*Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I wanted to love this book, I truly did. I love history, particularly 20th century history. I love books and I love sharing my love of books and history with my students. I thought a graphic novel on the horrors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide could be a sensitive way to explore this tragedy with my students. I was wrong. This book, whilst it looks like a YA book, given its format, is not appropriate for young adults. The language and themes would not work in a classroom. I do not mean the theme of the brutality of the conflict. I mean the obscenities that are present in the novel and the way that some of the characters are portrayed. I so wanted to love this, but I most certainly did not.

I had never seen a graphic novel about the Rwandan genocide, so the novelty will grab some readers. Deogratias is a teenager living in Rwanda who is trying to survive. The story flips quickly between the past and present, with the present Deogratias being vacant-eyed and covered in stains. I didn't feel invested in the story or characters until 3/4 of the way through. I think it would be difficult to read for someone who didn't already know some of the history behind it. A small section at the beginning explains about the genocide in Rwanda for this reason. The book had graphic violence, nudity, and language, so it would be difficult for me to recommend this to younger readers, even teenagers. I did like the dog parallel to Deogratias throughout the book, which showed war as dehumanizing.

As someone who went in knowing very little about this conflict, I felt let down. Whilst it was clear that the constantly swi5ching timelines were a stylistic choice that was ultimately revealed at the end, I found it extremely hard to follow, particularly when it was not clear half the time that a jump had even happened, until part way through. The explanation at the start was very helpful, but the story itself was lacking.

I'm embarrassed to say this is a DNF (did not finish) for me. The reality was/is as confusing as the retelling. The drawings, while supposed to be dark, were often too dark to discern what the drawings were meant to be. The "colorful" language, although brief, is beyond what would allow this to be a board of education-approved title; therefore, it might be relinquished to a library shelf and rely on serendipity or an enthusiastic teacher to discover it. I wanted to understand it; again, I'm embarrassed that I didn't.

I cannot rate this book higher than a two because the file would not download. I would love to read it, but it simply wouldn't work. Based on the description it sounds like a wonderful complement to any non-Western book class at the secondary (or even post-secondary) level.

A story of the Rwandan genocide told through the lens of one young survivor, this is a tough read. The preface is informative, though it will make you want to learn more about Rwanda and its conflicts immediately. The art is perfect for the story, particularly when our protagonist transforms into a dog (a heartbreaking coping mechanism he has developed). I'm not sure this is a title I want to revisit - it's not a happy story, but it is a necessary one.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While this book seems well done and relevant, unfortunately it does not work for my middle grade audience (6-8). I was hoping it would tie in with our eighth graders’ intensive literature work with the Holocaust.

A very important topic for a graphic novel. The art style is alright.