Night Shift

July 24, 2017
In a small-format picture book aimed at a teenage and adult audience, Gliori (Side by Side) uses stark language and somber charcoal-like artwork to reflect on the weight and intensity of depression. A girl with chin-length hair who looks to be around 12 or 13 (a depiction of her in the shower shows that her body is beginning to develop) describes the arrival of something beyond description. “Words left me,” she explains. “There was no language for this feeling.” Gliori alternately shows the nameless sensation as a hollow inside the girl’s stomach, a heavy fog, and spiky dragons that assail her. Although depression isn’t mentioned explicitly until an endnote, Gliori’s metaphors leave little doubt about the magnitude of what the girl is facing, particularly in a scene that takes aim at well-meaning but useless platitudes (“Pull yourself together. Get a grip. Think of the starving millions”). Significantly, her struggle is not as simple as outrunning her enemies—rather, the tide begins to shift at the moment when she accepts weakness. By giving depression physical dimension, Gliori diffuses some of its strange, persistent power. Ages 13–up.

December 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-At first glance, this may appear to be a picture book for young children; even the title belies its intent and audience. Instead, it is an eloquently worded story of the author's experience of depression. Expressive imagery-heavy language, such as "The fog rolled in every night" and "But I had lost my compass and without it any map was pointless," is accompanied by dark, splotchy wisps of gray and an illustrated spiky dragon that appears to follow the author everywhere. In short, lyrical sentences packed with meaning, Gliori defines "night skills" ("the ability to survive inside my own darkness"). The author's note adds additional substance to the meaning of her narrative, but most will recognize the imagery and metaphors she uses. In her final note to readers, she states, "Being ill and unable to communicate how we feel is such a lonely business. My hope is that this book will help explain what we're going through." Counselors, therapists, and parents could easily use this as a discussion starter or a mentor text for helping adolescents who experience the effects of depression. VERDICT Discuss this thought-provoking personal story of depression with young adults.-Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

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