ASH’S CABIN, by Jen Wang, First Second, Aug. 13, 2024, Paperback, $17.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A misunderstood teen searches for a place of their own in Ash’s Cabin, a coming-of-age graphic novel by Jen Wang.
Ash has always felt alone.
Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life.
The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life.
But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone…can they really be happy alone? Can they survive alone? —Synopsis provided by First Second
Ash’s Cabin is reminiscent of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet but with more contemporary issues.
Ash feels misunderstood by everyone — their peers, their siblings, their parents. The only person who really seemed to get them was their grandfather. Ash decides that if they can find grandpa’s cabin, maybe it will be a special place. A place where they can be themselves, away from all the noise.
Ash’s plans are dangerous, yes, but they make sense to them. And that’s what makes sense with Jen Wang’s character study. In Ash, Wang explores gender identity in a way that will feel right to readers.
Wang’s distinct artwork, rendered in muted earth-tone watercolors, sets the tone. Emotion plays out in her illustrations, and her settings are beautiful.
Ash’s Cabin is a fast-moving graphic novel — I read it in one sitting — that stays with you days after completion. It won’t be a good fit for everyone, but it will resonate with the readers who need it most.
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