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5 YA Books That Would Make Great Graphic Novels
I’m a huge fan of Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles, and a huge fan of graphic novels. So when I heard there was going to be a graphic novel spinoff, I got super excited. Wires and Nerve follows Iko, an android we met in The Lunar Chronicles and one of my favorite characters from the series. While Iko largely served as background wit in the series, here in the graphic novel she makes her way front and center, hunting down the leader of wolf-hybrid soldiers threatening the peace between Luna and Earth.
Graphic novels are slowly but surely making their way into the YA canon, something I’m really excited about. Below are my choices for books that would get the Wires and Nerve treatment, that I think would completely succeed.
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Becky Albertalli’s debut is just begging to be turned into an Archie-style graphic novel. And with her upcoming The Upside of Unrequited, which follows characters from Simon, there’s huge potential for a graphic novel. It could follow Blue, or Leah, or even Molly from the newest book. Personally, I’d love to see a spinoff that follows Blue’s emotions and reactions during Simon, if only because we only ever got the chance to see Simon’s side of the story. Albertalli’s fun characters and witty banter would be served well in this format.
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Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
What really happened inside the bunker? How did other people survive the giant bug invasion? I would love to see this done in the style of the cover of an old 1950s pulp novel. Elements of Grasshopper Jungle read like a cheesy ’80s sci-fi movie in absolutely the best way possible, and to follow the other characters around as they deal with the giant bug invasion would be a great thread for a graphic novel. Much like the book, the story could be interspersed with Austin’s stories of his Polish heritage, done in an older, more muted style than the bright palette of the current world.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy is such a richly imagined world, with so many characters and realms, it’s practically begging for a graphic novel spinoff. While her series follows Kell, a traveler, and later Lila, a thief, Schwab has created multiple memorable characters who deserve to be in the spotlight. I’d particularly love a graphic novel focused on the pirate Alucard, or even one where readers see the history of the four Londons and how they split apart.
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A Great And Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle series is one that got me into YA in the first place. The story, set in Victorian England and following Gemma and her friends as they discover magic and another world, is perfect for a graphic novel. Libba’s lush, vivid descriptions would be served well with gorgeous art, and the style could change depending on whether the girls are in real Victorian England or in the world full of magic. The original series is from Gemma’s POV, and it would make a refreshing change to see events through the eyes of romantic Pippa or even my favorite, rebellious Felicity. There’s so many questions readers have about the magic land Gemma and her friends find their way into that a graphic novel could answer.
The Awesome, by Eva Darrows
Darrows’ novel, a fun, slightly irreverent romp about a girl determined to lose her virginity so she can join her mother in vampire-hunting, would make an excellent graphic novel. The cover of the book is already striking, and incorporating its lurid colors into a plot of vampiric violence would be fascinating. Much like Grasshopper Jungle, the fun, cheesy sci-fi elements to The Awesome would translate well into a pulp style, and I’d love to see a series centering on Maggie and her mom doing what they do best—killing vampires.