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The Gulf
Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends runs away from home in order to join a commune.
Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it's all she can think about. Now that she's nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing.
Everything comes to a head when Oli's relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can't help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli's ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed and trying to find their place in it.
Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it's all she can think about. Now that she's nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing.
Everything comes to a head when Oli's relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can't help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli's ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed and trying to find their place in it.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2024
10 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
Adam de Souza
6 books32 followersMy name is Adam de Souza and I am based in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, also known as Vancouver, British Columbia. I write and draw comics, illustrate children’s books, and have worked as a freelance designer in animation.
My first graphic novel The Gulf released through Tundra Books in March 2024. I’m currently working on a few unannounced projects as well as my on-going and award-winning comic strip Blind Alley. You can also read the first chapter of my comic strip Brambles online.
My first graphic novel The Gulf released through Tundra Books in March 2024. I’m currently working on a few unannounced projects as well as my on-going and award-winning comic strip Blind Alley. You can also read the first chapter of my comic strip Brambles online.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
March 30, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up.
When I saw Adam de Souza post a playlist of mid 2000's indie music that he was listening to in high school that he imagined the characters in this book would be listening to I knew immediately and with the utmost certainty that we had to be roughly the same age based on the fact that we were listening to the exact same music. I messaged him and confirmed that we are indeed only a year apart, so I knew this book was probably gonna hit me right in the teenage feels and hooo boy did it deliver!
Some people look back on high school with fondness, and some of us (me) look back on it with deep discomfort. Like many, I felt so incredibly lost as a teen, with no grasp of my emotions or myself or what I wanted in life but a feeling of deep, almost painful longing for SOMETHING. Like there was this unknowable thing out there - love? belonging? peace? - and it was always just out of grasp, and the not knowing if and when i might find it just made me want to escape. Into drugs, into music, into deep sadness even. I just wanted to exist and be happy, whatever that meant.
The crazy thing is, 15 years later, I, like pretty much everyone on earth, STILL sometimes feel like this. Sure, I am much happier overall and like myself a whole lot more but sometimes I still wake up thinking "Why do I need to work to live? Why is everything so expensive? Why are people so mean?! Why can't I just lie in a field in a pile of dogs while the sun shines on me and the wind blows through my hair, and simply exist?".
And I think this is what The Gulf really gets at. The way you transition from the simplicity of childhood to something a bit more heavy and a lot more confusing as a teen, and how these feelings of teenage angst/existentialism and the hope for a better world never really goes away, but rather you find ways to live with them, and to take the good with the bad. To learn to see a small glimpses of that better world you've always dreamed of in the small moments in life where, for just one second, everything feels ok in your little corner of the world.
More than anything this book reminded me that kids think adults are these entirely different creatures who will never understand them and how it feels to be young and confused, but that adults are actually just kids who one day woke up and realized they were suddenly old and only slightly less confused.
When I saw Adam de Souza post a playlist of mid 2000's indie music that he was listening to in high school that he imagined the characters in this book would be listening to I knew immediately and with the utmost certainty that we had to be roughly the same age based on the fact that we were listening to the exact same music. I messaged him and confirmed that we are indeed only a year apart, so I knew this book was probably gonna hit me right in the teenage feels and hooo boy did it deliver!
Some people look back on high school with fondness, and some of us (me) look back on it with deep discomfort. Like many, I felt so incredibly lost as a teen, with no grasp of my emotions or myself or what I wanted in life but a feeling of deep, almost painful longing for SOMETHING. Like there was this unknowable thing out there - love? belonging? peace? - and it was always just out of grasp, and the not knowing if and when i might find it just made me want to escape. Into drugs, into music, into deep sadness even. I just wanted to exist and be happy, whatever that meant.
The crazy thing is, 15 years later, I, like pretty much everyone on earth, STILL sometimes feel like this. Sure, I am much happier overall and like myself a whole lot more but sometimes I still wake up thinking "Why do I need to work to live? Why is everything so expensive? Why are people so mean?! Why can't I just lie in a field in a pile of dogs while the sun shines on me and the wind blows through my hair, and simply exist?".
And I think this is what The Gulf really gets at. The way you transition from the simplicity of childhood to something a bit more heavy and a lot more confusing as a teen, and how these feelings of teenage angst/existentialism and the hope for a better world never really goes away, but rather you find ways to live with them, and to take the good with the bad. To learn to see a small glimpses of that better world you've always dreamed of in the small moments in life where, for just one second, everything feels ok in your little corner of the world.
