I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir

by Eugene Yelchin

In a stunning sequel to The Genius Under the Table, Eugene Yelchin’s graphic memoir depicts his harrowing journey from Leningrad’s underground art scene to a state-run Siberian asylum—and to eventual safety in the US.

No longer the creative little boy under his grandmother’s table, Yevgeny is now a young adult, pursuing his artistic dreams under the constant threat of the KGB’s stranglehold on Russia’s creative scene. When a chance encounter with an American woman opens him up to a world of romance and possibility, Yevgeny believes he has found his path to the future—and freedom overseas. But the threat of being drafted into the military and sent to fight in Afghanistan changes everything in a terrible instant, and he takes drastic measures to decide his fate, leading to unthinkable consequences in a mental hospital. With bold art bringing a vivid reality to life, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin’s sequel to the acclaimed memoir The Genius Under the Table returns to Yevgeny’s saga, balancing the terror and oppression of Soviet Russia with the author’s signature charm and dark wit. I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This shines a stark spotlight on history while offering a poignant, nuanced, and powerfully resonant look at growing up in—and ultimately leaving—Cold War Russia in the early 1980s.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Jewish, Biography Memoir, Biography

431 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic memoir broke my heart and stitched it back together with ink and honesty.

Picking up where The Genius Under the Table left off, Yelchin’s sequel dives deep into the dangers of growing up creative and curious under Soviet rule. His voice is equal parts biting and tender, full of quiet resistance and weary hope. The art and prose work hand in hand to expose the bleak absurdities of life in Cold War Russia, but it’s the deeply human moments—an unexpected crush, a terrifying hospital stay, a mother’s protective silence—that linger long after the last page.

Yevgeny’s story is as personal as it is political, a vivid look at one young man’s fight to carve out a future in a world built to crush dissent. This one hit me hard, especially in today’s climate, where truth-telling still comes at a cost.

Necessary reading for teens and adults alike. We should all be paying attention.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this memoir graphic novel set in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), in the Soviet Union in 1980, we meet Eugene as his friend’s family is trying to migrate to Israel, and he encourages Eugene to do the same. Eugene is more interested in meeting an American student who is witnessing the Russian Jews trying to emigrate. This is also the time of the 1980 Olympics, as well as the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets. But Eugene has eyes on Libby, who he has fallen in love with, in as an off-handed way, wanting to share his world, and wanting to be part of hers.

His grandmother and mother don’t really care, as long as he doesn't get drafted.

The world of Leningrad is bleak, and dark, and cold and sad, but Eugene tries to get Libby interested in it, just the same, and in him.

Depressing, but beautiful, this is a story of dark times, and how people survive them. If you don’t mind getting your feet wet, it is not so much enjoyable, but thoughtful

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 15th of September 2025.

[Meg Eden]

Great story, incredibly timely, not a huge fan of the art style

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell you This is a black and white graphic novel by Eugene Yelchin. This is a sequel to his first graphic memoir The Genius Under the Table although you do not have to read the first one to understand this one. This story follows the part of Yelchin's life as a young adult, attending college and working in theater. He is living in Cold War Russia and constantly under KGB surveillance. He meets a young American woman, who was working with one of his friends, and his life changes. As graduation approaches, he knows he will be drafted into the war in Afghanistan; however, he ends up working in Siberia before being institutionalized. The story follows his life before, during, and after this time as he makes his way eventually to America. The black and white images are easy to follow; they are interspersed with photographs and distorted images, which add to the storyline. This is an informative and emotional graphic novel, good for high school libraries as well. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an interesting book, and a very hard one to rate. There were conversations in here that I have personal thoughts on, but also... this is a memoir, and it feels weird to rate the 'content' of a person's life?

So I'm sticking to rating the structure and storytelling. One, the art is extremely stylized and atmospheric, and it adds to the overall sense of surreal bleakness. The occasional use of photos is quite interesting. The visuals reminded me of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" cartoon, but in a way that highlighted the contrast between those high pops and color and the grim black-and-white of this memoir.

I don't feel like the emotions came across all that clearly, especially in the context of the relationship, such as it was, with the "love interest," Libby. Talking about this in the context of a real person's life is a bit weird, but it seemed like the connection between 'Chin' and Libby was incredibly flat and impersonal. Then again, that might be by design, given the aim of the courtship (as described here) was primarily strategic. The relationship with Libby, as with the other topics that got my hackles up, are presented in such a way that even when I felt some type of way about them still made sense. Given the context in which Yelchin was making certain choices, I can understand *WHY* he did. On that level, while I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading this, given how dark and depressing it is, I'm glad I did. Yelchin doesn't try to explain or justify these choices; he admits that many of his actions were driven by a sense of self-preservation.

I think this is worth a read, though I suspect that how you feel about the art style will be a big part of the reading experience. Rating a memoir is harder for me than rating fiction, so it's four stars for me, with the caveats mentioned above. That's pretty much my baseline for memoir review unless I either adore it or have complaints about the structure, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is certainly an interesting graphic memoir.

[Sally Kruger]

Eugene Yelchin's first memoir was THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE about his childhood in Russia and the challenges of living in a small apartment with his family and a number of others all hoping to stay safe from Russian rule. I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS is the tale of an older Yelchin. He is a young man hoping to practice his art and still hoping to stay safe from those in power.

Yelchin describes meeting a young American girl studying in the city. She fascinates him as he attempts to educate her on the dangers of a place so different from her America. He must avoid those who dislike artists and at the same time avoid being drafted into the military and sent to fight in Afghanistan. Yelchin's mother and grandmother don't really understand him, and they aren't fond of the girl who seems to have stolen his heart.

