This wasn't really what I thought it was going to be. That's not why I didn't like it so much: it felt almost incomplete to me. And my biggest issue was that it didn't seem to treat the audience with any sort of trust or understanding and I think my teens could see right through that. It's definitely an interesting story and Glock's life is a unique one, I'm just not sure that a graphic novel was the best way to showcase it.

Adorable graphic novel with admirable writing, very simplistic. I can definitely see middle-schoolers and 4th graders loving this. It's a very inspiring tale even though most people's parents don't work for the CIA.

Passport in a graphic novel memoir. This author grew up with parents in the CIA and even had to have this looked over before it was published. The art was interesting, but the story didn’t really grab me as much as I wanted. It could be that some details were cut to make it be more, but all in all still an interesting read.

Read full review at our blog - link provided. We'd like to thank the publisher for giving us a copy in exchange for a review!

The selling point of this book is that the MCs parents are CIA agents, but I think the more interesting story here is being an American going to school outside America since the CIA thing is barely mentioned in the book. Also, (this happens a lot with autobiographical graphic novels), there wasn't really a plot which made for an unsatisfying ending.

This is a beautiful graphic memoir, that you can read very quickly about youth, teenage life, growing up and family. Sophia is a young girl who just want to understand why her family is so much different than everyone else’s, why they act differently and so secretly. She finds it hard, as she is not part of the secrets and it’s her turn to keep secrets from her family. She starts going out, living a secret life so she can feel ‘normal’.

The story is beautiful, and the illustration are beautiful. I’m so glad I was able to read it as a graphic novel, I’d love to read more and find out more about Sophia, and her life afterward, but it was great to be able to picture more of the story thanks to the illustration. I highly recommend reading this book, even if you are not really into graphic novel – I think you could still like it.

Passport was a good read but felt a bit rushed. I initially had some difficulty rating it because it was a memoir. While I enjoyed reading about Sophia's journey to feeling like she belonged, towards the end, I felt there was a gap that made the ending a bit choppy. Passport follows Sophia, a young girl who was born American but has never really lived there or any country long enough to call home because of the nature of her parent's career. Sophia is often kept in the dark of what that secret is but as she gets older and questions more, eventually gets more insight form her parents.

Passport is a quick read and a pretty good coming of age story. I really enjoyed how the author depicted a turbulent teenage life. She showed Sophia [herself] trying to fit in while still trying to maintain the good daughter her parents want her to be. As she gets older, she craves more for that independence and acceptance. Sophia's somewhat strained relationship with her sister was something I wish had a bit more backstory for. My assumption was that the sister knew about her parents and wanted to leave out of that lifestyle the minute she had the chance. I was happy to see that their relationship was growing a bit once her sister came to visit. Sophia as a character was okay. She was a teenager navigating a place still very foreign to her even though she'd lived there for years but managed to still create some friendships and have an average high school experience.

Overall, if you are a fan of Persepolis or enjoy a memoir that is a quick read, you will enjoy this memoir. It was a quick, light but enjoyable read with a unique color scheme that worked well with the tone of the story.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Rating: 3.5
I always have a hard time rating and reviewing memoirs – It almost feels like I’m rating that person’s life, despite knowing that’s not the case. This tells the story of Sophia’s life as a teenager while living in Central America. As a teenager, Sophia knows little about her parents lives – due to the vague answers parents give. I found this to be a nice slice of life story – it felt like a very typical teenager’s experience – except that Sophia is an English speaking in a Spanish speaking country. I found that to be interesting since it’s different from my own experiences.

The art style was simplistic and stuck with the gray/white/pink tones with the odd pop of colour now and then. It felt like a mesh-up of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki with old style comic strip art style (think Family Circus or For Better or Worse). I enjoyed this art style and pallet for this story. I felt it fit the time, 90s, and the story. The pop of 90s culture that appears here and there was a nice surprise and added a note of nostalgia for me, which I loved.

Overall, this was a really great slice of life memoir with a different experience than my own, which made it more interesting. However, with memoirs being a genre that I gravitate less towards, I found myself less invested than I would have liked. If you love memoirs to gain different perspectives then I think you’ll enjoy this. If you’re hoping to venture more into non-fiction, but not sure how – then I think this would be a great step into the non-fiction world without feeling overwhelmed.

Passport is a fun, quick journey through just a few months of author Sophia Glock’s life. As she struggles to fit in in school, navigate first crushes, sibling rivalry, and more, she learns that there is something truly unique about her parents and the role they play in the world. At times poignant and funny and at times dark and sad, Passport is a journey through life and what it means to find yourself in the middle of the world.

3.5/5 stars.

This was unexpected and I feel kind of bad rating a true story but here we are. The trigger warnings were absolutely necessary and though the storyline was unexpected, I enjoyed reading about Sophia all the same.

