• The City on the Other Side
• written by Mairghread Scott
• illustrated by Robin Robinson
• published by First Second Books (2018)

Ah, First Second graphic novels, how I love thee. I recently wrote about the publisher’s trend of spotlighting strong female characters, and The City on the Other Side is one of those excellent titles.

In short, the book is a historical adventure about a young girl who accidentally slips between early 20th century San Francisco and a war-torn fairyland. Isabel, a young Hispanic “woman of breeding” is expected to stay quiet, clean, and out of trouble. Except her heart is elsewhere. She yearns to see the city if not the world.

As it is wont to do, fate is listening, and Isabel soon finds herself at the center of a war between two fairy kingdoms: the Seelie and the Unseelie.

This fairy world exists in a parallel world (dimension?) directly on top of Isabel’s (i.e., the “real world”). Events in one have ripple effects in the other, even though they may manifest as something entirely different.

For example, one of the fiercest battles in the Seelie-Unseelie war, which was catastrophic, was felt in Isabel’s reality as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Both were devastating to their respective cities/worlds.

Though Isabel may come from money and a respected family, her home life leaves a lot to be desired. Her parents are separated, and she lives with her mother who would rather have as little to do with her as possible. Within the first few pages, we hope Isabel’s life will take a turn for the better when she visits her father, a sculptor, who lives in the country.

Alas. Though he loves Isabel very much, he’s incredibly busy and doesn’t have the first clue about how to be a father.

Isabel’s life, in short, is one of extreme loneliness. Despite her seemingly privileged life, she feels – to a great extent – homeless. Her story really begins when she accidentally crosses over to the fairy world. Turns out, she is able to pass across the invisible barrier – the Veil – between the two worlds.

And this is where the real adventure begins.

Even though The City on the Other Side is ostensibly a fantasy, the more compelling story here is Isabel’s realistic development and growth. The reader is naturally drawn to her, and we get to see her not only make friends and alliances (in both worlds) but also break out of her shell and come into her own.

Kids who find themselves in similar situations – because they have overly busy parents or too few friends at school – will relate to Isabel’s story and hopefully find inspiration in her strength, despite it being couched in the trappings of fantasy.

Mairghread Scott’s story does an admirable job of bringing readers into two very unfamiliar worlds (both 1906 San Francisco and the fairy realm) and making them feel at home. Though there are several moments when the story jumps and feels like a few panels or pages are outright missing, the story is mostly even and keeps you turning the pages.

Where the book really shines, though, is in Robin Robinson’s art. The world of the Seelie and Unseelie is populated with some truly amazing characters. (I’m looking at you, Button.) This is a world with many more stories to tell, and the reader is teased with oodles of fantastic character designs that only appear in the background.

The City on the Other Side is a great addition to any graphic novel library. Recommended.

(Disclosure: First Second Books provided a review copy of this book. All opinions remain my own.)