How do you know what to risk, when you don’t know what is at stake? Find out in the new supernatural graphic novel, Greater Secrets by Ananth Hirsh and Tess Stone, on November 12th, 2024. This quick read follows three strangers who find themselves on a road trip together. Dyno, who is returning to the hometown he lost in a flood; Cardea, who is totally not distracting herself from deciding her future; and most importantly, Maya, who is searching for her sister. Everyone in Maya’s family is cursed by a vision of a mysterious pillar of light in the distance. When her sister Amara follows it, she is never seen again. As Maya searches for Amara, she gets closer to the light itself. Can she face whatever awaits her for the sake of her sister?
This is one of the best graphic novels I have read since I discovered the sapphic classics The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz and Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag. I am so excited to see Greater Secrets in color, since I read an early version in black and white. The cartoony yet edgy art is fun with a serious undertone, similar to the television shows Steven Universe and Adventure Time.
Graphic novels sometimes lose me, but the only thing that confused me in Greater Secrets is the giant serpents that appear in the sky. I could not tell if they were an artistic symbol or if the characters literally saw them. If you know about their role in mythology, you will be fine, and if not, I suggest reading the final author’s note before reading the book.
Similarly, I usually have trouble connecting to characters in graphic novels when I am not reading their thoughts and feelings firsthand. I am pleasantly surprised that I was actually able to invest in the progression of Dyno, Cardea, and Maya opening up to each other and becoming friends.
I am especially interested in the themes of climate change and a technology takeover that Hirsh and Stone explore. If our world is not already the flooding, phone-obsessed one the characters live in, it very soon will be. Greater Secrets has a fresh, realistic, casual approach to that fact. Hirsh and Stone call out the flaws of the world we live in while also treating them as the norm. It sends a strong subliminal message: We are in danger, and it is maddeningly unfair that this is the world we are coming of age in.
I also loved what feels like a supernatural take on generational trauma. Maya’s curse is passed down and ignored by everyone but the youngest generation. Sounds like generational trauma to me. Personally, I love scientific studies or moving memoirs about this topic, but it certainly affects more than psychology nerds like me. Framing it as a curse makes generational trauma more accessible to kids and teens who would rather get lost in a fantasy.
When I finished the book, I felt myself wanting more, so if you cannot stand an ambiguous ending, this is not the book for you. I do not always mind imagining what is next, but in this case, I thought ending the book with a question would develop a clearer theme. Then again, maybe that open ending does establish a central idea: unpredictability.
In today’s world, one never truly knows what to expect. Greater Secrets captures that nicely in 205 pages of comics. Hirsh and Stone expertly weave mythology, friendship, a dystopian reality, and a curse into their laidback illustrations. Maya’s universe is all yours to explore on November 12th, 2024!