More than anything this book reminded me that kids think adults are these entirely different creatures who will never understand them and how it feels to be young and confused, but that adults are actually just kids who one day woke up and realized they were suddenly old and only slightly less confused.
June 8, 2025
In the early 2000s, high school Oli struggles with frustration over the state of the world. The adults around her are preoccupied by jobs, dishes, credit card debts, and keep pressuring her to make choices about college or her future. The news is full of disasters, wars, inequality; she just wants to go somewhere were she can live meaningfully, unplugged from the system and doing no harm. She comes up with the scheme: run away after high school with her two best friends to a commune she's learned about on an island off the coast of Vancouver. But Oli isn't very good at planning. She's hotheaded and reckless, and the runaway trip gets off to a rocky start after a fight a school and loosing the backpack of camping supplies she carefully packed. Can she even find the commune, and if she can, what will it look like when she arrives? What about the other teens she's dragged into her haphazard search for an ethical life? This is a wonderful comic, well paced, funny, adventurous, and wise. The characters feel authentically human, full of yearning and good intentions, but often making bad choices or painful mistakes. Highly recommend!
July 24, 2024
As a former angsty teen, this got me real good. Nice work, Adam de Souza. The Gulf has a piece of my heart.
November 6, 2023
Adam de Souza knows his way around the kaleidoscopic minds of teenagers. From “A Gleaming” to “Ish” and the childhood capers of “Blind Alley”, he is able to tap into the emotion of adolescence and childhood with grace and humour.
“The Gulf” is Adam’s first full-length graphic novel, coming in Spring 2024 from Tundra Books. It’s set in Vancouver and the nearby gulf islands, showcasing the beauty and normalcy of this place. The art flows with a dynamic quality — it might bust through the gutters and off the page. Excellent use of colour, muted and cozy.
The story de Souza weaves takes it time, allowing us to get to know the characters in the story and become invested in their quest to shove off the necessary steps (university, job, taxes, etc) that come after high school when you grow up. They don’t want to. They want to join a commune and say “fuck it” to societal expectations.
I did not expect the ending, and it moved me. Well done, Adam. I hope this finds a big audience. I think it will speak to a lot of people, especially teens.
“The Gulf” is Adam’s first full-length graphic novel, coming in Spring 2024 from Tundra Books. It’s set in Vancouver and the nearby gulf islands, showcasing the beauty and normalcy of this place. The art flows with a dynamic quality — it might bust through the gutters and off the page. Excellent use of colour, muted and cozy.
The story de Souza weaves takes it time, allowing us to get to know the characters in the story and become invested in their quest to shove off the necessary steps (university, job, taxes, etc) that come after high school when you grow up. They don’t want to. They want to join a commune and say “fuck it” to societal expectations.
I did not expect the ending, and it moved me. Well done, Adam. I hope this finds a big audience. I think it will speak to a lot of people, especially teens.
July 23, 2024
cute coming of age gn about community building and hating the confines of capitalism!!! bittersweet, with a charming style. je l’ai lu en français pcq la bibliothèque l’avait pas en langue originale lol
December 18, 2023
Unfortunately, this was underwhelming for me. Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books, stemming from first reading it in high school, and that being included in the blurb along with Stand by Me was a bit of a reach for me.
What I liked:
⛺️ I liked how simplistic the art style was. It helped to not distract from the main message.
⛺️ I liked the messaging behind this one. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t felt like they didn’t belong at some point in their life and questioned the way things are typically done. As an anti-government, “hippie chick” when I was around the same age as these characters, I could relate to their thoughts and feelings about “what comes next and why?”.
I also really liked the messaging that came from the older commune leader at the end about everyone wanting to do their own thing, but no one wanting to do the dishes at the end of the day. Maybe I'm just getting old, but that definitely made sense to me at the point in life I'm at now.
What could have been better:
⛺️ The pacing was very slow and disjointed at times. This made it hard to continue reading through to the following page.
⛺️ I didn’t really know enough about any of the characters to develop a like for them. Our FMC was a pretty lousy “leader”, I had no clue what happened with her and Liam before the book took off, and I really didn’t know anything about the other two characters as well. I felt we learned the most about “the pervert in the Fun Bus”, and I actually liked him because of getting to know him more than anyone else.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and Adam de Souza for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
What I liked:
⛺️ I liked how simplistic the art style was. It helped to not distract from the main message.
⛺️ I liked the messaging behind this one. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t felt like they didn’t belong at some point in their life and questioned the way things are typically done. As an anti-government, “hippie chick” when I was around the same age as these characters, I could relate to their thoughts and feelings about “what comes next and why?”.
