Sunburn by Andi Watson (story) and Simon Gane (art)
Sunburn by Andi Watson and Simon Gane is a beautiful graphic novel that tells the coming-age-story of a girl named Rachel Collingwood, who is invited to Greece by acquaintances of the family. The story is unexpected, and the visuals are stunning.
The graphic novel starts off quietly in England as Rachel, complaining about her soggy toast, has breakfast with her family. Their meal is interrupted by a call from Dianne, wife of Peter Warner, who extends an invitation for Rachel to come stay with them for the summer. Rachel is initially opposed, but that is before she finds out the invitation is to come to Greece. She quickly changes her mind, gladly giving up her job at the butcher’s for a summer “sunning herself on the beach,” as her mother puts it.
Rachel’s father immediately asks an important question that goes unanswered: “What would they want Rachel for?” In hindsight, it really is a question they should have considered, particularly since they do not know the Warners very well, and Dianne Warner, who has not seen Rachel since she was very little, only calls up to invite her after Rachel’s mother shares pictures of her daughter. What, indeed, could initiate such generosity from a couple Rachel’s father can barely remember?
When Rachel arrives in Greece, the dashing Peter meets her in the crowded port and drives her in his small convertible to meet Dianne. Dianne is a young, beautiful woman who immediately dotes on Rachel, bringing out dresses and outfits for Rachel to wear while she stays with them. Rachel, aged sixteen, has never been on her own much less out of the country, and she immediately wants to treat the Warners as her parents’ substitutes, but they make clear they are not old and boring as Rachel feared. Rachel says to Dianne, “I thought you and Mr. Warner would be old and grey and stuffy and wear cardigans.” The Warners insist on her calling them by their first names and start pouring her wine, which Rachel at first reluctantly accepts, since she makes clear she has never had alcohol before.
Overall, Dianne and Peter treat Rachel as if she is older, and when the reserved Rachel is asked what she wants to do while there, she says she wants to “explore the island . . . , go swimming, eat lots of new foods, and learn a little Greek.” But Dianne pushes her towards romance, saying that Rachel will be “breaking hearts all over the island.” And Dianne seems to want this narrative to play out, since she throws a party soon after Rachel arrives and introduces her to Benjamin, a goodlooking young man. In fact, Dianne basically throws them together as a matchmaker, and for the most part she seems to succeed.
Sunburn, then, tells the story of a young, budding romance between Rachel and Benjamin. They walk through Greece, look at the stars together, and sort of go swimming, only Benjamin admits his secret to Rachel: He does not know how to swim. Turned swimming instructor, Rachel spends a lot of time in the water in addition to investigating the area and sunning on the beach, as her mother expected. They go to parties, they dance, and everything is a dream come true . . . until it isn’t. But the secret to this story cannot be given away in a review. It is, however, central to Rachel’s coming-of-age, as her new perspective disorients her and sheds a new light on the people around her.
The sense of place conveyed by Simon Gane’s art in this graphic novel is as much a part of the story as are the characters. As readers, we find ourselves trekking around the island with Rachel, and we get a sense of the landscape and architecture that make Greece such a unique location. So many of the panels are wordless, silent, and absolutely gorgeous. The artwork is truly stunning, and it is bathed in blue tones, as if the ocean surrounding the island were permeating the land and the people inhabiting it.
Ultimately, this magical story takes a shocking turn that explains why the Warners invited Rachel in the first place. Nothing truly terrible happens, but it is a shock to Rachel as she comes to terms with a reality she was initially blind to. And this revelation, once known by the reader, makes the book very interesting to reread with that new knowledge in mind. I think the story is a solid four out of five stars, but the art is unquestionably a five-star production. Therefore, I think four-and-a-half stars is a fair rating. The art really does bring me back to this book again and again. I initially read it digitally, but the visuals led me to buy a physical copy so that I can hold the book in my hands. It is the rare book that can lead me to buy it twice! Sunburn is a beautiful, re-readable graphic novel that transports you to Greece and takes you through its twisting pathways and streets as you spend an unforgettable summer with a sweet ingenue.
Thanks for sharing!