This is a dark and unsettling graphic novel set among teenagers in 1970s Seattle. A mysterious sexually transmitted disease called “the Bug” causes strange physical mutations, leaving those infected increasingly isolated from the rest of society. The story follows several teenagers as they deal with their changing bodies, sexuality, desire and loneliness. I really liked the stark black-and-white drawings, with their precise lines and textures that reminded me of linocut. The story itself, however, is very gloomy and disturbing. Interesting and beautifully drawn, but definitely not a very cheerful read.
“I felt like I was looking into the future… and the future looked really messed up.”