I also really liked the messaging that came from the older commune leader at the end about everyone wanting to do their own thing, but no one wanting to do the dishes at the end of the day. Maybe I'm just getting old, but that definitely made sense to me at the point in life I'm at now.
What could have been better:
⛺️ The pacing was very slow and disjointed at times. This made it hard to continue reading through to the following page.
⛺️ I didn’t really know enough about any of the characters to develop a like for them. Our FMC was a pretty lousy “leader”, I had no clue what happened with her and Liam before the book took off, and I really didn’t know anything about the other two characters as well. I felt we learned the most about “the pervert in the Fun Bus”, and I actually liked him because of getting to know him more than anyone else.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and Adam de Souza for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
March 17, 2024
It's tough to find new things as an adult that stick with you the way things stick when you were thirteen. But Adam de Souza's work always seems to capture that for me. In his graphic novel, "The Gulf," de Souza threads a needle in tone few other authors could.
I'm familiar with de Souza's work on "Blind Alley," his comic strip about a gaggle of roaming, neighborhood children. His experience on the strip is evident in the best way possible here. It's so clear that de Souza is steeped in the language of comics. The Gulf wrestles with some uncomfortable topics, but with the visual language of comics and a restrained touch only someone intimately familiar with Charles Schulz could have, it manages to do so with a grace I see absent in other thematically similar works. This book talks about some mature things. And it's mature about the way it does it.
It made me think about how recent the phenomenon of the "teenager" actually is. It also made me think about how it feels like it's becoming harder to recommend books like this to the group of people who perhaps need to read them the most. It made me think of all the good 80's coming of age films. It made me think of the Breakfast Club and Rumble Fish. About how people in the 80's were scared of teenagers in malls and about how that attitude hasn't changed much. If the grown world is going to act scared of you for seven incredibly formative years, of course you're going to run away to a hippie commune the second you graduate high school. And even with all that, what I found especially realistic and refreshing was that the adults in this book were not portrayed as Disney villains. Nobody here is two dimensional. It's the fairest portrayal of awkward YA/adult relations I've ever seen. Maybe some people will find that boring, but I think it will stand the test of time.
I have the feeling I'm going to be thinking about "The Gulf" for quite a while.
I'm familiar with de Souza's work on "Blind Alley," his comic strip about a gaggle of roaming, neighborhood children. His experience on the strip is evident in the best way possible here. It's so clear that de Souza is steeped in the language of comics. The Gulf wrestles with some uncomfortable topics, but with the visual language of comics and a restrained touch only someone intimately familiar with Charles Schulz could have, it manages to do so with a grace I see absent in other thematically similar works. This book talks about some mature things. And it's mature about the way it does it.
It made me think about how recent the phenomenon of the "teenager" actually is. It also made me think about how it feels like it's becoming harder to recommend books like this to the group of people who perhaps need to read them the most. It made me think of all the good 80's coming of age films. It made me think of the Breakfast Club and Rumble Fish. About how people in the 80's were scared of teenagers in malls and about how that attitude hasn't changed much. If the grown world is going to act scared of you for seven incredibly formative years, of course you're going to run away to a hippie commune the second you graduate high school. And even with all that, what I found especially realistic and refreshing was that the adults in this book were not portrayed as Disney villains. Nobody here is two dimensional. It's the fairest portrayal of awkward YA/adult relations I've ever seen. Maybe some people will find that boring, but I think it will stand the test of time.
I have the feeling I'm going to be thinking about "The Gulf" for quite a while.
May 9, 2024
I'm taking a moment of silence for my beloved Cafe Des Soleils after reading this. Loved this graphic novel full of rich BC landscapes!!!
October 24, 2023
I received this digital ARC courtesy of NetGalley. No major spoilers below.
The Gulf is gorgeous. I've followed Adam de Souza for a while and was so thrilled to see he'd created this project and it did not disappoint. This graphic novel is about Oli, who leaves home close to graduation to join a commune she saw in a pamphlet when she was eleven. She's joined by her good friend Milo and a newer friend Alvin. Oli is a misfit almost-eighteen year old who hates how the world works and wants to find a better way to live. She's raw, she's angry, she's hilarious, and deeply deeply stressful to follow. She's a realistic teenager.
The friends have an odyssey across this island while heading for the commune that feature suspicious trucks, douchebags, illegal camping, antifascist park rangers, fights, and good humor. I felt the rage and the hope of this story on every page.
The artwork in this graphic novel is off-the-charts gorgeous. de Souza does so much with ink lines and limited color palettes and the natural beauty of the island really comes through. There's a beautiful balance between dynamic scenes in panels and stillness to capture particular instances of quiet and beauty of the island. It feels cinematic.