Passport is Sophia Glock’s coming-of-age story. We follow her tumultuous teenage thoughts and feelings as she comes of age in a foreign country, surrounded by people she’s not sure are really her friends and parents who are secretive and distant.

I greatly appreciate that the book talked about colonization and poverty in Central America and that it touched on activism and consent. I loved the portrayal of Sophia's friends, her family's worries and nonchalance regarding their constant migration by her siblings and the protagonist's genuine emotions.

Overall, this was a very interesting read that emphasize on many things we tend to miss.

Sophia has to move often. Her parents tell her and her family that they move for their jobs. She changes schools often and she has to adapt to different situations. When you/she find(s) out what her parents do for a living, it comes as no surprise. Sophia has to rectify her American identity with her cultural immersions and that's hard to do for anyone. This is a coming of age graphic memoir like none other.
What I loved most: the cover of this graphic novel. I LOVE the boxes opening and turning into buildings. I also loved the muted colors that juxtapose with the drama of the story. I felt like I was growing up with Sophia. I also adored her dog in this one!

I honestly don't know how to go about reviewing a memoir, mainly because the author is sharing their own experiences.
Passport is a graphic novel so one thing I want to share is that the art is really good! I liked how it was easy to navigate through the story and I especially liked to see how the character's expressions changed minusculely yet evidently. A YA read at its peak, it discussed a few really important themes - of family bonding, friendships, relationships, romance and sex, identifying oneself and how basically everything around you affects you massively.

Trigger warnings: suicide, mention of hurricane, mention of gun violence,

Qotd: Are you a fan of graphic novels?
I personally love them as they are concise and easy to read, even while dealing with heavy issues.

Today is my tourstop for PASSPORT (a young adult graphic memoir) by Sophia Glock published by @llittlebrownyoungreaders conducted by tbrbeyondtours .

Synopsis: Sophia never stays at one place. Her family is constantly moving and so is she. One day , she accidentally sees a letter which unveils the mystery of their lives and she's never the same again.

Review:
Let me take a minute to appreciate this awesome cover- the cover art does absolute justice to the memoir aptly summarizing it .
This is a coming of age story of a teen who struggles to accept her reality. She is constantly moving from one place to another, she has no permanent friends and almost always never gets answers to her questions about her family. How frustrating must that sound? She has to start anew and by the time she gets sorted, she's brought back to square one. Sophia's network of complex relationships, her family's darkest secrets and web of lies , her coping mechanisms are all brought to life by the author's wonderful sketches.
I loved the portrayal of Sophia's friends, her family's worries and nonchalance regarding their constant migration by her siblings and the protagonist's genuine emotions.
I felt that some things were incomplete, which may be due to the fact that CIA was involved in the editing process. Otherwise , this was an interesting take on the memoir.
Rating:3.5/5

First off I wish to thank TBR Tours & Beyond for allowing me a place on the tour and to the Publishers for sending me a Netgalley Arc.


I am a great fan of graphic memoir novels and so when I read the synopsis of Passport I was very intrigued and excited. But when I started reading Passport I felt a bit let down if I am honest as I began to realise this was not a 3d of a person it was just 1d. I get that Sophie had to be vague but for me there were things that could of been explored more like the hurricane and how it changed a lot of lives and also the suicide of Nora which I felt was glossed over it was like here was Norah and then she wasn't. I also get the wanting to have friends and I question whether Beth was actually one because she kind of used Sophie.

I could not understand Sophie's reaction when she was finally told what the big secret was because the whole setup of the book was for her to 'question' everything but she just accepted what her parents told her even they weren't expecting the reaction they got. I would also like to have got to know Sophie's siblings especially Christopher.

It would of got a 2 star rating but the artwork is exceptional so I have bumped Passport to 3 stars

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Passport

Author: Sophia Glock

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Bisexual mc
Latinx side characters

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: Young adult readers, biography, graphic novel

Genre: YA Biography Graphic Novel

Publication Date: November 30, 2021

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 320

Recommended Age: 16+ (Sexual harassment, Rape mentioned, Being Outed, Kidnapping mentioned, Bullying, Drug use mentioned, Death mentioned, Gore mentioned, Suicide
mentioned, Sex mentioned, Alcohol consumption by minors, Language, Romance, Child abuse mentioned, Pedophilia hinted at, Sexual assualt)

Explanation of CWs: There is sexual harassment and sexual assault in the book. Rape and kidnapping are mentioned, with rape and/or consent being discussed about 3 times. There are two instances of the main character being outed. Bullying is shown. Drug use is mentioned a handful of times. Death is mentioned and a dead body is shown in a casket at a funeral. Gore is mentioned and suicide is discussed. Sex is mentioned and alcohol consumption is shown. While the age of consent is 18 where the MC is, I don't believe she herself is 18. There are a couple of curse words. Child abuse is mentioned and there is one instance where a character says a bartender caters to her because he likes little girls and both are very young, if not minor, children. There is also some romance scenes shown.

