Aya of Yop City: 05/04/10

I love my library but there are some shelving decisions there that baffle me. Graphic novels, for instance, are shelved separately but within reach of fiction for middle grades and young adults. Adult graphic novels though are put with the nonfiction according to their Dewey decimal call number. Because they aren't put near fiction I had no idea there were any adult graphic novels until I happened to see the cover of one from the reading area at the back of the library.

The cover I happened to see was Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet. As it turns out Aya of Yop City is the sequel to Aya (which I didn't see on the shelf). Thus it continues my near perfect record of accidentally reading everything out of order.

There are a lot of characters and plot lines in Aya of Yop City that I gather are continuations from Aya. From the reviews I've read, people who have read Aya love Aya of Yop City. Coming to the second book without the benefit of the first left me confused in a number of parts and having to re-read sections.

Marguerite Abouet based the setting on her childhood in Yopougon, a neighborhood in Abijan, Ivory Coast. With the time period set in the mid 1970s and the focus being on family life, I am reminded most of Kampung Boy by Lat

I hope to track down a copy of Aya and the third book which hasn't been translated yet because I'd like to see how the cliff hanger plays out.

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Wednesday, May, 5, 2010 at 07:44:23

Amanda Gignac

I read Aya last August and wasn't terribly impressed. Looking back, though, I wonder if I was just in the wrong mood. I was in a very sour reading mood last August. I'm surprised so many good books came out of it!

Comment #2: Friday, May 5, 2010 at 12:49:47

Pussreboots

Thank you for your comment. I'm glad to hear about your reaction to Aya. I'm still curious enough about the first book to want to read it but I'm not in any immediate hurry to find a copy.