My Aunt is a Monster/Séance Tea Party
Reimena Yee
RHGraphic, 2020/2022
250/336 pages
Grades 4-7
Graphic Novel
This new novel by a relatively new voice is getting a lot of love, inspiring me to check it out. The story starts tragically as blind Safia's beloved parents die in a fire and she is sent to live with a distant aunt. The aunt and her housekeeper/friend are kind, yet strange. Eventually it is revealed that the two adults were an amazing spy team, sent into seclusion after a terrible curse that turned the aunt into a monster. Now they are off on a redemption mission with Safia in tow, where she stretches her wings and makes a new friend. This full-color graphic novel is fun and exciting. I found it distracting that Safia wears clear glasses for most of the book even though she is fully blind, but maybe the gesture is symbolic? Sometimes I got confused as to what was going on, but it forced me to look a little closer and will encourage kids to be participants in their reading experience. The book has humor, adventure, mystery, and friendship, with subtle non-binary/queer representation. Extensive backmatter shows the creative process behind the finished product and the ending hints at a sequel or possible series. I liked it enough to go back and pick up Yee's first graphic novel for kids, which I ended up liking better.
Séance Tea Party is a very special book exploring the confusion that is seventh grade. Lora begins the new school year still a child, playing imaginary games with her friends. By Halloween everyone seems to be drifting off to teenage pursuits, leaving her out. Lora connects with a ghost-girl in her attic, who turns out to be her imaginary friend from when she was little. Alexa and Lora immediately click and spend time together, creating games and sharing secrets. Alexa doesn't remember her past, yet is content to live in the present with her human friend. A chance encounter unlocks the door to Alexa's human life, encouraging her to let go of her spirit form. Meanwhile, Lora finds the end of the school year much different, as she also begins to mature and reconnect with her pals. I loved this story and think it will give lonely kids hope that in the future they will find other humans who get them. Yee does a great job of demonstrating Lora's growth, physically and emotionally from the beginning of the year to the end. I was so moved by this story that it made me cry--probably the first graphic novel to do so. The illustrations are colorful and help convey the plot, setting and emotions. As with My Aunt, extensive backmatter reveals the behind the scenes process. A beautiful story for kids (and adults) who march to the beat of their own drummers and sometimes feel alone.
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