Persepolis

Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2007. Print.

Annotation
This collection presents volumes 1 & 2 of Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel. The young Marjane witnesses Iran's Islamic revolution, growing up amid bloodshed and political upheaval. She comes of age while going to school in Vienna, far from her family and the troubles of home.

Booktalk
Persepolis: an ancient city, a symbol of Persian culture and a time before the invasions.

You're ten years old and your country is taken over by religious fanatics. The schools are overhauled to teach propaganda and lies. People are put in jail, tortured, and shot in the street. Here and there, your friends and family disappear.

You're thirteen. Your music, your clothes, your hairstyle are all forbidden. Parties are outlawed. You'll get harassed on the street, or even taken in, if you don't look right.

At fifteen, you're sent away from your parents to live in another country. You barely speak the language, most adults don't trust you, and everywhere you live you get kicked out. You deal drugs, smoke a lot of pot, and live on the street. You can barely keep a friend.

You're growing up. Persepolis is home, but by the time you get back things might never be the same.

Awards
2004 ALA Alex Award
A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
Booklist Editor's choice for Young Adults
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A School Library Journal Adult Book for Young Adults



(Image credits: Random House, Blind Man With A Pistol, A Cup of Joe)