Into the Dangerous World
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
At a family meeting, Ror declares her purpose: She is an artist.
But she doesn’t really know what that means. Raised on a commune, she’s never attended a day of school, and has seen little of the outside world. What she knows best is drawing. To her, it’s like breathing; it’s how she makes sense of the world.
When her father torches the commune—and himself—Ror’s life changes. She, her mother and sister end up in a homeless residence in Manhattan, where she runs into trouble—and love—with Trey, the leader of Noise Ink, a graffiti crew.
On the city’s streets, and in its museums and galleries, Ror finds herself pulled in different directions. Her father wanted her to make classic art. Noise Ink insists she stay within their lines. Her art teacher urges her to go to college. What does she want?
Ror’s journey is a seamless blend of words and pictures, cinematic in its scope--a sharp-edged, indelible work of art that will live inside your head.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Seventeen-year-old Ror grew up on a Staten Island commune, but she, her mother, and her older sister must move into an SRO in Manhattan after her father commits suicide by burning down the house they built. Set in 1984, amid the thriving street culture of New York City, Chibbaro's gritty novel follows Ror as she figures out what type of artist she wants to become while using her drawing to channel her grief. Illustrator Sovak, Chibbaro's husband and collaborator on 2011's Deadly, skillfully conveys Ror's artistic talent in vibrant and emotionally resonant b&w sketches. The adults in Ror's life want her to pursue traditional art, but she sees graffiti everywhere, and it fascinates her, as does Trey, a neighbor and fellow art student. Ror's attempts to fit in with Trey and his graffiti crew reflect her unbiased love of art and her struggle to discover where she belongs. Period references (Blondie, Keith Haring, the Reagan administration) provide context, yet the book feels modern and relevant as this striking combination of story and illustration creates a powerful portrait of a budding artist. Ages 14 up.
