Description
Book SynopsisStarred Review from Foreword Reviews. “The book conveys emotions in a deep, visceral way . . . an outstanding memoir about the difficulties of overcoming abuse.”A breathtaking and gut-wrenchingly real graphic memoir of the struggles of an adolescent girl processing the trauma of childhood sexual assault.
An immigrant at the age of six, she arrived in a strange new world. Karina was labeled "different" immediately, and a desire to be invisible was born. The "different" label expanded to "weird" and "freak", terms that she fervently embraced. By taking society's critique, owning it, and taking pride in it, she gained power over it. In a life overshadowed by fear, Karina wanted control. If something was going to ruin her life it would be her and her alone.
Trade Review“Shor's pull-no-punches graphic memoir debut depicts her attempts as a young woman to recover from trauma, with striking illustrations that toggle between realism and fragmented, color-saturated dreamscapes.” —Publishers Weekly“Shor's masterful use of omniscient storytelling fits this gut-wrenching, graphically bold, and unapologetic tale of survival and the struggle for self-control and self-determination.” —Booklist
”This harrowing tale of childhood displacement, sexual assault, adolescent drug abuse, and depersonalization hurtles forward with eloquence. Not since Ralph Steadman's illustrations for Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas have images evoked so vividly the subjective experience of drug use.” —Jennifer Hayden, author of The Story of My Tits
“Powerful, urgent, and masterful.” —Tom Hart, author of the New York Times bestseller Rosalie Lightning
“A powerful tale of trauma and addiction, and a masterful use of the comics medium to evoke the complexity of an emotional crisis.” —Asaf Hanuka, author of The Realist
“A bold, beautiful, painful book with incredible artwork and storytelling that took my breath away. It will stay with me for a long time.” —Danny Noble, author of Shame Pudding
“Silence, Full Top depicts a girl's harrowing journey—from the Soviet Union to Israel, from innocence to despair, and to hell and back. Karina Shor's vivid and expressive imagery pulls you along as her story smolders with yearning and hope that have not been completely snuffed out. An absorbing, courageous book.” —David Mazzucchelli, author of Asterios Polyp
“This raw and vulnerable memoir pushes the medium of comics to disturbing new depths.” —Hazel Newlevant, author of No Ivy League
“The story is haunting, and the art is innovative and compelling. At times difficult to read, yet impossible to put down.” —Karen Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons, Columbia University
