Parachute Kids

Parachute Kids is a compelling and moving graphic novel about immigration. It is set in the early 1980s, but I feel that the issues and experiences are still sadly relevant in contemporary times. The narrative follows a family from Taiwan who are visiting California except there is a huge twist: the parents have decided to leave their children to have a better life in the USA until they can return.

Most of the narrative then follows Feng-Li, the younger sister as she tries to fit in at school and life. She feels isolated and out of touch, and learning English is a huge hurdle. Also, she gets teased by other kids for being out of touch with US pop culture and also not having enough money to get some of the things she feels would help her fit in. However, this book is not just about her plight but also features two other prominent plots with her older siblings. Her older brother Ke-Gang has different issues than her fitting in, as he falls into a group of other immigrant children, but they often get into trouble outside of school. Her older sister Jia-Xi perhaps struggles the most, as she has to maintain finances as well as shoulder many of the parental roles. All of them fall into peril when she is victimized by a phishing call.

What I loved about this book was how it told individual tales in a way that reflects universal struggles that immigrants face. Even 40 years later, many of the prejudices, pitfalls, and obstacles still exist for people seeking to find better living conditions for themselves and their children. Both of my parents are immigrants so I am especially sensitive to immigration tales, and this one is told in beautiful and heart-rending fashion.

Although this book is fictional, it is based on the experiences of its author Betty C. Tang, herself a parachute kid from Taiwan who still lives in the USA. She has worked for various Hollywood animation studios including Disney TV and Dreamworks Animation. She has been working on her second graphic novel, a sequel called Outsider Kids, which is due to be published in April.

Parachute Kids won an Excellence in Graphic Literature Award, was included on the National Book Award Longlist, and was named an Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book. Consequently, it has been extremely well reviewed. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "Emotionally moving and beautifully executed." In another starred entry, this one in The Horn Book, Jerry Dear wrote, "Tang weaves themes of family, racial stereotyping, cultural adaptation, sacrifice, peer pressure, sexuality, bullying, and survival into a poignant and triumphant story of perseverance and resilience, presenting a remarkably honest depiction of an Asian American immigrant experience." Esther Keller opined, "The endearing artwork, with color that pops and wide-eyed characters that mimic manga-style artwork, will easily find its audience."

Parachute Kids was published by Scholastic, and they provide more information about it here.

Reckless

I have read pretty much everything that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have published. Together they have produced some of the most compelling and well crafted crime/suspense stories of the past couple decades, sometimes melded with superhero tropes, supernatural tales, movie history, or even westerns. Of late, they have moved from producing monthly comic books to original graphic novels, and Reckless is the first of a series.

The titular star of this series is Ethan Reckless, an ex-student radical from the 1970s who has flamed out and taken up residence in a run-down movie theater and who takes on private cases for those he deems worthwhile. For a price. In this book, he runs into a woman from his past and is faced with a case that brings up lots of baggage. I know all of this seems cliche to those who relish a good pulp tale, but the way the story is executed and paced is pitch perfect. 

The artwork clearly displays a love for the recent past, with accurate depictions of old locales and cars, as well as hairstyles and fashions. This book is homage not only to classic pulp authors like Donald Westlake and John D. MacDonald but also past decades. The coloring by Jacob Phillips resembles that of classic paperback covers, adding to the tone and timbre. I loved getting swept up in this story, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. It's another winning piece of genre fiction from these masterful creators.

Even the exposition is interesting!

All of the reviews I've read of this book have been glowing. Jake Owens wrote, "Reckless showcases all that the comic book/graphic novel genre is capable of. Exquisite art and skillful dialogue meet in a display of subtlety that weaves together and makes something much larger than the sum of its parts." Zac Owens called it "nearly perfect." Justin Harrison summed it up as "a damn compelling introduction to an intriguing anti-hero."

Reckless was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more about the entire series here. It features violence, drug use, and sexual situations so it is suggested from readers mature enough to deal with those topics. And if you like this book, there are four subsequent sequels.