Booknote: Pawn Shop

Joey Esposito, Pawn Shop. Z2 Comics, 2015. ISBN: 9781940878041.

(Citation note: publisher location unknown. Even checking their website yields no result, and if you go on their Facebook page, you actually have to request their address. Apparently, it is easier to find Al Qaeda. Joke aside, they do put out good stuff).

Genre: graphic novels and comics
Subgenre: slice of life, urban tales, New York City
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley


From the book's description:

"Pawn Shop is an original graphic novel about the intertwining lives of four strangers in the ecosystem of New York City, connected by the streets they walk on and the people they touch. Following a lonely widower, a struggling Long Island Railroad employee, a timid hospice nurse, and a drug-addled punk, Pawn Shop explores the big things that separate us and the little moments that inexplicably unite us."

This was a sweet and moving story of four people in New York City. Though they may seem to be as distant and separate as four people can be, Esposito shows us how their lives are connected and intertwined in ways they themselves do not realize. The result is the picture we see of our common humanity, and how often, small acts of compassion can have a large impact on others, whether we realize it or not.

This is a simple comic with simple but very nice art. However, the comic packs quite a bit of emotion, and it has a bittersweet element to it that stays with you after you read it. This is one I definitely recommend. It is a title for older teens and adults, so keep that in mind. I do recommend it for libraries with graphic novel collections. For folks who like reading contemporary stories and slice of life tales and may want to try out a graphic novel, this can be a good option. In the end, it is one I really liked.

4 out of 5 stars.