Graphic Novel Review: Pearl of the Sea

Posted on May 21, 2024 at 6:30 am by Gene Ambaum

Pearl of the Sea by Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Willem Samuel. Catylist Press, 2023. 9781946395740. 164pp..

Pearl spends more time in the water than on land, diving for crayfish and abalone, though it’s illegal. (She and her dad need money or they may have to move to the city. This would suck because Pearl is waiting for her mom to return home.) Pearl has also been searching the site of a shipwreck that’s off-limits. It’s there that she first encounters the giant sea creature that she later tries to befriend, and which others are searching for.

The large format of this graphic novel allows the art to shine; at half the size I don’t think it would look nearly as good. It’s an especially tween-friendly YA book with lots of beautifully drawn undersea moments that will appeal to readers of all ages; I haven’t liked underwater scenes this much since seeing the scuba diving murder scenes in Jacamon and Matz’s The Killer.