The Gulf is a unique and beautiful work. I highly recommend it!
The Gulf is gorgeous. I've followed Adam de Souza for a while and was so thrilled to see he'd created this project and it did not disappoint. This graphic novel is about Oli, who leaves home close to graduation to join a commune she saw in a pamphlet when she was eleven. She's joined by her good friend Milo and a newer friend Alvin. Oli is a misfit almost-eighteen year old who hates how the world works and wants to find a better way to live. She's raw, she's angry, she's hilarious, and deeply deeply stressful to follow. She's a realistic teenager.
The friends have an odyssey across this island while heading for the commune that feature suspicious trucks, douchebags, illegal camping, antifascist park rangers, fights, and good humor. I felt the rage and the hope of this story on every page.
The artwork in this graphic novel is off-the-charts gorgeous. de Souza does so much with ink lines and limited color palettes and the natural beauty of the island really comes through. There's a beautiful balance between dynamic scenes in panels and stillness to capture particular instances of quiet and beauty of the island. It feels cinematic.
The Gulf is a unique and beautiful work. I highly recommend it!
March 25, 2024
SPECTACULAR!!!!! the fact this was set in BC and had so many little details like commercial drive, the plane crash, the east van sign was so lovely. i loved the story and the characters and the artwork is stunning. they really felt like actual truly realized characters to me, all the dialogue was so natural.
i wish liam had had more of a physical role in the story though, but otherwise i loved everything about this.
i wish liam had had more of a physical role in the story though, but otherwise i loved everything about this.
June 15, 2024
3.5
Cute nice story about the pains of growing up, it sadly felt a little bit too 'teenage-angsty' for me; with some interesting characters, though a little bit more development of the main one (Oli), and maybe Liam too, wouldn't have hurt the heart of the story at all.
The art was quite unique, specially in the use of color, and enjoyable over all. But, nothing that will stay with me for a long time... sorry.
Cute nice story about the pains of growing up, it sadly felt a little bit too 'teenage-angsty' for me; with some interesting characters, though a little bit more development of the main one (Oli), and maybe Liam too, wouldn't have hurt the heart of the story at all.
The art was quite unique, specially in the use of color, and enjoyable over all. But, nothing that will stay with me for a long time... sorry.
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July 25, 2024An extremely expressive book that captures a teenager yearning after a way to break out of the confines of society, and just live with nature and community without causing harm.
I found parts very frustrating, I think BECAUSE the portrayal of teen emotion was done so well. The characters were irrational and uncommunicative in a way I'd have hated if I'd personally known them as a teenager - but it was because they felt so real that I instinctively imagined them as people I COULD know. It did a thing that great stories do, telling a compelling story from a different view regardless of whether I could relate. I think the fact I was frustrated speaks to De Souza really hitting something deep and real about childhood and human behaviour.
The story really draws you in, and the emotions are conveyed and paced so well through the art. I loved the adults’ advice and reactions to the main characters, their refusal to belittle teen concerns. The little moments of connection the MC had with nature and people around her really did feel transcendent and beautiful. A powerful book for young people, or anyone feeling aimless and frustrated, wanting to break away and find another way to live with nature.
I found parts very frustrating, I think BECAUSE the portrayal of teen emotion was done so well. The characters were irrational and uncommunicative in a way I'd have hated if I'd personally known them as a teenager - but it was because they felt so real that I instinctively imagined them as people I COULD know. It did a thing that great stories do, telling a compelling story from a different view regardless of whether I could relate. I think the fact I was frustrated speaks to De Souza really hitting something deep and real about childhood and human behaviour.
The story really draws you in, and the emotions are conveyed and paced so well through the art. I loved the adults’ advice and reactions to the main characters, their refusal to belittle teen concerns. The little moments of connection the MC had with nature and people around her really did feel transcendent and beautiful. A powerful book for young people, or anyone feeling aimless and frustrated, wanting to break away and find another way to live with nature.
