his parents were no doubt permanent.
Fortunately, this book has a happy ending, with the author being able to escape his toxic childhood home and go on to be happy and successful, with strong relationships in his life. A self-aware person came into his world at the right time and helped him to become self-aware, too, which made all the difference. He has even been able to develop some understanding and compassion for the pain his parents (especially his mother) were going through that they placed on him, which is really quite an achievement for someone who has suffered that much.
This would be a moving and satisfying read for anyone who has had to deal with a dysfunctional family, especially of the emotionally stunted and cold variety, where honesty is the worst sin of all.
You can really see how painful these memories are for the author when you compare his drawings of real people to his drawings from his imagination that he used to escape into as a youth. There is a happiness and vivacity in the characters he draws that is sorely lacking in the images of the hurt and twisted people of his memories. This really makes clear how much of a sanctuary and saving grace art has been for him.
Tough read, but very worthwhile. It's good to see someone's journey to positive personal growth after abuse.
Fortunately, this book has a happy ending, with the author being able to escape his toxic childhood home and go on to be happy and successful, with strong relationships in his life. A self-aware person came into his world at the right time and helped him to become self-aware, too, which made all the difference. He has even been able to develop some understanding and compassion for the pain his parents (especially his mother) were going through that they placed on him, which is really quite an achievement for someone who has suffered that much.
This would be a moving and satisfying read for anyone who has had to deal with a dysfunctional family, especially of the emotionally stunted and cold variety, where honesty is the worst sin of all.
You can really see how painful these memories are for the author when you compare his drawings of real people to his drawings from his imagination that he used to escape into as a youth. There is a happiness and vivacity in the characters he draws that is sorely lacking in the images of the hurt and twisted people of his memories. This really makes clear how much of a sanctuary and saving grace art has been for him.
Tough read, but very worthwhile. It's good to see someone's journey to positive personal growth after abuse.
This graphic novel is VERY good. It reminds me a bit of Allison Bechdel's Fun Home. Both are family/childhood memoirs that cover some very difficult topics but that do so in an insightful and creative way. Would definitely recommend it.
