Secret Passages
by Axelle Lenoir
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Pub Date Mar 22 2022 | Archive Date Jan 25 2022
IDW Publishing | Top Shelf Productions
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Description
Many LGBTQ adults look back on their youth and wonder: what might have been? Growing up “in the closet” tends to produce a sort of double identity, between the inner self and the self seen by the outside world. Now, cartoonist Axelle Lenoir, in her unpredictable and imaginative way, makes this metaphor real.
Secret Passages, narrated by the adult author, begins with the death of her (male) “cosmic twin.” From there it launches into a rollicking ride of childhood antics, set in 1985 small-town Québec. We get to know Axelle (a rebellious little girl who dreads Grade 1 and is captivated by the spooky forest near the house), her brothers (who share her off-the-charts enthusiasm for cartoons and toys), and their long-suffering parents (who may or may not be aliens).
These lively comic-strip style anecdotes, reminiscent of Calvin & Hobbes and packed full of pop-culture parodies, are juxtaposed with surreal twists as Axelle’s existential crisis mutates the narrative, building to a mind-bending climax.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781603094993 |
| PRICE | $19.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 184 |
Featured Reviews
Nikki N, Reviewer
I read the first 30 pages or so of Secret Passages and thought what am I reading? Should I keep going? But as soon as the author appeared just to rip on her own comic I became more intrigued & I really liked the inclusion of that throughout the book.
I liked the adult perspective of the author telling her childhood story & then communicating with her childhood self at times in certain scenes that felt appropriate to speak with your past child self. I really loved this dual perspective of her childhood memories and adult reflections intertwined.
This graphic novel is very imaginative, quirky, and funny. The illustrations vary a bit in style & are all very well done. The pop culture references which are a large part of any 80’s/90’s childhood were done so well. The adult humour thrown over childhood nostalgia was clever and had me laughing. It was also a bit nostalgic to read and think about being a kid again, playing outside with siblings, anticipating the day when the huge Sears Christmas catalogue would arrive every year, having to go to dreaded school all the time, overthinking literally everything until you had weird nightmares, and talking to trees, yeah, who hasn’t?
I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun read. It did feel a little slow going and a bit anticlimactic but if this is going to be an ongoing series, which it seems like it will be, I’m so in & can’t wait to read more from Axelle Lenoir. The author seems to not give an eff & does her own thing and that’s truly metal! I love it! In the meantime, I’ll be checking out some of her other work.
Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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