Book picks similar to
Volta by Dorian Christo


graphic-novel
lgbt
no-cover
young-adult

Griffin and Sabine


Nick Bantock - 1991
    His logical, methodical world was suddenly turned upside down by a strangely exotic woman living on a tropical island thousands of miles away. Who is Sabine? How can she "see" what Griffin is painting when they have never met? Is she a long-lost twin? A clairvoyant? Or a malevolent angel? Are we witnessing the flowering of a magical relationship or a descent into madness?This stunning visual novel unfolds in a series of postcards and letters, all brilliantly illustrated with whimsical designs, bizarre creatures, and darkly imagined landscapes. Inside the book, Griffin and Sabine's letters are to be found nestling in their envelopes, permitting the reader to examine the intimate correspondence of these inexplicably linked strangers. This truly innovative novel combines a strangely fascinating story with lush artwork in an altogether original format.

Like Two Peas in a Pod


Gorou Kanbe - 2020
    When Tanaka and Nakata are given each other’s papers back, they come to a horrible realization... They have almost identical names. And test results. And body types. And taste in fashion. And sports scores. And hobbies. The list goes on, and as annoying as it is, at least they know they always have each other. And maybe, just maybe, their similarities run even deeper.

Piper


Jay Asher - 2017
    Shunned by her village because of her disability, her only comfort comes from her vivid imagination. Maggie has a gift for inventing stories and dreams of one day finding her fairy-tale love.When Maggie meets the mysterious Piper, it seems that all her wishes are coming true. Spellbound, Maggie falls hard for him and plunges headfirst into his magical world. But as she grows closer to the Piper, Maggie discovers that he has a dark side.The boy of Maggie's dreams might just turn out to be her worst nightmare...

Cast No Shadow


Nick Tapalansky - 2017
    The town's always had its quirks, and being born without a shadow means he's counted among them. When Greg discovers an old mansion in the woods just outside of town, he didn't expect to meet a smart, beautiful, funny, and...very dead teenaged girl named Eleanor.Yeah. He's in love with a ghost.And before he knows what's happening, Greg finds himself at the wrong end of a history lesson when the town's past, and his own, threaten to pull the two of them apart permanently!From acclaimed comics writer Nick Tapalansky and phenomenal newcomer artist Anissa Espinosa, Cast No Shadow is a teen romance with humor and heart.

Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast


Llexi Leon - 2018
    "When dark forces conspire to corrupt the fabric of reality, Eddie's immortal soul is shattered and strewn across the cosmos - his unbound essence corrupting countless worlds! Now, a weakened, primal Eddie must journey across space and time to battle the twisted legions of The Beast, seek out the lost shards of his soul, and bring order to the realms!" The first official Iron Maiden comic series, based on the band's hit mobile role playing game - Iron Maiden: Legacy of The Beast - where players battle as Eddie across the many worlds of Iron Maiden's discography, from the ancient sands of Powerslave to the far future of the Final Frontier.

Battle of the Bands


Lauren GibaldiJenny Torres Sanchez - 2021
    A lonely ticket taker worries about his sister. An almost-famous songwriter nurses old wounds. A stage manager tires of being behind the scenes. A singer-songwriter struggles to untangle her feelings for her best friend and his girlfriend. In this live-out-loud anthology, the disparate protagonists of sixteen stories are thrown together for one unforgettable event: their high school’s battle of the bands. Told in a harmonic blend of first- and third-person narrative voices, roughly chronological short stories offer a kaleidoscopic view of the same transformative night. Featuring an entry from Justin Courtney Pierre, lead vocalist of Motion City Soundtrack, Battle of the Bands is a celebration of youth, music, and meeting the challenges of life head-on.

The Sculptor


Scott McCloud - 2015
    Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding  what  to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the 11th hour isn't making it any easier! This is a story of desire taken to the edge of reason and beyond; of the frantic, clumsy dance steps of young love; and a gorgeous, street-level portrait of the world's greatest city. It's about the small, warm, human moments of everyday life…and the great surging forces that lie just under the surface. Scott McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now he vaults into great fiction with a breathtaking, funny, and unforgettable new work.

