GRAPHIC NOVELS

Orphan of the Moon: Notebook of a Girl in a Moscow Station | Spotlight Review

by Andrea Clark Libin
Thoreau Lovell. Sept. 2020. 88p. ISBN 9781732436961. pap. $18. Rated: Teen+. graphic novels
COPY ISBN
[DEBUT] Illustrated with scraps of Russian candy wrappers, cutouts from Soviet fashion magazines, and creator Libin’s own sketches and photographs, this graphic novella feels like a real diary one might find tucked under a bench in a Moscow train station. The unnamed narrator, whose mother abandoned her after a series of misfortunes, reveals a dreary tale of lost children living in the tunnels beneath the snowy streets of Moscow. They steal and scavenge to survive, fantasize about American tourists whisking them away, sniff glue and drink pilfered beers to forget their harsh reality, even as they keep ahead of the police, rival gangs of orphans, and greedy pimps who are always lurking on the fringes offering false promises to the girls, who crave family and belonging.
VERDICT Libin’s lyrical, short prose poems are consistently bleak and sometimes maddeningly vague, but she occasionally hits on an evocative image that transports readers straight to the frigid midnight streets of Moscow. The book’s design will appeal to fans of zines and other DIY literature, making it a good fit for edgier, experimental adult collections.
Reviewed by Ingrid Bohnenkamp, Springfield-Greene Cty. Lib. Dist., Springfield, MO , Sep 18, 2020
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Past Tense: Facing Family Secrets and Finding Myself in Therapy
by Mardou, Sacha
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Soseki Natsume’s Botchan: The Manga Edition
by Natsume, Soseki
GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Hidden Life of Trees: A Graphic Adaptation
by Wohlleben, Peter & Fred Bernard
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Masterpiece
by Bendis, Brian Michael
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Cemetery Kids Don’t Die, Vol. 1
by Thompson, Zac
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword, Vol. 1
by Manara, Milo
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?