April 29, 2024
una buena historia coming of age cae bien al alma.
siempre he querido vivir con la filosofía de vivir el momento, estar en el presente a pesar de que el futuro me agobie y el pasado no me suelte, amo los momentos en los que simplemente soy y existo.
es curioso que sentí una conexión especial con esta novela gráfica porque está situada en Ontario, Canadá y mencionan en algún punto la universidad de Toronto, lugar del que curiosamente vivo muy cerca. este año estando por primera vez lejos de mi familia, en un país ajeno, esta historia se siente como ánimos para disfrutar el momento.
además de todo el art style es lo que me atrajo a primera vista y es algo que disfruté durante toda la lectura :)
siempre he querido vivir con la filosofía de vivir el momento, estar en el presente a pesar de que el futuro me agobie y el pasado no me suelte, amo los momentos en los que simplemente soy y existo.
es curioso que sentí una conexión especial con esta novela gráfica porque está situada en Ontario, Canadá y mencionan en algún punto la universidad de Toronto, lugar del que curiosamente vivo muy cerca. este año estando por primera vez lejos de mi familia, en un país ajeno, esta historia se siente como ánimos para disfrutar el momento.
además de todo el art style es lo que me atrajo a primera vista y es algo que disfruté durante toda la lectura :)
September 23, 2024
Three misfit teenagers who struggle to find a place among their peers, including one who seems to be suffering with an emotional disorder, go on an outdoor trek in order to find a storied commune and a new way of living.
June 16, 2025
C’était vraiment très bien, j’aurais adoré lire cette BD à 17 ans : une ôde initiatique à la fuite, la nature et la colère, ça a fait frémir mon petit cœur d’idéaliste, en plus c’était 100% canada core, j’ai adoré
July 2, 2024
Decent story with sober but solid art that did a great job of carrying the story.
July 7, 2025
Oli is about to graduate from high school, and she's not bought into what adulting looks like - jobs, debt, destroying the environment, etc. - and the pressure to pick a career is starting to get to her.
Enter plan B. One that she had concocted with her pals when younger - runaway to a commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver. Friendship complications not withstanding, the day to escape has finally arrived.
I liked the themes explored in this YA graphic novel and the illustration style. Can see how this would really resonate with older teens seeking something other than the prescribed path to adulthood.
Enter plan B. One that she had concocted with her pals when younger - runaway to a commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver. Friendship complications not withstanding, the day to escape has finally arrived.
I liked the themes explored in this YA graphic novel and the illustration style. Can see how this would really resonate with older teens seeking something other than the prescribed path to adulthood.
December 6, 2024
As one of the first books I have picked up in a long time (thanks to an impromptu trip to the bookstore before sushi), I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised by this graphic novel. I just know a younger me would have absolutely torn into it, possibly even faster than myself, just this evening. The Gulf has solid visuals that skillfully tie the backdrop of a serene, sleepy Vancouver gulf island, to some surprisingly compelling YA conflicts. (Slight sidetrack here; I don't know why it never came to me. That one day I would in fact not be able to totally relate to a teenage character. Don't get me wrong, to me these are delicately written characters that I wish were even more flushed out. They feel real, you know them, you were friends with or at least around these people in school. But I had moments where I struggled with the suspension of disbelief. Though, I often do. I digress.) de Souza does an amazing job of depicting the anger and confusion that can bubble up in young people. Anger and confusion at the world, themselves, each other. But the peace that is found in the sense of nature, it can save people. And it can be all people need.
I really see myself in Olivia, immediately I knew that. (I am a huge sucker for a good subtle music reference, the true language of teens everywhere, haha. de Souza knew what he was doing, and I appreciate it.) Her understanding of the world around her, other people's actions. How trite and convoluted everyone else seems. Just holding out for that one piece of solace you dream will be there for you, when you get out. Maybe sometimes it just doesn't quite work out that way, all you can do is roll with it. And that's okay. There are always many more people that understand than you think. You find your way, and make the pieces fit together.
"You have to live well enough, with people who love you, that you feel fortified and have the strength to look at the f*cked-up things and demand for them to be better. You have to always do what you can. You have to always feel. Life is awful and beautiful, and you just have to keep feeling and pushing through, toward what is unassailably good and right. With conviction. Steadfast and unignorable. Bolstered with love and always pushing, not for the comfortable but for the better."
God bless getting older, for I would have never known how much better things would get.
I really see myself in Olivia, immediately I knew that. (I am a huge sucker for a good subtle music reference, the true language of teens everywhere, haha. de Souza knew what he was doing, and I appreciate it.) Her understanding of the world around her, other people's actions. How trite and convoluted everyone else seems. Just holding out for that one piece of solace you dream will be there for you, when you get out. Maybe sometimes it just doesn't quite work out that way, all you can do is roll with it. And that's okay. There are always many more people that understand than you think. You find your way, and make the pieces fit together.
"You have to live well enough, with people who love you, that you feel fortified and have the strength to look at the f*cked-up things and demand for them to be better. You have to always do what you can. You have to always feel. Life is awful and beautiful, and you just have to keep feeling and pushing through, toward what is unassailably good and right. With conviction. Steadfast and unignorable. Bolstered with love and always pushing, not for the comfortable but for the better."
