The graphic novels below have little in common. Or so I thought at first. While I was reading Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi I kept thinking that it would pair nicely with Ash’s Cabin by Jan Wang. I think that was because they both deal with identity, but nothing else. It was while writing this review I found more similarities.
Saving Sunshine is about twins who are punished for their behavior by being in forced proximity. Ash’s Cabin is about a nonbinary child coming of age with not only their gender (or lack thereof) but dealing with death and other changes. But then once I thought about it there was the other similarity that both deal with environmental issues. So, I was wrong when I said little in common. They actually have a lot in common. But even if they did not have any part of their themes similar, they are both darn good reads for about ages 10 and up (though Ash can go older). And a small similarity is that I read both via an online reader copy.
Ash’s Cabin is due in mid-August 2024. Ash has always felt alone, misunderstood, except with their grandfather. During the time they have come out as non-binary, everything changes even more and they really are feeling alone. Friendships, how people treat them, being dead named and gendered, feeling nobody cares, and then their uncle, aunt and parents are ready to sell Grandfathers ranch. The last person who got Ash is now not only gone but now so will the one connection to him. That is until Ash hatches a plan to go looking for the cabin in the mountains their Grandfather said he was going to build so he could get away from it all. We now find ourselves with a Hatchet meets My Side of the Mountain situation. In the process of living off grid, Ash will try and find who they are, learn to ask for help and realize that people care if you give them a chance and communicate with them. The art is rustic looking, the colors are earthy and details are both busy and minimal (due to what is needed on the page). A lot of the planning for finding and living in the cabin I skipped, but it was interesting to see how someone could do it. Of course, they are not promoting, just giving you the big picture. 
One of the things I enjoyed about the book was that the characters are realistic and you can relate to them. However, to be honest, I didn’t always like Ash, but I was right there with them. I liked their humanity and the emotions they were going through as they were familiar. Coming of age might have different details, but in the end the feelings, hopes, and needed outcomes are the same.
Saving Sunshine reminds me of Ash even though we focus on two siblings who have never had any of the issues Ash goes through. However, there is the similarity of their passion for their passions. The sister is passionate about the environment and the brother about space and NASA. They are glued to their aps and phones, posting about their finds and streaming videos. And when on a family trip for their mothers job, the two cannot stop arguing. Therefore, their parents decide to take their phones away and make the two stick together until they can learn to get along. As we go forward, we find the how and why’s that shaped them. We see the day the two of them stopped agreeing with each other, and how that started their drifting apart. And it is not until the two find a few unexpected commonalities that they realize how opposites are actually alike sometimes. It is an interesting story of how two people are the same, but different, and how they and the world treat each other. The way the parents react compared to the kids is interesting and thoughtful. This is not just with the microaggressions due to the family being of color and Muslim, but with things overall. Everything is handled tastefully and is not “too deep” but the message is loud and clear.
Shazleen Khan ties it all together with some bright and color details. Things pop off the page, bringing it all together. The details are good, not too much but not too little to help highlight and support things as needed. They allow the themes to come out, but keeping it a bit lighter and accessible.
