Here is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read this year.
El Deafo by Cece Bell is the author/illustrator’s memoir of growing up deaf. El Deafo is the superhero character she creates because of the superpowers she gets when she wears her Phonic Ear. She can hear her teacher through walls and even when she is in the bathroom!
She manages to show how hard it is to be profoundly deaf without being maudlin. She deftly demonstrates post-hearing aid dialogue the way it sounded to her, instead of writing what people actually said, illustrating the difficulties she faced understanding the conversations around her. I found myself reading those parts out loud to try to figure it out, experiencing a bit of what Bell’s life was like.
Although the main character is female, I think this book would appeal to readers of both genders.
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