God bless getting older, for I would have never known how much better things would get.
August 18, 2025
Surprised by this in the best possible way.
Marketed ostensibly as a teenage disaffection/coming of age tale, I was surprised by The Gulf's broader approach and sophistication in discussing what it means - for young people in particular- to exist in a world where almost every system within which they are supposed to function is inherently broken. What do we tell our children about their future in such a place? What will it take to confront that which is not just no longer of use to us as a society, but detrimental to the individual and the collective? Is it possible to build a life beyond these structures, and what would that look like? These are big questions, but urgently necessary ones, and it's refreshing to see a comic discuss these themes in a non-patronising way -and moreover in a manner that feels naturally inherent to the narrative and characters (an antidote to many a superficially progressive YA text around which the afterthought of a story is scaffolded). De Souza doesn't present Oli's experience as a singular angst but symptomatic of a wider dysfunction. It's real for her and for others she interacts with, both young and old. What she feels is acknowledged and given weight. Making this a shared spectrum of experience serves to legitimise not only Oli's anger (such a rare thing for a woman of any age), but the problem/s at large. While people have always sought alternative ways of living, today it feel less a choice and more of an imperative.
Another thing I really appreciated about The Gulf is its mix of implacable pragmatism and (some) hope, specifically in its final act. The depiction of the commune having fallen apart due to people being knotty and petty and tired over small shit was the braver, better choice over providing neat solutions, which would have sat strangely with a narrative such as this. It may be tougher to grapple with the thought that there is no big answer, no sweeping wave of change, but small places to start, people to build with. Ultimately all that is within our control is what we do, and that is not insignificant. Idealism has its shortcomings but to never even try for something better, is to remain malaised.
Marketed ostensibly as a teenage disaffection/coming of age tale, I was surprised by The Gulf's broader approach and sophistication in discussing what it means - for young people in particular- to exist in a world where almost every system within which they are supposed to function is inherently broken. What do we tell our children about their future in such a place? What will it take to confront that which is not just no longer of use to us as a society, but detrimental to the individual and the collective? Is it possible to build a life beyond these structures, and what would that look like? These are big questions, but urgently necessary ones, and it's refreshing to see a comic discuss these themes in a non-patronising way -and moreover in a manner that feels naturally inherent to the narrative and characters (an antidote to many a superficially progressive YA text around which the afterthought of a story is scaffolded). De Souza doesn't present Oli's experience as a singular angst but symptomatic of a wider dysfunction. It's real for her and for others she interacts with, both young and old. What she feels is acknowledged and given weight. Making this a shared spectrum of experience serves to legitimise not only Oli's anger (such a rare thing for a woman of any age), but the problem/s at large. While people have always sought alternative ways of living, today it feel less a choice and more of an imperative.
Another thing I really appreciated about The Gulf is its mix of implacable pragmatism and (some) hope, specifically in its final act. The depiction of the commune having fallen apart due to people being knotty and petty and tired over small shit was the braver, better choice over providing neat solutions, which would have sat strangely with a narrative such as this. It may be tougher to grapple with the thought that there is no big answer, no sweeping wave of change, but small places to start, people to build with. Ultimately all that is within our control is what we do, and that is not insignificant. Idealism has its shortcomings but to never even try for something better, is to remain malaised.
June 20, 2023
“Why do we not see that we could change it all if we really wanted to?”
First of all thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the Arc!
To start, I love the art style. It's very lovely. From the beginning, this graphic novel really drags you in. Oli is a relatable character. With her thoughts on how the world ended up the way it did, the unfairness in the world, etc. I shows how a lot of teens/young adults feel when they leave school and have all these responsibilities. How they just want a sense of community, that someone else understands the feeling. Oli’s character really shows a good perspective on that.
It's very easy to connect with the characters, they have a good amount of depth. They’re all relatable in their own ways. Though I wish we had gotten more of the Oli & Liam situation because I felt some more detail could’ve been added!
I do have a few criticisms though. While I was reading, sometimes I felt like I wasn’t really going anywhere…like I couldn’t see how there’d be a good end point to the story (The ending is good though. I thought it wrapped things up well enough). I also felt the story was a bit much at times, when a guy was telling them they could’ve caused a serious issue was called “he’s such a fascist”. There is part in the beginning that irked me…where this character is said “Its not like hes a friggin’ nazi — hes just applied to college…” and I feel using nazi is a strong thing for the situation because its used in reference to him possibly tattling. Nothing said is wrong I suppose. I just think something else could’ve been used instead of Nazi.
