My Friend Dahmer (graphic novel)

Two months ago I created this blog to log things I've read (books, articles) or stuff I've watched or heard (podcasts, etc) and then I did nothing with it. I am still right in the middle of "reading" (or ignoring) Admissions and The Everlasting Meal. In the meantime, I had put a bunch of holds on library books that all came in at the same time, several of them graphic novels, including My Friend Dahmer.

Despite the notoriety of Dahmer, I knew very little about what this graphic novel actually is. From the title I figured it was by someone who was friends with Dahmer (true). I also knew it was being made into a movie or maybe the movie had already come out. I didn't really know when this person was friends with Dahmer, which would dictate what the content is. School - up to high school. That's when. That's what this book focuses on, and then shifts to an epilogue for content after that point in their lives.

In reading this, I realized my assumption was that this person was friends with him while the majority of the murders happened, but that's not the case. It is a pretty interesting childhood story line, though. I can identify with the author's feelings of realizing, in hindsight, something pretty seriously wrong was happening with Dahmer. But that in the moment, as a kid, you just get the weird-out vibes. Maybe a lot of people give you weird-out vibes. You just give yourself distance from those kids. Or adults. And you don't expect them to become serial killers. Or if you do, you half-expect it. But for this guy -- it happened.

Most of the graphic novel is really about the ho-hum, grey area, everyday life-ness of growing up next to a troubled kid and what he -- or any of us -- actually do about it. Some of the signs. Some of the milestones. Where things start to tip. It's a firsthand account but not about the news headlines.

The book kept me interested and I like the illustration style, which is not always a pair of attributes I get together in a graphic novel. I tend to like very firm, finite, decisive lines and realistic backgrounds. Details. A lot of black. Consistent characters. Check! (I realized that this is the same illustrator as my Dee Dee Ramone shirt, so no surprise there.) The story - if both horrifying and doldrum-y - was engaging.

Would I recommend? Yep! Go for it!