I loved the illustration style of this book! Such a personal and moving memoir. You can also preview some of these comics on the authors instagram. 4 stars

This one ended up being a DNF for me, unfortunately. The narrative felt very disjointed and was very hard to follow at times. I found myself having to reread sections to make sure I didn’t miss anything because it didn’t flow well and jumped from one point to the next without much of a segue. I loved the artwork in this and it is what kept me reading for as long as I did. I definitely would be interested in reading what this author puts out next.

This graphic novel memoir was very meticulously and beautifully drawn. You can tell that the author took the time to faithfully represent the communities and people within this narrative.
Where I got lost a little was with the structure of the storytelling. I often found that there was too much detail about certain aspects of the story that weren't really necessary and then the story would shift to a whole new thought... I felt like there was so much passion in this book that the editors didn't want to cut anything. I think this author is interesting and I would try again with another book of his int he future.

Thank you NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the ARC.

3 Stars

Requested an ARC for a slice of 90s nostalgia and the artwork. The narrative felt disjointed and didn't hook me at all.

Thank you Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press | Ten Speed Graphic for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This was such an interesting read!! I have never read a graphic novel about climate justice before, so this one was a surprise!! I enjoyed the art. If I'm honest, I am not super sure how I felt about this one. I always struggle a little bit when reading a memoir of someone I am not familiar with, and that familiar challenge popped up during this read. It feels like there is too much wrapped up in this memoir and I did not want to figure it all out. While I as excited to receive this one, I did struggle staying engaged in reading it because I just could not get into it and lacked motivation to keep reading.

I really enjoyed this! The art is gorgeous and I loved how the author used color to guide the narrative. I admire those who work hard to balance their different aspirations, and Eddie Ahn working in an environmentalism nonprofit + balancing creative work is really inspiring. The more personal stories about his childhood and family were also so touching. I'm glad I picked this one up.

(Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!)

A very detailed and bravely deep autobiography/memoir with excellent art-work and rich story-line. We follow the life and its struggles of a young Asian American lawyer who devotes his career in enviromental NGO's and providing to the communities.
The passion of the author for community service and work is admirable.
The novel touches so many topics that at some point losses conhesion, i thought it would be more about environmentalism.
A solid effort overall. Not groundbreaking though..


Thanks Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the ARC

"Advocate" is a compelling graphic memoir by Eddie Ahn, an environmental justice lawyer and activist based in San Francisco. The memoir chronicles Eddie's journey from his upbringing in Texas as the child of Korean immigrants to his pivotal role in the fight for environmental justice. Balancing his family's high expectations with his passion for community service, Eddie narrates his transition from a lucrative legal career to the nonprofit sector.

The memoir delves into Eddie's personal and professional challenges, including dealing with the aftermath of Californian wildfires, addressing economic inequality, and navigating racial prejudice. His story is a poignant exploration of the complexities of fulfilling familial duties while pursuing a career rooted in advocacy and activism. Eddie's narrative is enriched with humorous anecdotes, victories, and moments of hope, illustrating the profound impact of choosing a life of service over material success.

Review
"Advocate" is a beautifully illustrated and deeply moving memoir that combines personal storytelling with broader social and environmental issues. Eddie Ahn's journey is both inspiring and relatable, capturing the essence of what it means to fight for justice and community in the face of systemic challenges.

The graphic novel format is particularly effective in conveying the emotional depth and complexity of Eddie's experiences. The illustrations are vibrant and expressive, bringing to life the various stages of his journey and the people he encounters along the way. The use of color and design enhances the narrative, making it an engaging read for a wide audience.

Eddie's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of community service and the impact one individual can have on the world. His struggles with familial expectations and professional pressures are universally relatable, making this memoir not just a story about environmental justice but also about personal growth and resilience.

