The Nao of Brown

This is a brilliant book. It is so subtle and complex at the same time that it's hard to appreciate it after a cursory reading. The watercolour art is also absolutely gorgeous and the amount of detail in every panel just blew my breath away.

I rated it 4 instead of 5 stars because I felt the ending was a bit rushed and also because some of the references just flew over my head. However, after reading this excellent guide: The Nao of Brown Study Guide, I'm just amazed at all the subtle themes and references weaved throughout the story.

I think this will definitely benefit from a reread.

This is a graphic novel with gorgeous watercolor artwork. It's story of a half-Japanese, half-English young woman named Nao Brown who has OCD. She's trying to arrange a comfortable existence for herself. It's an adult story which doesn't spell everything out and manages to convey a lot of feeling from the artwork alone. It's an interesting read filled with some interesting characters. There's some parts that get a little psychobabbly – not too much though. It possibly wraps up a little too neatly but overall I enjoyed this layered story.