SuitabookThe year of the beasts
Cecil Castellucci
- Reading
- Try the opening together, noticing how the prose and comics differ. Pause when the mythic strand feels puzzling, and talk about what each form seems to add before deciding whether to continue independently.
- Themes
- Sisterhood and jealousy: Tessa’s crush turns towards Lulu, and the sisters’ relationship becomes strained as Lulu gains social attention. Jealousy is shown as painful and damaging, while the story’s focus on its consequences leaves room to consider loyalty and care between sisters.
- Greek-myth-inspired comics: Comic chapters reimagine Medusa and include mythic figures such as the Minotaur, alongside Tessa’s prose narrative. The comics use mythic imagery to echo the emotional story rather than simply retell a myth.
- Loss and grief: A swimming accident leads to Lulu’s death and a period of grief for Tessa and her parents. The tragedy and its emotional effects are central to the story, but their presentation alone does not establish a broader message about grief.
- Worth knowing
- The story includes a swimming accident with fatal consequences, grief and guilt, kissing and making out, and a reference to a couple being half-naked. A character also self-injures near the end.