Tropes
- Immigration and Identity:
- Environmental Justice
- Activism and Advocacy
- Family Dynamics
- Personal Growth

"Advocate" is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental justice, social activism, or personal memoirs that tackle significant issues with grace and humor. Eddie Ahn's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of fighting for what is right, even when it comes at a personal cost. This graphic memoir is not only a tribute to Eddie's remarkable journey but also an inspiration for others to find their path and make a difference in their communities.

Advocate was a great read! I loved the illustrations and the text was easy to read. I loved the setting as well.

On its face, this graphic novel has a couple things I really like: autobiographies, great art, use of colorwork to set a scene (timeline mostly in this case), detailed and loving illustrations of places I'm very familiar with (I live in Sacramento and have spent a lot of time in the Bay Area including a year of higher education!). But the content...? It didn't grab me, and while it was educational it was maybe too dry and too 'here are events that happened." Even events I personally lived though (C19 closures, the California wildfires and how orange our skies were... those should have hit harder to me).

I really wanted to like this and the art was really good but it was a strange way to tell a life's story and not a lot of meaningful retrospection or self-discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press | Ten Speed Graphic for the eARC in exchange for review.

3 Stars - Advocate tells the story of Eddie Ahn's life from his grandfather's stories from before and after the Korean war as Eddie grapples with the parallels in his own life; his father's experience of running to their family liquor store and dealing with the expectations he places on his son; and Eddie's own career path to being a leader in the non-profit space.

Dislikes
- chapters felt disorganized and disjointed at times
- like other critics, would have enjoyed more if it had more focus on one topic as opposed to jumping all over the place and not really having a concrete plot
- consequently, the story felt incomplete

Likes
- the art - though as other graphic novels that I've read via ebook wish I had a hardcopy to appreciate the art more tangibly
- use of color to indicate the time/place in the author's life was really unique!
- helped me think about environmental and community advocacy beyond the usual; gave me a first-hand window into the work-life of a nonprofit worker

Disclaimer: I came for the content but have difficulty assimilating Graphic presentations. Oh yeah, and then there's the inability to utilize TTS. That being said, the use of color to differentiate content areas is brilliant.
The author has impressive talents and is able to use the past to improve the future of our planet. The rest of you need to explore and learn from this book, but the few of us hope that a conventional TTS format will become available soon!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC on Adobe Digital Editions from Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press | Ten Speed Graphic via NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity!
#AsianAmerican #KoreanAmerican #Lawyer #EnvironmentalSustainability #GraphicNonFiction #memoir #Californian

I like graphic memoirs. It's a fun way to delve into a person's history and to experience it not just in words, but in the visual style of the storyteller as well. However, some stories are less compelling in this format. For one, the flow of this one felt jerky. Policy and advocacy work do not make for very compelling visuals. Unfortunately, I didn't finish this with much more than a sense of tedium.

A nice memoir with beautiful illustrations


Thank you NetGalley and Ten Speed Graphic for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I may be in the minority of readers who will pick up this book as I am not an avid reader of comics and graphic novels. I came across Ahn’s book having seen it featured in a local news article as well as having come from a personal recommendation. I was not prepared to love this as much as I did.

This book is best read at a leisurely pace, appreciating the craftsmanship and nostalgia of each painstakingly hand drawn panel. Leisurely also because if you quickly gloss over the panels, you will likely miss the subtlety of this book’s layered meanings and relevant questions – about the immigrant experience, familial duty, the realities of nonprofit work, how one defines success, etc. - but also, in a unique take on the immigrant experience, that of public service and giving back. For as much as Ahn references his parents’ measurement of success in financial metrics, we realize that perhaps one of the ultimate gifts Ahn could have given his parents was to live by example and to teach others the values they taught him; generosity of spirit and, my favorite, never giving in to cynicism. This message of being generous and serving community could have easily been written (and/or construed) in a patronizing manner, but in many instances throughout the chapters, Ahn effectively avoids by taking the time to lovingly depict those seemingly mundane and unglamourous tasks running a nonprofit entails. It’s this “quiet grit” Ahn endures and that revealed itself over the span of the book that I appreciated only after I had finished the book.