First of all thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the Arc!
To start, I love the art style. It's very lovely. From the beginning, this graphic novel really drags you in. Oli is a relatable character. With her thoughts on how the world ended up the way it did, the unfairness in the world, etc. I shows how a lot of teens/young adults feel when they leave school and have all these responsibilities. How they just want a sense of community, that someone else understands the feeling. Oli’s character really shows a good perspective on that.
It's very easy to connect with the characters, they have a good amount of depth. They’re all relatable in their own ways. Though I wish we had gotten more of the Oli & Liam situation because I felt some more detail could’ve been added!
I do have a few criticisms though. While I was reading, sometimes I felt like I wasn’t really going anywhere…like I couldn’t see how there’d be a good end point to the story (The ending is good though. I thought it wrapped things up well enough). I also felt the story was a bit much at times, when a guy was telling them they could’ve caused a serious issue was called “he’s such a fascist”. There is part in the beginning that irked me…where this character is said “Its not like hes a friggin’ nazi — hes just applied to college…” and I feel using nazi is a strong thing for the situation because its used in reference to him possibly tattling. Nothing said is wrong I suppose. I just think something else could’ve been used instead of Nazi.
August 4, 2023
"The Gulf" by Adam de Souza totally pulled me in from the get-go.
I absolutely adored the art style (though one of the characters did look a tad more cartoonish than the others. Maybe that's just me). The whole atmosphere of the book was so lovely, even when I had to squint to figure out who was talking through the speech bubbles. No biggie, though – it didn't ruin the flow.
Oli's journey, filled with frustrations and dreams that come with growing up, really resonated with me. Her thoughts on the world's unfairness and the desire for community were so relatable. I felt like I was right there with her, wanting to escape into a Gulf Island commune. And the other characters, like Milo, Alvin, and Liam, each brought something special to the table. I just wish I could've learned a bit more about what was going on between Oli and Liam.
The ending was a soothing touch to an emotionally intense journey, like a calming hug after a rollercoaster ride. I think what really stuck with me was how real it all felt. This isn't just another coming-of-age story; it's an anti-coming-of-age tale, one that gives voice to all the messy, beautiful, and perplexing aspects of being a teen.
If you've ever felt the clash between youth and adulthood or just want a good read that makes you think and feel, give "The Gulf" a shot. It's a graphic novel that understands what it's like to stand at the crossroads, wondering where on earth to go next. But I feel like it's about more than just being a teen yearning for community: it's also about dealing, coping with the reality of what our society is going through, and the pain that comes from that.
I absolutely adored the art style (though one of the characters did look a tad more cartoonish than the others. Maybe that's just me). The whole atmosphere of the book was so lovely, even when I had to squint to figure out who was talking through the speech bubbles. No biggie, though – it didn't ruin the flow.
Oli's journey, filled with frustrations and dreams that come with growing up, really resonated with me. Her thoughts on the world's unfairness and the desire for community were so relatable. I felt like I was right there with her, wanting to escape into a Gulf Island commune. And the other characters, like Milo, Alvin, and Liam, each brought something special to the table. I just wish I could've learned a bit more about what was going on between Oli and Liam.
The ending was a soothing touch to an emotionally intense journey, like a calming hug after a rollercoaster ride. I think what really stuck with me was how real it all felt. This isn't just another coming-of-age story; it's an anti-coming-of-age tale, one that gives voice to all the messy, beautiful, and perplexing aspects of being a teen.
If you've ever felt the clash between youth and adulthood or just want a good read that makes you think and feel, give "The Gulf" a shot. It's a graphic novel that understands what it's like to stand at the crossroads, wondering where on earth to go next. But I feel like it's about more than just being a teen yearning for community: it's also about dealing, coping with the reality of what our society is going through, and the pain that comes from that.
January 17, 2024
Thank you to the Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advanced copy!
I wasn't familiar with the author through his comic strip Blind Alley (though I will be checking that out soon,) but I did learn about his work after reading Ish back in 2022 and kept an eye out for new material after liking that. And The Gulf, while being a really good piece, sadly did not match my current taste in graphic novels and while I like road trip adventures and conversations about growing up, something didn't click for me.
Oli was the character I liked the most out of this bunch and her learning to kind of regulate her emotions and find out what exactly she wants aside from the frustrations of day-to-day life was great! However, the interactions that led to it often felt distracting despite it being necessary to move the plot along. Out of the main four characters, Alvin was my second favorite while Liam and Milo took turns getting on my nerves but they figured things out and that's all that matters.
