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uosdwisrdewoh's review
4.0
An interesting work of journalism, blending photography and comics to shine a light on the plight of children in conflict-torn the Central African Republic. Didier Kassaï, a resident of the CAR, skillfully renders the children and their families while also serving as the point of view character. Marc Ellison, while credited as the writer and producer of the comic, takes a back seat, giving Kassaï center stage. Photographs are rarely used with comics, since they bear the risk of making the comic look like a fumetti strip, artificial at best, reminiscent of joke books at worst, but by occasionally dropping full page photos into the narrative, it works in many ways as photographs accompanying newspaper articles. This is a solid effort, worth reading alongside experts in comics journalism like Joe Sacco. Even if they don’t reach the virtuosic heights of Sacco’s storytelling, it’s very much worth a look.
pinkyrae's review
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
markwillnevercry's review
informative
4.0
This graphic novel is made up of intervieves with children in Central African Republic. There are a couple of intervieves with adults too, but all of them are concentrated on finding ways to help children in the country. It is well drawn and relays a lot of information in a pretty short book. Overall, good job by the artist.
briface's review
5.0
The mixture of the graphic representation and photos of these children telling their histories of growing up in the Central African Republic is powerful.
archaeolibraryologist's review
5.0
Sobering. A beautiful work shedding light on a depression reality of the life of many children in the Central African Republic.
jackelz's review
5.0
A House Without Windows is a graphic documentary by photojournalist Marc Ellison and artist Didier Kassaï.
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a former French colony that is crippled by misrule and corruption. Recently, 400,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to deadly fighting and more than half are still displaced today. Armed groups have enlisted 3,000 child soldiers in the past few months. Even before its most recent crisis, 2.8 million people – 57% of the population – needed humanitarian assistance and protection. The land has become what many call "a house without windows."
The CAR is one of the worst countries in the world to be a child. The decades of corruption has caused high rates of poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Many schools have closed and very few children are enrolled in the ones that remain open. Children leave the homes they do have because of abuse, and choose to live on the streets instead.
Marc captures photographs of these children while Didier tells their stories through his art. I love how the photographs were weaved through the story, as it really feels like reading a documentary. You see children working in diamond mines and you get a sense of what it’s like for them living on the street. Even with the ongoing humanitarian crisis, these children show so much courage. I appreciate this story being told so more people can learn about what’s happening.
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a former French colony that is crippled by misrule and corruption. Recently, 400,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to deadly fighting and more than half are still displaced today. Armed groups have enlisted 3,000 child soldiers in the past few months. Even before its most recent crisis, 2.8 million people – 57% of the population – needed humanitarian assistance and protection. The land has become what many call "a house without windows."
The CAR is one of the worst countries in the world to be a child. The decades of corruption has caused high rates of poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Many schools have closed and very few children are enrolled in the ones that remain open. Children leave the homes they do have because of abuse, and choose to live on the streets instead.
Marc captures photographs of these children while Didier tells their stories through his art. I love how the photographs were weaved through the story, as it really feels like reading a documentary. You see children working in diamond mines and you get a sense of what it’s like for them living on the street. Even with the ongoing humanitarian crisis, these children show so much courage. I appreciate this story being told so more people can learn about what’s happening.
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