Alison by Lizzy Stewart is an illustrated novel/graphic novel that is an intense, slow burn, but reads quickly, story of coming of age in your adult years. The world of art, women and sex explodes off the pages, yet the narrative remains slow and deep. Best described as “literary,” and that means whatever that means to you. It includes sex, alcohol, death, women’s rights, infidelity, and more.
That is the emotional review, an academic is how we follow a woman through her twenties to sixties after being raised in a small town, with small town expectations. Being married right out of school. Setting up house and home with no idea what that means. Not to mention being a “married couple” with no idea what that means. And finally a woman who needs to find More. At first she is not sure what that is, but when a seductive older man becomes her art teacher, he takes her on a whirlwind journey of love, heartache, insanity and beauty. Being a woman, being a woman who is the (thah not thee) of the (thee) hot artist, being a woman who is an artist, being a person trying to survive the wild London wildness, all comes to life on the page.
It is an adult read. Teens can read, but I don’t see there to be “action” that would keep the modern teen engaged, but you never know. It does bring to light “now” themes (such as #MeToo as we start in the 1970s and end up around the 2000s) and the world of art does open up how it has or hasn’t changed. Every piece comes together in multiple ways. Sometimes I disliked Alison. There were times when I wanted to reach out and smack her so hard. After all, even a kid from a “hick town” could figure out what is going on! Sometimes I liked Alison and wanted to just reach out and grab her in a big ol’ hug.
In the end I wonder how much of Alison, the character, is the author. In the end I wonder how much of Alison, the character, is based on real life people or people. In the end I wonder about the book. I can’t say this is a bad or good read. It is the read I had at the time of reading it. Future reads will be influenced by what I felt the first time around and how my personal experiences have changed. Take your time. Enjoy. Wonder. Think. And most importantly, take away whatever you need to take.
