Category: graphic novel or YA

Do you know who Giorgina Reid or Nzinga were? What about Delia Akeley or Tove Jansson?  When it comes to talking about rebel ladies, this graphic novel smashes any expectation the reader may have.  Pénélope Bagieu uses her stunning graphics, wit, and nontraditional perspective to bring the lives and accomplishments of 29 diverse women to anyone who picks up this book.

There is a constant level of surprise in the subjects Bagieu selects.  For example, Margaret Hamilton, the actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the classic film The Wizard of Oz is among the women profiled.  As someone a little obsessed with Oz, seeing someone show the incredible person that Hamilton was, and pay homage to her story with stunning illustrations, was gratifying in a nearly inexplicable way.

What sets this book apart is the dedication to each subject.  When I first jumped into the novel, I had never heard of most of the rebellious women, let alone what their lives were like and how their passion and persistence changed the world.  These women were volcanologists, athletes, queens and inventors.  They created art, transformed fields of study and made undeniable impressions.  There is constant color and light and joy to learning about them, from their childhoods, to their struggles and successes and their worldly experiences.  Brazen means bold and without shame, and this is a trait possessed by all of these women, encased and celebrated in this beautiful graphic novel.

Contributed by: Noel