Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice

Gr 9 Up–A graphic memoir of family history, perseverance, and public service. Ahn looks back to his grandfather’s diaries and memories to make sense of who he is: a young man putting himself through college after growing up a child of struggling Korean immigrants. When he finds his passion for service and community work, he throws himself into the non-profit world. Juggling a demanding job with a demanding career, Ahn makes the most of it while adding the pressure of meeting his parents’ expectations. Rising through the ranks up to government officer, Ahn shows devotion for service work. The author illustrated this memoir himself—art is explained as a way for him to express himself and relax. The overall tone of this story is fairly dry, and there’s a lack of consistency that can make the storylines between personal, family, and work life confusing at times. The plot meanders as Ahn struggles with all his commitments, to the point where it’s unclear where the story is going. Not enough of the book’s emphasis is put into one thing to give the memoir direction, and it ends up being three separate tales woven into one incomplete story.