Visitations by Corey Egbert is more of a rating of 3.5 than a pure 4 as there were areas I would have liked to have seen “more” of the story (I like that we don’t have a lot of “before divorce” (just enough to let you know what has happened) but seeing more of the Visitations (what their mother calls the time Corey and his sister, Sarah, have with their father) would be interesting. Afterall, this is part of the title. And I would have liked to have known his relationship with his maternal grandfather (who plays a small but important role to the mothers mental health).
But overall, it is a well written and told graphic novel and story. The art is simple, but really gives an atmosphere of where the narrator is and coming from. There might be a few triggers (mental health, talk of child molestation, drug use, sexuality/encounters, religious thought/actions), but it is not gratuitous and would be fine for the strong 10 and up reader (though 12-13 and up probably would be better). The presentation of things is well handled, tasteful and respectful. Though the characters are Morman but as the publisher description mentions, the religion is not villainized. But faith and religious devotion to God plays a strong part in things. To the point that Corey’s prayers can bring visions of God and his mother believes God speaks to her directly and tells her how to keep her children safe from Devil/demons in extreme ways.
We know part of Corey’s story (a parent struggling with mental illness and religious zealousness) and the love he has for his mother, and even father, and God, but it has its own pieces to make it fresh. The afterwards adds to the true events that things were based on.
