A review by marissasa
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I've never read a graphic novel like this one, in that it was the first non-fiction, historical, autobiographical one and that it was so unique and it really felt like you were seeing years of war-torn life in Iran play out from the eyes of a young, strong-minded, educated girl. This story balanced the bold and fun-loving feelings of being a kid so well with the hard-hitting realities of political unrest and the terrifying outcomes for those who joined in the revolution. I was truly impressed by the simple yet powerful art style of the comic panels, and felt like all the artistic choices from the use of only black and white to the large half or full page spreads scattered throughout were so intentional and integral to the storytelling. I couldn't stop reading and was so engrossed in the way that the author showed herself as the outspoken and loving Marji, who didn't shy away from learning about politics or hearing her family member's dark stories about imprisonment and losing their homes. This book also ends on a perfect sad cliffhanger that makes me want to read sequel immediately. 
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