In Flamer by Mike Curato, Aiden Navarro goes away to Boy Scout summer camp, all the while grappling with various problems: bullies, confusing friendships, and self-doubt. And then there’s Elias, a boy he can’t stop thinking about. But he’s not gay, he can’t be. Having been raised in a religious home, he knows that being gay is wrong. So what are these feelings?

This is another one of those graphic novels that is exemplary of how that genre can be so powerful. The visual aspect of this story is just as important as the written words, and they’re also beautiful illustrations.

A lot of this story is about the character Aiden struggling to understand himself in ways that his upbringing didn’t allow him to consider before. But new friendships, as well as new conflicts, in this new setting enable him to reflect and discover truths about himself—though of course, these revelations aren’t without some distress. This story really shows how difficult it can be to break out of ingrained ways of thinking, even if doing so will help a person live more authentically. It also makes Aiden a very sympathetic character, because you see so much of his emotional state.

As for the other characters, they were a good enough cast (though granted, sometimes I mixed up which teen boy was which). Elias is a decent character, though none has more impact than our protagonist Aiden.

And while Aiden deals with a lot of internal conflict, there are some serious and/or mature topics broached. This story rather frankly discusses racial microaggressions and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. It also talks about sexual attraction and masturbation, as well as how certain religious teachings can contribute to shameful feelings about both of those things. Moreover, Aiden experiences suicidal ideation and even attempts to hurt himself. So this is not going to be a graphic novel that everyone will choose to read, especially in terms of the mental health aspects, so I wanted to mention them.

The mental health aspects, though, are one of the most moving aspects of the story. When Aiden is at his lowest, one of the most visually meaningful and memorable scenes occurs. It’s a very touching, beautiful scene, one that I think would be helpful to anyone going through something similar.

In the end, Flamer is a graphic novel that doesn’t pull its punches. The art is brilliant and full of energy, the story is emotional—both devastating and hopeful at the same time. It’s an affecting tale of a young man in conflict, navigating his way through various storms. It’s not an easy read, but it’s important and so so worth it.