Slip written by Marika McCoola and illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya is an incredibly emotional coming-of-age young adult graphic novel that isn’t afraid to talk about tough topics. What hooked me about this graphic novel is that it centers on ceramic artist! Most of the graphic novels about art that I read center on painting or dance, so seeing one based on a talented young ceramic artist, I knew I needed to give this a read (Plus I know almost nothing about working with ceramics, so I wanted to learn!).

Trigger warning for suicide attempt.

Jade is a ceramic artist who has earned a spot at a summer art intensive at the Art Farm. She is hopeful that this intensive will help her create a portfolio which will help her get accepted into art school and also help her get a scholarship. Her mom thinks that this is a lot of pressure since it’s the student residency intensive, but has faith that Jade can succeed. Right before Jade is set to leave though, her best friend Phoebe attempts suicide. After learning this, Jade struggles with focusing on herself and constantly worries about Phoebe.

At the Art Farm, Jade meets many new people and learns many new techniques that have the ability to help her expand her art. Jade also feels the spark of a summer romance with a quirky artist named Mary. Through the summer, Jade struggles to find her motivation to work, but eventually finds her rhythm. She starts making ceramic monsters as a way to help vent her anger, frustration, and fear. The scary part is that her creations start coming alive when she puts them in the kiln. Jade must figure out what is causing them to come alive and find a way to stop them. Slip is an engaging read that doesn’t end prettily. There are clearly still plenty of issues for Jade to work through, but readers are left with the sense that she is on a path to succeed.