Synopsis: Young Sophia has lived in so many different countries, she can barely keep count. Stationed now with her family in Central America because of her parents' work, Sophia feels displaced as an American living abroad, when she has hardly spent any of her life in America.

Everything changes when she reads a letter she was never meant to see and uncovers her parents' secret. They are not who they say they are. They are working for the CIA. As Sophia tries to make sense of this news, and the web of lies surrounding her, she begins to question everything. The impact that this has on Sophia's emerging sense of self and understanding of the world makes for a page-turning exploration of lies and double lives.

In the hands of this extraordinary graphic storyteller, this astonishing true story bursts to life.

Review: I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I didn't expect the graphic novel to go where it went, but it was a really fun read that focused a lot on the teenage trials and tribulations outside of having parents that are spies LOL. I also appreciate that the book talked about colonization and poverty in Central America. I also liked that the book touched on activism and consent. The character development was really well done and I absolutely love the illustrations. I also thought The world building was fairly well done and the story is well written.

My only issue with the book is that from the synopsis it sounds like the story is going to go one way I e with our main character finding out that her parents are spiced and having to deal with that, but that was barely a blip on this teenagers radar in the book. The book mainly focused on this teenage girl figuring out life and her parents being spies was in a side to it. I really hope that there is a sequel because I really enjoyed the story overall, but I would like to see more of an emphasis on having to maintain the secret in living this lifestyle.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

I kind of feel weird rating someone’s memoir since it’s so personal and obviously real but I think I was expecting something a little different to what we got. Passport is Sophia Glock’s coming-of-age story. We follow her tumultuous teenage thoughts and feelings as she comes of age in a foreign country, surrounded by people she’s not sure are really her friends and parents who are secretive and distant. There were things that I found relatable as someone who had a similar(ish) upbringing and I thought this was an interesting memoir!

Things I enjoyed:
- As someone who grew up in a somewhat similar situation (minus the secret agent parents), I related to her teen experiences. I really related to the author’s feeling of not belonging where she grew up but also not belonging where she was born because yes, it’s such a stark and confusing feeling, and it sticks with you!
- The art style perfectly complemented the story! The characters all seem to blend with the same/similar physical features with minor differences between them, which seems to indicate how the author has distanced herself or feels unattached towards the people around her. The only people who seem to have distinctive features are her family, especially her parents and sister, and I think that's a great way to show who were the significant players in her life. I also loved how certain items were suddenly in a different colour which to me indicated how important or impactful it was to her (like that red dress)!
- One of the main reasons I requested to read this was because I had a somewhat similar upbringing minus the secret agent parents. However, growing up as a Third Culture Kid is such a unique experience and has such a lasting impact on all of us and I always love to see how others experienced it. I definitely related to some of the author's restlessness and the air of anticipation and expectation for something to happen. I also related to a lot of the sneaking out to the dodgiest places in foreign countries with that air of danger but also feeling invincible and anonymous enough to get away with it and have nothing happen to me (which is honestly ridiculous lol)! 😂
- I absolutely loved the ending of this graphic novel and it really hit home for me. Just the idea of believing you're finally going back to the place where you "belong" but then realising that it's actually not all it cracked up to be and how that sucks but it's just a part of life and it's okay.

Things I was on the fence about:
- I kind of wish that the reveal of her parents as secret agents got more of a focus. I mean, I can totally understand why it wasn’t because maybe it wasn’t allowed in the end, but I thought that aspect of the story would get more attention and the actual reveal felt a little anticlimactic. But the more I think about it perhaps that was also how the author felt in the end?

This is a wonderful book that I had the opportunity to read for a TBR and Beyond Blog Tour Interview!

this graphic novel was so unique and different from what i've been reading lately it definitely took me by surprise. whilst it wasn't my favourite book ever, i found myself super invested in the story. overall it would be a 3.5/5 or 4/5 stars!

my tbrbeyondtours tour stop & interview with the author will be posted on my instagram (@alibraryofpages) on november 18th :))

This is the story of a girl who is growing up constantly moving because her parents are CIA agents. I really enjoyed how that was only one aspect of this story but the focus was more on Sophia growing up and being a teenager trying to fit in. I liked how there was no clear distinction between past and present because I think it adds to the fact that for Sophia, the whole time just remained blurry. The art style was also really well done and I liked how the color palette remained the same as it added to the idea that everyone was the same, as Sophia really was just passing through everywhere she went.

Quick well told memoir of the author's teenage life lived all over the world without the knowledge of why, until her parents explained their jobs to her - as CIA Intelligence Officers. That, however, is really a side note as this is a coming of age and maturing tale. Well told and well drawn, and completely appropriate for the ages intended.