AWOL

Eleven-year-old Leah is having the worst summer of her life. Although she is used to moving around a lot with her military family, this summer Leah has to deal with the fact that her best friend Sam is moving away to Edmonton, her mom is going away for 10 days to train with the military reserves, and her older sister is going away to work as a camp counsellor. That just leaves Leah alone with her dad who just returned from a military mission and is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Leah is having a hard time coping with her father’s mental illness, the loss of her best friend and the everyday pains of growing up until one day she meets Cecilia, a young Indigenous girl who moves into the camper next door. Cecilia is fun and kind, and both girls soon bond while bike riding, making friendship bracelets, and swimming in the local river. That is, until one day Leah can’t find the necklace that Sam gave her before going away and she accuses Cecilia of stealing it.

Lonely once more, Leah finds it increasingly difficult to cope with her father’s mood swings without having Cecilia by her side. After her father lashes out at her for dropping a plate while washing the dishes, Leah runs away and sneaks into Cecilia’s camper to apologize. Unbeknownst to her, Cecilia and her mother are actually moving away, and Leah gets trapped in the camper for quite some time until they finally come to a rest stop. After Leah is reunited with her father and makes peace with Cecilia, Leah’s dad realizes that his PTSD is affecting the whole family and vows to get the help that he needs.

Told from a child’s perspective, AWOL is a middle grade graphic novel that tackles the realities of living with a parent who lives with PTSD and mental illness. Inspired by the author’s own family’s struggles with the disease, Lesage, a registered nurse, is able to convey the complexities of a serious disorder in a simple, child-friendly manner. Moreover, the book ends with an author’s note on PTSD and resources to help children and families dealing with mental health issues.

Ultimately, it is Lesage’s illustrations that really make this graphic novel stand out. They have a dynamic quality to them in a very subtle, understated way. The simple monochromatic watercolour designs lend a real softness to the story and complement the multitude of emotions that Leah experiences throughout the novel.

Overall, AWOL is a very thought-provoking graphic novel that highlights the everyday realities of mental illness.