The Gulf - by Adam de Souza

About the Book

"Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends run away from home in order to join a commune."--]cProvided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends run away from home in order to join a commune in this YA graphic novel for ages 14 and up. Stand by Me meets Catcher in the Rye by way of Skim.

Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it's all she can think about. Now that she's nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing.

Everything comes to a head when Oli's relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can't help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli's ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed . . . and simply trying to find their place in it.

This YA anti-coming-of-age road trip adventure, by talented up-and-coming comic artist Adam de Souza, captures at once the angst and humor of being a teen during a time of great transition.

Review Quotes

Nominated for the 2024 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People -- Illustrated Text!
One of CCBC's Best Books for Kids and Teens for 2024
An Editors' Picks: Best Teen and Young Adult books of December on Amazon.com
One of The Comics Beat's 50 Best Comics of 2024
Included in Best of 2024 -- Kids & Young Adult at Gosh! Comics

PRAISE FOR The Gulf

"With its vintage aesthetic and emotive sketches, this explores the poignant uncertainties of growing up. An evocative tale reminiscent of Jillian and Mariko Tamaki's This One Summer (2014), this book is a great match for teens searching for community, purpose, and the possibility of existing just for the sake of it." --STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

"Deep emotions emerge throughout this journey. . . . [A] way to reframe how [readers] see the world when facing a crisis, making it a purposeful purchase for social-emotional learning." --School Library Journal

"Evocatively captures adolescent earnestness and idealism for living meaningfully." --Kirkus Reviews

"[A]n absorbing coming-of-age story." --CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"[A] melodrama of independence and reliance, where trouble becomes a key unlocking the past." --Comics Beat

About the Author

ADAM DE SOUZA is a Canadian cartoonist and illustrator. He has been drawing comics for as long as he can remember and self-publishing his work for the better part of a decade. His ongoing comic strip "Blind Alley" was 2022's recipient of the Cartoonist Studio Prize for web comics. Outside of comics, he has illustrated children's books and worked for publications such as the Globe and Mail.