“A community under fire. A burgeoning love story. An urgent call to action. What more do you need? Frame by frame, Dapier and Dungo’s Wake Now in the Fire throws us in the thick of our here and now reality with marching orders, and hope.”—Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor recipient and three-time National Book Award finalist
“A sweeping 463-page graphic novel with art by A.J. Dungo . . . [Jarrett Dapier] interviewed teachers, principals, librarians, many students involved in the protests.”—The Chicago Tribune
“The focus in Dapier’s work, as in Satrapi’s, is not so much on the actions of adults as it is on the effects of those actions on young people and their reactions. . . . The plot of Wake Now in the Fire moves seamlessly between different characters, students affected in all sorts of ways by the pulling of [Persepolis].”—NPR
“AJ Dungo’s artwork maintains the journalistic quality of the narrative with grounded visuals that do a great job capturing the youth of the characters. These are teens discovering the power they have to enact change when they work together, and this graphic novel helps young readers understand the ways that they can organize and mobilize to fight for a shared cause.”—The A.V. Club
“With a mix of fact and fiction, Wake Now in the Fire tells a deeply true and urgent story of student activism in the face of institutional censorship and cowardice. I was swept along with these smart, passionate teens and recognized my own fight in their story.”—Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir
“Many of the threads seen in today’s censorship efforts are clear in this story from over a decade ago, including how students were quick to recognize that stories from marginalized perspectives are most easily targeted. This comic is clever in mirroring the style of Persepolis, too: it’s a work that straddles the line of fiction and nonfiction.”—Book Riot
“Wake Now in the Fire has direct relevance to what’s happening in America today, which should make it required reading in modern classrooms. But it also features some surprisingly relatable adolescent angst and, more importantly, a reassuring account of teens directing their angry, hormonal energy toward something constructive.”—Washington Independent Review of Books
“I love how the personal stories of the characters—who they are and where they are—intersect with their quest for the freedom to read and to be. I couldn’t put Wake Now in the Fire down.”—Francisco X. Stork, author of One Last Chance to Live and Disappeared
“With engaging visuals and a heartfelt storyline, Wake Now in the Fire is a gripping graphic novel told through the eyes of students caught in the battle against book banning, and explores the impact of censorship on the human spirit and the courage of young people fighting for the freedom to read. Perfect for visual learners, this powerful story inspires hope and action in the face of oppression.”—Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian
“Jarrett Dapier and AJ Dungo’s Wake Now in the Fire is a stunning call to action that will inspire seeds of hope in a time that demands our defiance and imagination to create a better world.”—Andrea Chalupa, host of the podcast Gaslit Nation and author of In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones
“An inspiring, clear-eyed tribute to intellectual freedom and the impact of youth-led resistance.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“This thoughtful, personal, and deeply relevant account of book censorship and the power of collective action to fight against it will be acutely empowering for teens, many of whom are facing similar censorship fights in their own schools today.”—Booklist, starred review
“As schools and libraries face book bans across the country, this is a compelling choice, a timely piece of literature, and an urgent call to action, exhibiting the fictionalized narrative of a real book ban in Chicago and showcasing the power of those defending the right to freedom of information.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“Authentic-feeling dialogue from Dapier (The Most Haunted House in America) adds verve to nuanced, sophisticated conversations about censorship, while the perceptive protagonists’ interactions and alternating inner monologues offer accessible emotional through lines.”—Publishers Weekly
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