Sparkplug Highlights: Yeah, It Is! by Leslie Anne Mackenzie Stein

Yeah, It Is! is a beautiful little book about Mack, a teenage girl. It takes a quiet look at growing up and some of the trials and experiences that come along with it: missing friends who've moved away, feeling irritated with the ones who've stayed behind, hanging out at cafes and head shops, and getting wasted for the first time. What really sets Yeah, It Is! apart from a slew of other coming-of-age comics, though, is its unusual medium and its visual style. Done entirely in earth-toned cut paper, the shape of Stein's characters and the detail of her landscapes are emphasized and highlighted to express the emotion of each scene. During our main character's alcohol-induced frenzy, Stein switches gears and portrays everything in vivid, hallucinogenic shades of blue and purple; this effectively communicates the feeling of being young and bold and wildly out of your element. Yeah, It Is! was awarded a Xeric Grant in 2003, and it completely deserved it. For a unique and, ultimately, hopeful view of that precarious place between childhood and adulthood, check out Yeah, It Is! and fall in love with Mack today.