Silence, Full Stop.
Karina Shor’s graphic memoir Silence, Full Stop. covers her self-destructive teenage years in Israel and her repressed trauma.
Shor felt like an outsider from her childhood in Moldova onward. Asked by classmates if she favored the Russians or the Germans, she replied “My mom told me we are Jewish.” She found solace in art. Her family’s move to Israel when she was six led to bigger problems; she survived sexual abuse from a neighbor. As she got older, Shor—while contending with body dysmorphia—lost herself in sex and drugs.
Shor’s circumstances are sometimes grim, but Shor herself is a vibrant, captivating force. Her diary entries and flashbacks pique interest. And when misfortunes strike, or when she’s making bad decisions about drugs or boyfriends, she’s empathetic, generating curiosity about how she’ll escape each situation.
Though grounded in realistic depictions, the art is expressive. It includes visual metaphors, a wide range of colors, and a variety of panel layouts and drawing styles. Its brilliant, hopeful final panel echoes its beginning in a beautiful way. Through the expert alchemy of art and text, the book conveys emotions in a deep, visceral way that one medium or the other alone would not achieve.
Silence, Full Stop. is an outstanding memoir about the difficulties of overcoming abuse.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
