Aya
by Marguerite Abouet
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Book Summary Information
Author: Marguerite AbouetIllustrator: Clément Oubrerie
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-02-20
ISBN: 1894937902
Number of pages: 132
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
Book Reviews of Aya
Book Review: "Aya" gives a humorous and unique perspective on the life of an African girl with hopes and dreams
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading "Aya" was truly a unique experience for me. Having enjoyed the graphic novels of Art Spiegelman [Maus] and Marjane Satrapi [Persepolis], I was excited about "Aya", being the debut graphic novel by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie. This book won the pair the 2006 award for Best First Album at the Angouleme International Comics Festival[originally published in French], and after reading it I can understand the accolades.
Set in 1978 in a working class neighborhood called Yop City in the Ivory Coast, the story revolves around a 19-year-old young woman named Aya,who differs from her friends in that her mind is not 100% occupied with boys and partying but ambition [she wants to be a doctor]. Her character in itself seems counter to the stereotypes that we are presented in many other stories about the countries in Africa - the poverty, the sense of a doomed future, AIDS etc. Not that these problems aren't real, but Aya is such a refreshing character for her optimism and belief that her ambition is achievable, even in the face of parental objection and peer pressure to just be a girl and have fun, and despite the fact that she lives in the Ivory Coast, a poor nation that is notorious for child labour and 'blood diamonds'.
The story is one that we can all identify with - about growing up and being happy with friends and family, of life in a neighborhood, of having dreams both small and big, and perhaps this is what both Abouet and Oubrerie wish to get across - that despite economic disparities and cultural differences, different issues and concerns, "we" [being the world at large] do share similarities, perhaps more than most of us are aware of.
Abouet's intelligent, and humorous writing is beautifully complemented by Oubrerie's use of vibrant colors and expressive drawings [especially the character's faces]. This is a wonderful collaboration and a promising one indeed. I can't wait for the sequel!
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