I recently finished my ARC copy of On Guard by Cassidy Wasserman. I want to thank NetGalley for my copy and will be providing my honest review. On Guard is a great middle school graphic novel. While it deals with the usual trials and tribulations that face that age group. On Guard did a particularly good job dealing with the divisive relationship that often comes up between mothers and daughters. This is especially true of that relationship in the tween/teen years.
Synopsis
Getting yourself started off on the right foot in 7th grade isn’t easy. It’s even worse when your parents have just divorced. You’ve also lost your best friend along with a rocky relationship with her mother, it’s no wonder Grace is struggling.
Grace feels strange about it mothers and daughters are always so close in movies. But that’s never been her and her mom and she finds herself feeling like the odd girl out.
When Grace ends up watching the middle school fencing club during lunch. She finds herself enraptured with this new sport. Will this club be the answer to her finding her people and maybe even learning more about herself?
Review
I really enjoyed On Guard. There were several reasons but I’m going to tackle the most important one first. The portrayal of mothers and daughters was particularly poignant. Like Wasserman, I have felt that the portrayals of mothers and daughters in the media are usually positive. These portrayals can leave those without positive relationships feeling strange. It can make them feel like there is something wrong with them.
My own relationship with my mother is rocky on a good day. I would have loved a graphic novel when I was a teenager to show me that this can be normal. Another thing that this novel tackled was emotional immaturity of the mother.
This was shown in the novel through Grace’s mother putting her interests ahead of her child’s negatively. At one point, she did something physically violent to Grace. Her mother didn’t talk about after the fact until Grace revealed it to her father. I want to point out how well this graphic novel handled the message.
It skillfully reinforced that this isn’t okay for parents to do. I think a lot of kids may be in situations like Grace’s where parents aren’t out right abusive. But, one or both parent, can be very toxic. They need media to show them that it isn’t their fault and that some adults are safe to talk to.
I loved the art style and the text to art ratio. The characters were all very engaging and helped to further along the plot. I especially enjoyed the way Grace and her father interacted. They shared interests and ways of looking at the world. I also thought that Grace’s new friend Asher was a nice addition to the plot. I love seeing non-binary characters in literature. They provided such warmth and help for Grace when she needed it.
I’d recommend this book to any young teen, especially those having trouble with their mothers. Five stars and I hope to read from this author again. Check out On Guard when it releases June 10th!
About the Author
Cassidy Wasserman is an artist in the game industry and is making her Graphic novel debut with On Guard! When sheās not creating, Cassidy enjoys Ć©pĆ©e fencing, listening to musicals, and agility training with her dog, Zag. Cassidy lives in the mountains of Maine, where she is working on her next graphic novel.
Amazon: On Guard
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