Henry & Glenn Forever


Tom Neely - 2010
    Henry and Glenn are very good “friends”; they are also roommates. Daryl and John live next door; they are Satanists. What follows is ultrametal violence and cryfest diary entries, cringing self-doubt and megahilarious emo-meltdowns. Who knew Danzig was such a vulnerable, self-conscious sweetie pie? Who knew Rollins was such a caring spouse? Who knew Hall and Oates were so infernally evil—yet so considerate? As the real-life Henry Rollins says of the work, “Has Glenn seen this? Trust me, he would not be impressed.”

The Wise and the Wicked


Rebecca Podos - 2019
    Such has it always been, Ruby’s been told, for powerful women. Today, these stories seem no more real to Ruby than folktales, except for the smallest bit of power left in their blood: when each of them comes of age, she will have a vision of who she will be when she dies—a destiny as inescapable as it is inevitable. Ruby is no exception, and neither is her mother, although she ran from her fate years ago, abandoning Ruby and her sisters. It’s a fool’s errand, because they all know the truth: there is no escaping one’s Time.Until Ruby’s great-aunt Polina passes away, and, for the first time, a Chernyavsky’s death does not match her vision. Suddenly, things Ruby never thought she’d be allowed to hope for—life, love, time—seem possible. But as she and her cousin Cece begin to dig into the family’s history to find out whether they, too, can change their fates, they learn that nothing comes without a cost. Especially not hope.

The Chosen and the Beautiful


Nghi Vo - 2021
    Socialite. Magician.Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

Sheets: Collector's Edition


Brenna Thummler - 2021
    For Marjorie Glatt, being thirteen years old isn't quite the same as it is for everyone else. Responsible for running her family's laundromat while trying to survive middle school, Marjorie's daily struggles include persnickety customers, snippy classmates, agonizing swim lessons, and laundry... always, always laundry. Wendell is a bit different, too. Wendell is a ghost. His daily struggles include Dead Youth support groups and unavoidable stains. But when he escapes from the Land of Ghosts and bumbles into Marjorie's laundromat--the perfect ghost playground--his attempts at fun and friendship begin to harm the family business. Sheets is a powerful story about a young girl's perseverance, even when all the odds are stacked against her. It shows that forgiveness and second chances can result in unlikely friendships. Above all, it is an invitation into an unusual, haunted laundromat that brings family, friends, and--yes--sheets to life.

Prelude for Lost Souls


Helene Dunbar - 2020
    Hilaire, most make their living by talking to the dead. In the summer, the town gates open to tourists seeking answers while all activity is controlled by The Guild, a sinister ruling body that sees everything.Dec Hampton has lived there his entire life, but ever since his parents died, he's been done with it. He knows he has to leave before anyone has a chance to stop him.His best friend Russ won't be surprised when Dec leaves—but he will be heartbroken. Russ is a good medium, maybe even a great one. He's made sacrifices for his gift and will do whatever he can to gain entry to The Guild, even embracing dark forces and contacting the most elusive ghost in town.But when the train of Annie Krylova, the piano prodigy whose music has been Dec's main source of solace, breaks down outside of town, it sets off an unexpected chain of events. And in St. Hilaire, there are no such things as coincidences.

Storm, Vol. 1: Make it Rain


Greg Pak - 2015
    Goddess. Headmistress. Queen. The X-Man called Storm has always defied a single title. And her desire to better the world has never been limited to only her own kind. On an ongoing mission to foster goodwill and safeguard both mankind and mutants, Ororo Munroe will travel the globe, confronting villains, gods, monsters and everything in between. She will overthrow tyrants, quell tsunamis and strive to see her dream for the world realized. She is Storm, a hero like no other... and the skies will tremble at the sight of their namesake. But now, Storm must handle the fallout caused by familiar faces from her past. Why is Callisto kidnapping wayward youth from the streets of New York? Will Storm's romance with Forge be reignited? And can Yukio help Storm deal with the recent death of Wolverine?COLLECTING: STORM 1-5

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms


Crystal Frasier - 2021
    Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser—a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures (not to mention micro aggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.

A Show for Two


Tashie BhuiyanTashie Bhuiyan
    When Mina sets out to persuade Emmitt to join her cause, he offers her a deal instead: he'll be in her short film…if she acts as a tour guide to help him with a photography contest. As Mina ventures across the five boroughs with Emmitt by her side, the city she grew up in starts to look different and more like home than it ever has before. With the competition deadline looming, Mina's dreams—which once seemed impenetrable—begin to crumble, and she’s forced to ask herself: Is winning worth losing everything?