Hello, friends, and welcome back to another book review! I’m so excited you’re here because I haven’t been this fired up about a book in a while. I have so many thoughts in my head that I’m just ready to spew out. Yes, that’s a disgusting verb. No, I don’t regret using it.
Let’s get into it!
In just one sentence, On A Sunbeam is a super gay graphic novel, set in space, about tracking down long-lost love, rebuilding the past, and the importance of found families.
If you aren’t already downloading the free webcomic (onasunbeam.com), ordering the physical book on Amazon, or traveling to the nearest library to snatch it off the shelves, then what are you doing?
Keep reading on. I will convince you.
In a few sentences, On A Sunbeam is about Mia, the new member of a space crew that rebuilds broken-down structures. Told through flashbacks, we learn about Mia’s pivotal year in boarding school where she found love and then lost it. So this story is technically two stories in one, both unique but connected. Mia’s space crew consists of two married women, their niece, and a mute, non-binary person who all help Mia on her intergalactic, dangerous journey to find the love she once lost.
Sometimes, a weird thing happens when I hold a book in my hands. I get this warm feeling in my chest and a sense that a book belongs to me, like I’m meant to read that story at that exact moment. It’s almost like all the lights go out and there’s a spotlight on the book and voices all around yelling at me to read it.
That weird thing happened before I read this book, and well… duh. Now I understand why. Of course it did. It’s incredible.
Look at this art!
Someone drew this! Incredible!
Listen, I don’t read graphic novels often, so I don’t have much to compare this to. All I know is that On A Sunbeam is the best graphic novel I’ve read, and here’s why:
The world-building. I mean, this whole thing takes place in space, in a fully functional space civilization. The amount of creativity it must take to be able to not only come up with this world but to draw it is incredible.
The characters. There are zero, count them, zero male main characters in this story. This is not to say that male characters make a story worse, but this opens up the opportunity for other representation, like Ell who’s non-binary. Each character in this book has their own story and their own complex personalities, which I really appreciate.
The plotline. This story is just really heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I was crying tears of joy and tears of sadness all at once. If you love space if you love great LGBTQ representation, and if you love beautiful art, read this book.
I want to try and convey how incredible of an artist Tillie Walden is.
*deep inhale*
Like, she’s so incredible that I’m going to go order the rest of her graphic novels and buy prints from her and set her artwork as my lock screens and backgrounds for the rest of my life because of how many things her art makes me feel.
I just look at her art and I’m all:
Since words truly cannot capture Tillie Walden’s talent, I want to include a few of my favorite sketches of hers because the world needs to see them:
If you love her art as much as I do, please support her. She’s doing great, important work for LGBTQ representation, and I really think more people should know about her and her stories.
Have I convinced you now?
Wonderful! I plan to read her during this enforced “quarantine.” I mean, what else are we going to do with all of this alone time but read fantastic things?