I agree with other reviewers who suggest this book has all too much intensity — yet I regard the power of the storyteller using images and words.

"Little Mama" is a raw and brutal graphic novel. There is a lot to unpack with this one. And nothing in this is for the faint of heart. But it is real and so important.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Little Mama is a French comic, translated into English by Montana Kane. It details the early life of Brenda, who was born to a young single mother and felt like it was her responsibility to take care of her, even though her mother was frequently abusive and cruel. When her mother marries and has a new child, Brenda's life only gets worse, as Vincent is even more cruel than her mother.

There are a few small confusing things: Brenda is depicted as a child in the beginning of her therapy sessions, even though she gives her age as 29. Is she supposed to still be mentally a child? Or regressed now that she's in therapy?
The timeline can be a little confusing: did her mother finally stand up to Vincent before or after Kevin was attacked by the dog? How long did Brenda live with them after Vincent left?

But those don't detract from the horrifying ordeals Brenda had to go through. Watching her try and try to please her mother and step-father, despite how much they clearly detested her, was heartbreaking. Seeing that nothing could be done to help since she refused to speak out was even more so.

But people are incredibly resilient, emotionally, physically, and mentally, as this journey shows for Brenda and, hopefully, any others who need to hear it.

In this graphic novel, the main character, Brenda, looks back through the lens of therapy at her turbulent and abusive childhood.

I appreciate that the author decided to address this type of story, since domestic violence and abuse is shockingly commonplace and yet frequently ignored. For me, this title is extremely reminiscent of "A Child Called It," and yet even more stomach churning because of the visual medium. You may need a break while reading Little Mama. I know I did.

Although it is easy to get caught up in that darkness, the author attempts to throw you a life jacket in the way the story is framed. The story is largely told in flashbacks from the therapist's office, so there is periodic relief from the abusive imagery. We know that Brenda has survived it all, found a life and family of her own, and is considering how she feels about reconciliation with the family members she left behind.

The color palette is minimal, utilizing blacks, whites and greys. This choice works for me because a colorful page would have felt too vibrant for the tone and subject of this story. Brenda's story doesn't give her many occasions to see (or show us) beauty, but the illustrations of her calm, peaceful retreats to the water/fish are a lighter contrast to the harsh lines and chaotic paneling of her abuse.

I would recommend this title on realism and treatment of the subject matter alone, however, I don't know that it would have wide appeal among my teen community. I think this would fit better in an adult GN collection.

Full Disclosure: I was given a digital version of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review

Little Mama follows the tumultuous childhood of a girl named Brenda who was abused by her mother and, subsequently, her mother's boyfriend. This graphic novel brings up a lot of hard hitting topics centered around child abuse and it does not shy away from the brutality, turmoil and consequences that come out of being subjected to that type of lifestyle.

I feel that the book brought up a lot of solid issues/points when it came to the topic of child abuse (i.e: extreme highs and lows in the relationship(s) with the abuser(s), resorting to drugs/alcohol/therapy to cope with the abuse, a dysfunctional social service system, trying to break the cycle, etc). However, I feel that the writing was a little choppy and a bit hard to follow at points due to the fact that there were no clear transitions between time skip segments and there were certain panels where it was hard to figure out what was going on because the art was a bit messy. I feel that the graphic novel approach makes it hard to fully flesh out all the topics presented but I was left wishing that the story spent more time with each situation Brenda was put in instead of rushing through it and jumping to the next scene/situation.

Regardless, this book will no doubt have a big emotional impact on the people who decide to pick it up.

This was utterly haunting and heartbreaking, I felt a myriad of different emotions throughout it. The art style added layers to the portrayal of the characters and situations (I especially loved the panels with a view of the street through the aquarium). A difficult but very deeply potent read.

This book was extremely disturbing and hard to read. The most difficult part was that there was no justice in the end. The depiction of the "authorities" being unable to do anything definitely felt believable.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy.

It was hard to get through this 200 page graphic novel because of the content. The abuse that Brenda goes through was horrific and hard to see take place on the page. However, it was well-written with beautiful art.

*thank you to Netgalley, Diamond Book Distributors and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.

This simply wasn't for me. I couldn't get into it and the illustrations didn't appeal to me either. It wasn't badly written, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would have.

This was an incredibly difficult book to read, but at the same time I couldn't stop. I can't say I would recommend it, due to the subject matter and the intensity I wouldn't necessarily want anyone to think it reminded me of them. I would however keep it in my library, for people to find on their own.

I was super intrigued by this graphic novel because the description sold me. unfortunately this one didn't deliver but I wont give up hope!

This is a confronting and brutal depiction of child abuse and family violence. Brenda’s only a small child when she earns the nickname ‘Little Mama’; she takes on adult responsibilities, looking after her own mother. Brenda’s mother is abusive and while Brenda’s bruises don’t go unnoticed at school, no one intervenes.

Brenda’s life becomes even more volatile when her mother’s new boyfriend moves in. The only good thing in Brenda’s life is her new baby brother, Kevin, who she cares for and adores.

Told mostly in flashbacks while adult Brenda tells her therapist about her traumatic childhood, this is not a fun read. The long term effects of trauma are evident in this story - Brenda’s guilt and shame, the effects on her self esteem, the intrusive nature of the memories - but you also get to see her resilience, despite experiences that understandably made her want to give up at times.

Because this story is told throughout therapy sessions it can feel disjointed at times, but each memory adds to the overall picture. I felt uncomfortable the entire time I was reading, always dreading the next violent act. This made the story feel more authentic to me because that’s what ongoing violence feels like - unable to enjoy any respite because you’re always waiting for the next time.

I fumed at the inaction of everyone who knew (or suspected) what was occurring in this home and failed to protect these children. We can always do better where child protection is concerned; I can only hope this is a story of how things used to be.

The colour scheme felt in keeping with the atmosphere of the story, essentially black and white offset by a muted green throughout. I may be overthinking this but I did wonder if the green used was intended to mimic a faded bruise, even though it was a softer and prettier green on the screen I viewed the graphic novel on than a bruise is.

Content warnings include physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, animal abuse, family violence and suicidal ideation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.