The color palette works to its advantage as does the gentle nature of Egbert's story to share the complications of his mother's (then undiagnosed but eventually diagnosed) paranoid schizophrenia. But the book is more about the use of his mother's religion to control the narrative of their family including keeping their father (Corey and his sister Sarah) away from the kids. She accused the dad of sexually abusing Sarah but can really be traced to her own father's abuse of young girls. Either way, they were kept from him before Egbert's mother eventually kidnapped them and went on the run leading to some horrific experiences traveling in the west in their car.

It's heartbreaking and beautiful and sad and hopeful at the same time and works so well as a graphic memoir to identify the confusion of what his mother thought and the person he was becoming, an independent thinker to question his mother's judgement.

The graphic novel was really well done, and I liked the story of this Mormon kid who wasn't exactly sure who to trust in his parents divorce -- side with Mom who says God is speaking to her (because she has a mental illness) or dad who mom says is evil.

An interesting but also unsettling memoir about the author who was raised by his religiously delusional mother, emotionally and physically estranged from his extended family, and ultimately kidnapped for a month along with his sister as their mother crisscrosses the desert in a car following the supposed will of God. Author's notes at the end of the work make the story even more unsettling when they reveal that for the purposes of the book he and his sister are rendered younger than they really were, making it even harder to understand how such a terrible situation could arise, much less be supported by various friends and family. The artwork is compelling, sparse in a way that suits both the mood and the desert scenery.

This review is based on an ARC.

I think this book is an important story that needed to be told. The themes in this book are timely and relevant to today's youth. It was a gripping and heart-breaking. I found myself wanting to reach into the book and hug the main character close and tell him it was going to be ok.

Visitations was a surprise from the beginning. The trauma Corey and his sister dealt with because of their Mother's mental health issue was sad. This is definitely for more mature readers. Overall, I was thankful that the author and his sister had a happy ending.

This book hit home with me in so many ways. It’s not that I ever experienced anything that went on in the book but I do work with middle school children who do experience traumatic events in their lives. Some kids live with parents that are dealing with mental health issues, substance abuse or abuse and they are powerless to have a voice in what happens in their life. It’s such a sad situation. Corey and Sarah could be any kids in America today and that’s why it’s important for the adults in children’s lives to help protect them. I think a lot of students could see themselves as Corey or Sarah or in a similar situation. I would recommend this graphic novel to any child that has experienced something as traumatic as this to help them heal. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was beautifully written and illustrated.

Absolutely incredible. Visitations might just be my favorite graphic novel of the year. The imagery perfectly complements the story without overwhelming the text, creating a beautiful, balanced narrative. This memoir captures Corey Egbert’s childhood when his mother takes him and his sister on the run, aiming to protect them from their father after a traumatic event. Along the way, Corey confronts the complexities of his religious upbringing, his relationship with his parents, and his own mental health. This book tackles such deep, difficult topics with a careful hand, never shying away from gritty reality yet handling each subject thoughtfully. It's a stunning, powerful read.

Graphic memoirs are so interesting to me and this was no exception. I thought the book was well-written with excellent pacing. The sparsely colored illustrations added to the serious tone of the story. I question who the audience is for this book - it is more adult or teen than middle grade

Visitations is a graphic novel based of Corey Egbert’s childhood. It deals with difficult topics such as divorce, faith and questioning religion — specifically the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and mental illness. Egbert is vulnerable in sharing the stories he experienced when he was younger and navigates a complex situations and events. I think this novel though maybe not a comfortable read for some people, is an important voice about family dynamics that don’t always look like the perfect Latter Day Saint picture.

This is a graphic novel with a complex message about putting faith in religion and family. Corey is raised by his mother, who is extremely faithful, to question his relationship with his father and grandparents. He is torn between living a chaste life and finding out who he is and who he wants to become.

This is the story of a teen who has to navigate the difficult world of his parents divorce and a journey through this young man's journey with his faith while struggling with hard things.
I will say that this was hard to read as a mother because all I want to do as a mother is keep my kids safe, but there is a point if one is not taking care of themselves mentally and physically that a mother's protection can become hurtful to her kids.
I thought that the discussion around faith was done well because as a parent raising kids within a belief system I know personally that I want my kids to be able to question their faith so that they can choose the faith themselves. This story does a great job of exploring the devotion that our main character has for his mother and his religion and how that got them into some sticky situations.
While this book discusses some hard topics like homelessness, child abuse, and sexual assault I do believe that it was done in an age appropriate way.
I want to thank NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the opportunity to experience this story early so that I can share with others how impactful this book was for me.

