Night Fisher - Paperback By Johnson, R. Kikuo

Description: Night Fisher - graphic novel by R. KIKUO JOHNSON Two Maui high school students, Loren and Shane, get mixed up in a petty crime, and their friendship is put to the test. One of the most critically lauded graphic novel debuts in the medium's history is now in hardcover for the first time! 2023 Whiting Award WINNER in Fiction First-rate prep school, SUV, and a dream house in the heights — an island paradise was handed to Loren Foster when he moved to Hawaii with his father six years ago. Now, with the end of high school just around the corner, his best friend, Shane, has grown distant. Rumors abound. Loren suspects that Shane has left him behind for a new group of friends. Their friendship is put to the test when they get mixed up in a petty crime. Johnson has a naturalistic ease in exploring these relationships, which sets this drama apart. This graphic novel debut is at once an unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between adolescence and young adulthood and that rarest of things — a mature depiction of immature lives. His lush-yet-unsentimental-depiction of Maui creates an immersive, visceral sense of place. In 2006, critics heralded R. Kikuo Johnson's Night Fisher as one of the most exciting debuts in the medium's history. Johnson won the prestigious Russ Manning Newcomer Award at the 2006 Eisner Awards, the Harvey Award for Best New Talent, and a Harvey Award nomination for Best Graphic Novel. R. Kikuo Johnson has created an intimate and compelling graphic novel-length drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood. First-rate prep school, S.U.V., and a dream house in the heights: This was the island paradise handed to Loren Foster when he moved to Hawaii with his father. Set on Maui, Johnson's debut graphic novel is told entirely from the perspective of Loren, a haole (white) high-school senior whose family relocated from Boston five years ago. Loren is a slightly awkward, mild-mannered, straight-A AP student at a the local elite prep school (which appears to be modeled after Seabury Hall, one of Maui's three prep schools). He's slowly drifted apart from his best (and apparently only) friend Shane, who has abandoned their midnight fishing excursions in favor of hanging out on the "wrong" (ie. Filipino) side of the island to smoking batu (crystal meth) with a 30-year-old dealer. Displaying true self-destructive teenage behavior, Loren is decides to join Shane on one of these batu runs. And in true drug culture form, it's never just a simple matter of purchasing and consuming. Rather, Loren gets caught up in some slightly more serious stuff which leads to an inevitable crisis. But it's a only hard to buy Loren's fall from grace if you buy into the original grace. Despite his straight As, Loren's home life is pretty lonely as he putters around the motherless, siblingless house all alone while his dentist father works long hours to pay the mortgage and meet the school fees. Loren is slightly disaffected, slightly disillusioned, somewhat ill at ease with his low-key nerd rep, and so it's not too hard to see him taking this walk on the wild side. Mixed into this is some information about the island's flora and fauna which serves a metaphorical adjunct to Loren's situation. At times the story is interrupted by biology book excerpts discussing how non-native plants and invasive species came to Hawaii over the years. It's hard to miss the meaning, as Loren is both haole invader and haole outsider. Similarly, it's hard to miss the symbolism of the jungle of a front yard that Loren and his father do battle with, as it attempts to take over the property. Other than this slightly-too-obvious nature element, Johnson's depiction of Hawaii is fresh and original. In contrast to the typical image of a sunny paradise, much of the action takes place at night, which lends an entirely different mood. And in a much-needed alternate view of the state, instead of palatial mansions or chic apartments, we see regular houses, ramshackle houses, low-income neighborhoods, convenience stores, open markets, and industrial works. This is. All of Johnson's characters are real and alive, and while some may find his artwork a little too loose, it captures the restlessness of the protagonist. The stark black and white panels are a great example of how an artist can use negative space to create mood in a story. It's a very solid debut and I'll look forward to his next. Note: If this alternate view of Hawaii interests you, check out Kaui Hart Hemmings' excellent (and inexplicably overlooked) short story collection "House of Thieves". Almost all the protagonists are haole teenagers, and it is a great pairing with this book. Originally published: 2005Author: R. Kikuo Johnson Pages 144Format PBColor Black and white.Dimensions 7.1" × 10.1"ISBN 9781560977193 All measurements though carefully taken should be considered approximate Please see and examine all pictures for details, they are considered part of the description. Items are sold “AS IS” and NO RETURNS unless otherwise listed with conditions We used recycled boxes to help keep shipping rates as low as possible, we will always try to use suitable boxes for your item, but may have company logos, writings, or markings. CHECK OUT OUR STORE, Burman's Basement, FOR MANY UNIQUE TREASURES, WE ARE HAPPY TO COMBINE SHIPPING WHEN POSSIBLE

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Location: Miami, Florida

End Time: 2025-01-16T01:28:18.000Z

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