49 Days by Agnes Lee

49 Days by Agnes Lee. Levine Querido, 2024. 9781646143740






Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5



Format : Hardcover graphic novel



Genre :  Fantasy/magic realism



What did you like about the book? At first, it feels like the girl is on a solo hike alone in the elements. But each time she wakes up on one of the 49 days in this story, she’s battling the same things: the tides, the boulders, nature, alone with memories of her mother and siblings. It feels like a bad dream, with obstacles, danger and memories, over and over again, in black, white and gray. There are interstitial chapters, in black, white and brown, that reveal not only Kit’s memories, but also how her family is grieving her loss. We find out that she got on a bus…and then she was gone. Her brother, sister, mother and boyfriend mourn her in different ways, and discuss whether praying in the Buddhist tradition is relevant, as Kit herself was agnostic.



At some point, the reader senses that Kit is making more progress towards whatever is her destination during the repeating days, and her family is too, especially as they make kimchi as a way to remember her. The 49 days are Kit’s “transition between life and rebirth,” in a Korean Buddhist tradition. And it’s clear that she is stuck for much of the first half of the book. As soon as we, the readers, figure out that she is preparing for her next step, our mourning takes place. She seems so alive, but she is indeed stuck in her anger and sorrow, as we are.



Lee’s artwork, brush, pen and ink and photoshop, is moving in its simplicity. Each panel is quiet and perfectly composed, and many are wordless. The gray of her 49 days is a helpful contrast to the brown of her family’s memories and present mourning, and we get a good sense of the person she was.



Anything you didn’t like about it? No



To whom would you recommend this book?  This is a beautiful story of grief, for teens and adults.



Who should buy this book?  High school and public libraries



Where would you shelve it? Teen or adult graphic fiction



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes



Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA



Date of review:  February 9, 2024