Also, it could have just been an issue with how the Netgalley app works on my reading tablet but on page 109, panel 3. the words aren't in the bubble which made it a little hard to read. But in terms of accessibility, this was a really good book. I didn't get a headache trying to read the font and the color palettes were easy on the eyes but stuck out so well with the art style.
I wasn't familiar with the author through his comic strip Blind Alley (though I will be checking that out soon,) but I did learn about his work after reading Ish back in 2022 and kept an eye out for new material after liking that. And The Gulf, while being a really good piece, sadly did not match my current taste in graphic novels and while I like road trip adventures and conversations about growing up, something didn't click for me.
Oli was the character I liked the most out of this bunch and her learning to kind of regulate her emotions and find out what exactly she wants aside from the frustrations of day-to-day life was great! However, the interactions that led to it often felt distracting despite it being necessary to move the plot along. Out of the main four characters, Alvin was my second favorite while Liam and Milo took turns getting on my nerves but they figured things out and that's all that matters.
Also, it could have just been an issue with how the Netgalley app works on my reading tablet but on page 109, panel 3. the words aren't in the bubble which made it a little hard to read. But in terms of accessibility, this was a really good book. I didn't get a headache trying to read the font and the color palettes were easy on the eyes but stuck out so well with the art style.
July 12, 2024
I have a difficult time believing that anyone would want to doom themselves to a barren life on Vancouver Island in the first place, so I already had to suspend my disbelief in order to read this.
“The Gulf” featured vague, poorly-fleshed out characters and plot paired with rather rushed monologuing at the end. Perhaps graphic novels are just not for me. It attempted to explore anticapitalist angst, but instead of engaging with the ideas behind the philosophy in any sort of meaningful manner, the book reduces them to simply "I don't want to work/I dislike pressure to succeed" through the voice of a numbskulled, fundamentally unlikable main character. Frankly, pretty disingenuous.
1/5
“The Gulf” featured vague, poorly-fleshed out characters and plot paired with rather rushed monologuing at the end. Perhaps graphic novels are just not for me. It attempted to explore anticapitalist angst, but instead of engaging with the ideas behind the philosophy in any sort of meaningful manner, the book reduces them to simply "I don't want to work/I dislike pressure to succeed" through the voice of a numbskulled, fundamentally unlikable main character. Frankly, pretty disingenuous.
1/5
August 15, 2024
While there is some good here, the characters are so unlikeable in their teenage angst that it's tough to read. I get that they have quite a bit of growing up to do, but the point was belabored too much. Also, some interesting side elements aren't really explored, just dropped in and left. Still, it's a good picture of the restlessness experienced by these kids and the road trip in general. Art is good but often doesn't help move the story forward.
April 24, 2025
This was sweet. Sure there was high school drama. But perhaps because we aren't in school long, it just doesn't matter. Things could have worked out much worse. But this was believable. And I recognized myself in some of this. Was it brilliant? no. Was the art awesome? Not really. But it was true. Or true enough.
April 10, 2024
absolument fan du dessin qui est à la fois extrêmement simple et super vivant avec ces lignes un peu tremblantes
c'est une trop douce histoire de fugue et de révolte adolescente j'ai adoré, l'histoire met juste un peu de temps à commencer
c'est une trop douce histoire de fugue et de révolte adolescente j'ai adoré, l'histoire met juste un peu de temps à commencer
May 9, 2025
A story that perfectly captures post-high school aimlessness, teen angst, and hazy summer memories. The dialogue is punchy, the characters are wonderfully expressive, and at the heart of the journey is that universal dissatisfaction we have with the structure of modern life- a desire for something more, something better- handled in a remarkably realistic way. Adam De Souza is a genius and a master of comics (and unrelated, but: I am very pleased with the affordable price tag for a story this generous and rich) and the gorgeous artwork and world crafted here speaks for itself.
May 14, 2024
I really enjoyed a lot of things about this one. Books for teens about joining a commune are few and far between, and I really liked the coming of age aspect. I was a little disappointed that the enormous page size of this book wasn't more frequently used to full effect, and I would have loved a more broad use of color. That besides, this is a solid 4 stars for me.
November 5, 2024
2.5/5. Perplexingly bad given the soundness of the story and skill of the storyteller. With juvenile-voiced characters written as though their writer has never met a real human, the too-wide pages read like a compilation of comic strips from an unfunny newspaper.
October 24, 2024
Low-key and lovely story of mixed-up kids on the edge of adulthood who try to chart their own course. Very sweet and positive, with great duo-tone art.
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