Graphic Novel Review: Men I Trust by Tommi Parrish
Posted on April 6, 2023 at 6:34 am by Gene Ambaum
Men I Trust by Tommi Parrish. Fantagraphics, 2022. 9781683966500. 208pp.
Eliza is doing pretty well — she’s sober, dealing with the trauma of her abusive mother, and raising her son, Justin, alone. Talking about her problems at meetings helps. Her day job is okay but she shines at night when she performs her poetry. It’s after one of these performances that Sasha introduces herself. She’s young, intense, and very attracted to Eliza. Eliza keeps her at arm’s length, but maybe she should let her get closer. Or maybe that would be a huge mistake. (I’m still meditating on the title, but the men in the book include Eliza’s ex, who seems to be avoiding responsibility, her son Justin, who she’s doing her best to take care of, and an awful TV show host who Sasha sometimes dates for money.)
This graphic novel is fully painted, as is Parish’s The Lie And How We Told It (2018), and it’s also full of realistic dialogue that really drew me in. Sasha and Eliza both have issues that had me rooting for both of them even as it felt like maybe they shouldn’t be hanging out together.
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