Slip (a Graphic Novel) - by Marika McCoola (Paperback)

About the Book

"A young pottery student finds her artistic voice and first love at an art camp, while also coping with feelings of guilt and worry about her best friend, who recently attempted suicide"--

Book Synopsis

An emotional LGBTQ coming-of-age graphic novel, with a magical twist, for fans of Bloom and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, where a pottery student finds her artistic voice--and her first love.

Just as Jade is about to leave for a summer art program, her best friend, Phoebe, attempts suicide. How is Jade supposed to focus on her ceramics when Phoebe is in so much pain?

At the Art Farm, Jade is thrust into a whirlwind of creation, critiques, and the fervor of her fellow artists. As she gets to know her classmates, she begins to fall for upbeat, whimsical Mary.

The Art Farm is competitive. Jade's teachers are exacting. Overwhelmed, Jade pours herself--and her emotions--into making clay creatures. When she fires them in the kiln, something unreal happens: they come to life, running wild and wreaking havoc. If Jade won't confront her problems, her problems are going to confront her, including the scariest of them all: If Jade finds a way to grow, thrive, and even fall in love this summer, is she leaving Phoebe behind?

Review Quotes

ALA Rainbow Book List Pick
Indie Bestseller
Indie Next Pick
TLA Maverick List Pick

"A fierce, transformative graphic novel about art and relationships."
--Kirkus Reviews

"This graphic novel successfully brings the story to life via symbolism and figurative language coupled with deeply developed characters...With themes ranging from mental health to self-discovery, this ­art-infused text will entice graphic novel fans and art students and leave them wanting another installment of Jade's ­story."
--School Library Journal

About the Author

Marika McCoola is a writer, illustrator, educator,  and the New York Times  bestselling author of Baba Yaga's Assistant. She has spent over a decade working to connect books with readers. She studied illustration, art history, creative writing, and ceramics at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and received her BFA in illustration in 2009. 

Aatmaja Pandya is a cartoonist and illustrator born and raised in New York. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2014 and has been illustrating professionally ever since. Slip is her first graphic novel.