A powerful memoir about a kid finding their own truth after a lifetime of following their parent's clouded judgement. It made me feel the same tension I had when I read Educated and The Glass Castle--the frustration and anger over these kids who are manipulated and hurt by a parent they love. I appreciated that it was a short read (done in an hour) so I could get some resolution to that tension quickly. Egbert handles the complexity of his feelings for his mother beautifully, especially in his concluding author's note. I loved the artwork, especially the imaginative parts that expressed his feelings with a touch of fantasy.

Educator perspective: I think this is a good quick read for any kids who are particularly moved by a class study of books like Educated and The Glass Castle.

Visitations is a graphic novel based on the author Corey Egbert's true life experience. The story follows Corey and his sister Sarah as their zealously religious mother works to isolate them further and further from their dad and real life. This is a beautiful and emotional novel touching on the complexities of mental illness and religion, and how those two can interact and affect each other. Despite the novel being so personal to Egbert, he really shows each side of the story and explains why situations are not all black and white.
This stunning graphic novel will stay with you long after you finish reading, and is a must read.

Visitations is an impactful story of how a teenage boy living through a rough family life, staying true to his religious beliefs and being a teenager. There are some heavy topics and I would have liked to have had a few content warnings. Some of it really caught me off guard and took me a moment to get back into the story. Other than that, I did enjoy the story of the events that happened in his life. The back matter of the book was really useful information and the photographs were a perfect touch.

I ended up DNFing this book at about 40%. It was just not for me. The art is lovely but I wasn’t intrigued by the story and was kind of put off by the way the mom spoke to the son. Just not my cup of tea.

What an interesting read! At first glance I assumed this book would be a cute narrative about aliens given the title and desert scenery on the cover. Instead I was surprised with an interesting tale based on a true story that really brings you into the head of Corey and his experiences with his mother's decision to flee with him and his sister to avoid court ordered visitation time with their father. The story is artfully told and really brings you around to his mother's perspective and she controlled the narrative under the guise of religion. The story was compelling, and enjoyed it even more having lived in Utah (where the story partially takes place). An important view that showcases bravery and overcoming control from others that demand they have truth.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I'd never read a graphic memoir before, and this was a great one to start with. This details the true story of the author's experience as a child of being kidnapped by his mother after the divorce of his parents.

For one, the drawings were absolutely gorgeous. The muted colors and simple color palette were a good accompaniment to the story without distracting from it.

The story itself is impeccably done. I love the addition of the more fantastical elements that didn't actually happen, because they serve to display what was going on in the author's head at the time. The discussions of religion and mental health were poignant and impactful.

Definitely one I will recommend be purchased for my libraries.

Visitations by Corey Egbert is a graphic look at divorce through the eyes of a child and more importantly religious trauma mixed with mental illness. Corey highlights the struggles children face as their family breaks up in completely relatable images. His mother’s increased schizophrenia is masked by her devote belief in the Mormon faith. Corey details his kidnapping adventure as one of acceptance of his mother’s view and his father’s betrayal. His experience with his dead grandmother could also be described as extreme hunger hallucinations. The reader must make sense of the story through the eyes of children.

Such a powerful graphic novel memoir about faith, family, and mental illness. It's hard to see how mental illness and radicalism in my own religion can cause such pain, but sadly not unheard of in Utah County where the author grew up and I have lived my whole life. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Visitations is such a superb graphic memoir! Corey Egbert relates his experiences with Mormonism and as a child of divorced parents where his mother asks him and his sister to not say a word to their father during visitations. I found this to be such a gripping, compelling read and I really appreciate the way Corey handled such complex topics with care. Corey is able to capture really well how it feels to come of age and question religion, parents, and things you have been taught. At times I was reminded of Marjane Satrapi's Perspelois, especially because both she and Corey have scenes where they depict themselves talking to God as they imagined him when they were younger. Visitations is also very touching at times and I teared up reading about Corey's estranged relationship with his grandparents because of his mother. I think this could be a fantastic novel to teach because there is so much to reflect on and discuss here. Highly recommended!