There were several vignettes that stood out for me in story and in its art, some that even brought me to tears - the scene talking about his parents’ lofty ambitions analogously paired with a beautiful drawing of his father’s trip in a hot air balloon going up, up, up; another scene where he reverently memorializes his mentor, Dr. Espanola Jackson, and her teaching about getting others to “pick up the sword”; or another page with panels depicting the solemnity of frontline workers picking up the pieces after the January 6 Capitol attack. There is a depth of humanity within these chapters that I think will resonate with many Asian Americans and folks trying to parse out their own meanings of self-value and success. But I also think many will find that these deeply relational stories have the ability to transcend generational and cultural differences.

Tightly written prose along with gorgeous hand-drawn and color-washed panels, this book ADVOCATES for more humanity and less cynicism!

I'm not 100% who this book would impact the most, but unfortunately I don't think that it's me. With saying that, it's by no means a bad book, either in the art or the content.

Starting with the art. I enjoy the realism in the drawings. I know for a lot of non fiction comics that realistic art is common, but this one I feel captured a lot, and was very detailed. There was no point where I couldn't recognize someone or was unsure of the setting. I was a little bit confused by the colouring of the scenes. I understand that the colour changes represent different chapters and different time periods, which is neat, but some of them made me a bit confused and I had.to take more time to figure it all out.

Content wise, it's nice to see someone who's not out for profit. I think people like Eddie are extremely important to the community and their stories are also very important. You can see that this man has done a lot of good in his life. I feel like there was a little bit too much focus on other things that happened in his life though that drew away from what I thought the book was about. It was a little jumpy, although most of them felt connected to what was being talked about.

Overall, I'm not exactly sure what the main focus was, and maybe that was the point, who knows. It was good, just took a bit to get through.

✨ Review ✨ Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice by Eddie Ahn

Thanks to Ten Speed Graphic and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This graphic novel traces Eddie's life from his childhood through going to law school and working in nonprofit environmental advocacy in the Bay Area. My interest in the book came through my interest in the history of art and activism in the Bay Area, and so I found these glimpses especially interesting.

I loved the use of color to denote different times/places, and the art style was enjoyable. In general, I'm not sure I felt fully engaged all the time. Another review mentioned that the audience of the book felt a little unclear, and I think this also contributed to my shifting interest.

Overall, I enjoyed it but I needed a little more to keep my full attention.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: adult graphic memoir
Setting: mostly San Francisco / Bay Area
Pub Date: 16 Apr 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ non profit educational and environmental work
⭕️ memoirs in graphic form
⭕️ Bay Area life

A perfect example that an interesting life does not lead to an interesting book, though it left me inspired when it came to social justice work within the Bay Area. Though the art is strong in its layout and fluidity, there are moments where there is much more telling than showing. Where emotions should ring a lot more truer and stronger, it ends up feeling like a Ted Talk intro that goes on for too long and lacks grounding for readers as most panels feel like background fluff. I wish there were more scenes between Eddie and his mother and the emotions there with his grandfather’ letters. But Eddie merely scrapes the surface, his focus stuck on telling than collaging it all in a way that feels like a story than basic personal background.

I’m excited to see more of Eddie’s art as I think there’s a lot to share. So much good to share. A lot of promise only the future knows.

*Eddie, if you’re reading this, I recommend you read How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee and an Andrea Long Chu piece, as well as this podcast in how to construct convincing voice that holds.

I’m going to need all graphic memoirs to be color coded from now on. I loved seeing the selfless work the author has done, from working with kids to delivering meals. I never really thought about what exactly an environmental justice attorney does, or what goes into running a nonprofit organization. The author also discussed family obligations and expectations, and all the racism and microaggressions he and his family faced, especially during COVID.

I enjoyed reading this inspiring graphic novel filled with nostalgia and heartwarming memories but the tone was a bit too dry for me. The drawings were good and dynamic while the narrative fell flat.