A quick, but beautiful, read offering a look at death and mourning in Buddhism. This book wrecked me, but the devastation was so cathartic.

So I loved this book I read it 24 hours or less and couldn’t put it down. It was Amazing! My first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more!

A gorgeous, simple yet powerful graphic novel about grief and healing. We meet Kit, a young Korean American woman who died unexpectedly and is now in the Buddhist plane between death and rebirth for 49 days. At the same time, we see flashbacks of Kit's life and the parallel world where her loved ones are trying to figure out how to move forward after her death. Agnes Lee does a remarkable job of telling a nuanced story while also leaving space for the reader to reflect on loss in their own way.

This is a very brief graphic novel and knowing the blurb before going in saves some time in understanding wat we are witnessing. If you venture into the book uninformed, it might take a couple of pages to understand what one might be witnessing. 

We see the protagonist come to terms with her fate, as do the people left behind. They all move on in the way they understand best, some of it as dictated by their faith and others by mutual consent of behaviour. 

It is not a large volume. It is also sparse in its presentation, with a lot of white space between the actual art. This is not a bad thing, and it helps carry the ambience throughout the story. 

The book is both about tackling grief and the possible thoughts of the one who has passed. It was surprisingly deep for the number of pages, and I am glad I gave this a shot. 

I think fans of graphic novels with more sombre content will appreciate this book. 

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Beautiful representation of grief and Buddhist-lite concepts of death by the author. The drawings captured so much emotion. I also loved seeing how food had a role as well.

Thank you Netgalley and LQ for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

It's 1.32 am here and I planned to just read a page or two of this book coz I started it at 12.30ish. I'm night reader but I was tired today and planned to sleep early and here it went down the drain. Here I'm writing the review with blood shot eyes and sniffing nose.

This story was so sad but enlightening too. It's story of loss and grief and it is about moving on too. In Buddhist
tradition, a person must travel for forty-nine days after they die, before they can
fully cross over.

It's story of Kit and her family and friends and how her loss has affected them and left a void but life has to move on. And kit too when she is between life and death. It's not easy for living to move on but same might be for dead as well.

For a debut, it's amazing. The illustrations are simple and bold. It made me cry rivers.

A beautiful and beautifully told story about life, death, and everything in between. Filled with love and beautiful art.

Agnes Lee's debut Graphic Novel is a beautiful story inspired by Buddhist traditions about acceptance, grief, and finding peace.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book. All thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.
This one was so beautiful I still have no other words to describe it.

a beautiful story about one's journey between life and death that leaves you with a warm feeling in heart. all of it portrayed through a very soft art style that made it so much more enjoyable.

I did not plan to cry at 7 in the morning today but here we are. This was healing. I loved Kit and her family and friends. I loved how it shows how differently people deal with the grief of losing a loved one and how bittersweet it is to live with the memory of them. It doesn't talk much about Buddhist traditions which is opposite to what I expected but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was emotional, heartwarming and just beautiful and I would totally recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A poignant read on death, grief, afterlife and the ones we leave behind. It's creative, contemplative and I don't think I've read anything quite like this.

Took awhile for me to get into it and comprehend what was going on (I prefer going into books blind but had to stop to read the synopsis and start all over), but I like the author's decision to intentionally keep things vague.

Not only does this graphic novel highlight Korean culture, tradition and family, it also makes you think about the impact that we leave on this world.

I quite enjoyed this. I do like a graphic novel once in a while.

This is like Groundhog Day, but in death. In Buddhist tradition a person must travel for 49 days after they die, before they can fully cross over. We see Kit go day after day walking around, and see the impact her death has had on her family.

Quite a nice story

49 Days. In Buddhist tradition, a person must travel for forty-nine days after they die, before they can fully cross over. Here in this book, readers travel with one Korean American girl, Kit, on her journey, while also spending time with her family and friends left behind.

Agnes Lee has captivated readers across the world for years with her illustrations for the New York Times Metropolitan Diary. Her debut graphic novel is an unforgettable story of death, grief, love, and how we keep moving forward.

I don't think I was the reader for this book. I had trouble understanding what the protagonist was going through, even though I am aware of the concept of the bardo. The subject matter and perspective is interesting, but it didn't hit the mark with me.

“49 Days” packed quite a punch. I am not familiar with Buddhist traditions, but Agnes Lee’s rendering of the 49 days was a beautiful introduction. The drawings are beautiful, and the author did not need to use many words to get her point across. I was able to relate to Kit’s journey and her family’s grief. The story also had a beautiful infusion of culture. I appreciate that the author uses color to clearly define Kit’s reality, her family’s reality, and her memories. I’m really glad that I picked up this book.

Thank you to Agnes Lee and Levine Querido for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I never thought a graphic novel with so little words would bring me to tears. This artist had an amazing ability to express so much emotion with what is seemingly such simplistic artwork. This has become a book I want to reread again and again. It's just such a beautiful read and a great description of grief from all point's of view. It's unlike any other book surrounding grief I've read and even though it brought me to tears there was a joyful quality about it all, a sense of acceptance.
Truly an amazing book and I can't wait to read more from the author.

Really sad story of grief illustrated with simple yet lovely brushwork, 49 days is the story of a Korean girl's 49-day afterlife and the family around her that mourns and cherishes her -- the little things we miss as heavily as the bigger things. I definitely felt a real human emotion reading this, and even in a short book we see how grief is experienced just a little differently in the same family, and how memory is as important as anything. Loved that past, present, and future were all backcolored in different colors to easily denote the time period.

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the eARC in exchange for review.

I review this book as part of my work on the Printz committee, but I due to committee policy I cannot share my specific thoughts or opinions here. I have rated it 5 stars because I am required to rate the book for this program, but please note this does not reflect my actual rating. I just want to thank you for providing this book for review!

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49 Days
Author: Agnes Lee
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: March 2024

“May peace and serenity surround you during this time.” 49 Days is a graphic novel about what transpires according to Buddhist culture in the 49 days post-death. The deceased must journey and remember the past and release the body’s energy so they are prepared for reincarnation. In other words, the first 49 days after a loved one’s death are the most important in Buddhism because it takes 49 days for all of the spirit and energy to be fully released. This also requires the deceased’s loved ones to complete certain customs in remembrance. It’s all part of the practice of reincarnation. I loved the graphic novel format, and the drawings were peaceful and lovely. I did not care for the curse words, which makes this book for readers over 13 years of age. I am not a Buddhist, but I find the specific procedures compelling, and enjoyed following Kit as she journeys through her 49 days is beautiful. I look forward to seeing the lovely illustrations in an actual book copy, which the author did. This is a debut novel and well done. #49Days #Buddhism #Buddhist #Korean #customs #rituals #family #grief #acceptance #journey #netgalley #levinequerido #AgnesLee  #debutnovel #fiction #religion @netgalley
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: March 5, 2024.
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