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Publication: The Breeze, James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA.
This one summer, things are different, two best friends grow up, and a family flourishes together through rounds of fighting and uncertainty. Cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki do storytelling through art with their design of the graphic novel, “This One Summer.” It’s a fast-paced tale that follows a young girl, Rose who craves adventure with a budding sense of curiosity.
Since she was young, Rose and her family have always gone to Awago Beach. The Tamakis paint a classic picture of summer scenery and aesthetic. Each year, she stays in a quaint cabin by the shore near her friend, Windy. Together, they explore Awago and spend as much time together as they can before Rose has to go back home. Yet, this summer is a tad different from the others.
The Tamakis explore the meaning of family and relationships in the novel. The cousins had previously written a plot that sheds light on touchy topics and secret longings in their previous collaboration, “Skim.” In comparison, their newest graphic novel is more lighthearted, but continues to highlight concepts of longing but in a different perspective.
The story revolves...