Three Shadows

Three Shadows
Written & Illustrated by: Cyril Pedrosa
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: First Second
Language: English
April 2008, $15.99
Genre: Graphic Novel

Can you ever escape your fate?

Three shadows stand outside the house – and Louis and Lise know why the spectral figures are there. The shadows have come for Louis and Lise’s son, and nothing anyone can do will stop them. Louis cannot let his son die without trying to prevent it, so the family embarks on a journey to the ends of the earth, fleeing death. Poignant and suspenseful, Three Shadows is a haunting story of love and grief, told in moving text and sweeping black and white artwork by Cyril Pedrosa.

+++++++++++++

”In this our springtime, there is no better, there is no worse
Blossoming branches burgeon as they must
Some are long, some are short. “

Cyril Pedrosa, who once drew for Disney, wrote Three Shadows after a friend’s child died at a very young age. But Three Shadows is more than a tale of grief and loss, it’s about love and family and enjoying every single moment that you have. The art is simple and yet no short of beautiful. Once again, I have had the pleasure to read a graphic novel that is poignant, brilliant and just as amazing as some of the books I have read in the past year.

I am not a parent, but know what loss feels like. I could relate to Louis wanting to do anything in his power to protect his son, but I also understood Lise. But there are some things that no amount of determination and strength can prevent and fear of death will hurt you even more in the end. It’s a difficult subject to tackle, but Cyril manages to do it with grace. I will say that there is a little bit of a detour in the third act that didn’t quite fit with the rest of the novel and yet I still enjoyed it because it was just another perspective on death.

Well worth the read and I hope you’ll give it a try.

4 out of 4 happy bibliosnark bookmarks