Everywhere antennas

Delporte's latest is an examination of modern life through poetry and simple but affecting colored pencil drawings. The first-person narrative is told in an illustrated diary format that makes the volume feel autobiographical as the narrator battles frequent headaches and depression. When she hits upon the idea that the physical misery that drives her may be caused by a sensitivity to the electromagnetic waves emitted by just about every modern convenience. She escapes to the country, searching for wellness and peace. Delporte's previous book, Journal, was the author's diary; her narrative technique brings the same sense of immediacy to fiction, especially when paired with her emotional art-it often reads, and feels, like illustrated poetry. The strength of the book lies in the changing art-the drawings are rougher and less focused when the narrator is in the city (among antennas) and more focused, detailed, clean, clear-headed, and lovely when she is free of the city (and its many antennas). (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

When we first meet the narrator of Everywhere Antennas, she seems like another angsty twentysomething. She is tired and confused and spends much of her time with debilitating headaches while she tries to study for her teaching exam. She assumes she is depressed, but when she learns of a rare condition that makes its sufferers sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, she realizes that her illness is far more complicated. Delporte (Dans ta Bulle radio show) uses spare writing, a jarringly vivid color palette, and naive drawings to take readers into the diary of her narrator. Loopy, crooked cursive and a pastiche of tape and smudges create intimacy. The artwork ranges from innocent outlines of the city to more nuanced sketches of nature to dreamy impressionistic landscapes as the narrator struggles to come to grips with her disease and what it means for her future. The use of color and tone is exceptional in this surprisingly affecting and thought-provoking graphic novel that forces readers to consider the role technology plays in their daily life. Verdict Fans of introspective comics will enjoy this distinct work.-E.W. Goodman, Art Inst. of Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.