Sabrina by Nick Drnaso

Random violence, social media, firewalls, conspiracy theories, isolation, and disengagement. Is this book the fetid kitchen sink of our times? Yes, and no.

Teddy goes to stay with his childhood friend after his girlfriend has gone missing. Calvin takes his friend into his house, empty after his wife and daughter have left him. Teddy stays in his room listening to right-wing radio shows, and Calvin goes into his job as a boundary technician for the Air Force (I assumed he fighting digital threats). They try to find a rhythm to their grief-filled days until new information about Sabrina’s disappearance is released. Social media and anonymous tipsters jump to theories and accusations.

My kitchen sink comment earlier: As I get further away from the text, I think it all worked. Drnaso juxtaposes a collection of everyday problems with realistic, yet just shocking tragedies. And he rounds out these events with the mundane routines of life: looking for a lost cat, going out to eat, packing for a trip. I wasn’t particularly blown away with the art style, but the subject matter, plot, and characters are really growing on me.

Sabrina was nominated for the Man Booker Award last year and was the first graphic novel to be singled out for this recognition.