Persepolis, Vol. 1

This was my first graphic novel. What a fun way to read stories! The graphic style was simple, and so was the narration. I had not known much about Iran, the only things I knew were from bits of news, some from history textbooks, not much. This book opened my eyes - the world is not how we perceive, not modern Western civilization fighting against the Middle East. The author paints a grim picture but also reminds us that they were humans too. They rebelled. The author, then a child, rebelled in ways that were meaningful to her. There were no clear answers on who to believe, what to trust - I cannot imagine my childhood being spent going to funerals and hiding in the basement and hoping I don’t die. The author paints a simple picture of a grim reality. The dialogues are funny and light, keeping the whole novel appealing (even considering the dark topics).