In an effort to practice his art, Yelchin spends some time in Siberia designing sets and costumes for plays performed there. All the while he is waiting for Libby to return from America. He might be able to escape his homeland if she will agree to marry him, but this requires cutting through Russian red tape that threatens to be impossible.

Yelchin's artwork is used to enhance the memoir readers will find full of danger and adventure as he plans his escape to a better life.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark, atmospheric graphic memoir set in the USSR from 1980-1983, when Yelchin was a young adult and Brezhnev was the head of the Soviet Union. Yelchin was an artist--a painter--and got a job in Siberia designing sets for plays, a job he took to avoid the draft that would send him to Afghanistan. Yelchin had also recently lost a friend, a Jewish refusenik who was likely killed by the KGB, and he had met and fallen in love with an American student, Libby, who wanted to help him leave the country. For tearing up his draft papers, Yelchin was eventually sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he didn't enter with a mental illness but did leave with, according to him, mania and depression. Eventually, he marries Libby and follows her to the United States.

The illustration style is very Yelchin; it's grayscale and the faces are exaggerated and distinct. While reading this I could really feel the fear, paranoia, and state oppression. It's not an easy or cheerful read in any way, but the ending of this part of Yelchin's story is somewhat hopeful. Overall, chilling.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and informative telling about something I hadn’t thought to curious about, but was glad to have read.


Seems an important story to be told and is given through a very earnest, personal account. Interesting to see the conflicted nature of Yelchin’s love of his city and the Russian history play out against his emerging struggles with the reality of living in 1980s Russia. As he navigates these budding discoveries as a young adult at the beginning of the Afghan War you see how he is challenged by other characters in this story as well as the reality of the USSR at that time.

Fascinating to see how the generational divide plays out in how the country is perceived. I love the grandma both for perspective and comic relief. As Yevgeny’s story gets bleaker, I find him more relatable and that his personality is more firmly developed.

Though the illustration style can be a bit quick and rough. I like the monochrome treatment and incorporation of collage elements directly from news media. The spread on pg 232-33 is probably my favorite.

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eugene Yelchin recounts his experience in the Soviet Union when Brezhnev was its leader. Yelchin was through with school and was involved in the underground art scene. He met and became involved with an American student and thought she could be his ticket out of the country. He agreed to go to Siberia to avoid being drafted and his life seemed to spiral out of control.

I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS is a powerful graphic memoir of what it’s like to live in a Communist country. The gray backgrounds of the artwork are perfect for this remarkable story. I was moved by Yelchin’s story and also saw it as a warning of what could happen in the US if we’re not careful. When I picked this book up, I didn’t realize it’s the sequel to THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE so I will read that soon. This is a great book for young teens on up!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally have a hard time getting into graphic novels/memoirs, but this was a one-sitting read for me.

I loved Yelchin's The Genius Under the Table; this continuation of his memoir is darker and harder to read in some places, but did an even better job in getting across the time and place he is writing about and the choices that were available to him. There was one part of his story, in particular-depicting an experience I've read about in other Soviet memoirs from this period-where the graphics and the text worked together to give me an almost visceral experience of what he was going through.

Given where this book was written and published, it's probably not too much of a spoiler to say that it ends on a happy and hopeful note.

It's an amazing work of memoir and art, and a gripping reading experience. Highly recommended.

[Amber Wessies Owrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic novel memoir makes sense for this author because he is also an artist; however, I think I would have appreciated the story better if it was a traditional novel. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations, but the gray scale added to the somber and sad nature of the story.
At the beginning of the story, it seemed like "War and Peace" would have a bigger part in the story. It comes into play some and the book itself is present throughout but I think the metaphor of the differences between war and peace were bigger aspects of the novel.
I also didn't really understand the title. It was an interesting story about Yelchin's life before coming to America.

Thank you Edelweiss, Penguin Random House, and SLJ Day of Dialogue for the eARC.

[Alexis Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

What a powerful book this is. The stark black and white illustrations of this book clearly show the despair and persecution that a Russian Jew felt in Russia during the early 1980s. Constantly worried about being forced to fight in Afghanistan, constantly worried that their Jewish friends would meet an untimely death, always on edge because people are always watching and listening, hoping for a different tomorrow but believing it will always be this way. This book is so well written that I immediately picked up its prequel to lean more about the life of the author.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic memoir makes for compulsive reading. Kudos to Yelchin for his brutal honesty. The war in Afghanistan -- Brezhnev's "Special Military Operation" is a direct parallel to Putin's war in Ukraine. Then, as now, Yelchin's narrative portrays Russians as passive enablers of a brutal dictatorship. Russians escape, become brutal themselves, or they let themselves be used as battlefield meat, but where are the ones who will to stand up to dictatorship? There was only one person in this memoir who looked beyond their own personal safety, and that was the American woman who let herself be used to get him out of the country. Well-crafted, but oh so dark.
#Candlewick #Netgalley

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Award-winning author Eugene Yelchin tells the story of his young adulthood, his experiences while studying set and costume design in Leningrad, and his ultimate departure from the USSR. This graphic novel's illustration captures expressive faces, humor, and pathos. We meet again Yelchin's mother and grandmother, familiar to readers of his previous memoir (for middle-grade readers). This book will appeal to teens and adults. My full review will shortly appear in the Sydney Taylor Schmooze.

[Darlene Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic by Eugene Yelchin

I've never read a book by Eugene Yelchin that wasn't amazing. I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This touches on a young man's life in the USSR and his mission to join his love in the United States. The illustrations are so vivid and emotional as well. Once I started the book, it was so hard to put it down. Yelchin's talent shines again in this new story.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me less than a day to read this. I don’t pick up a lot of graphic novels but I loved his book The Genius Under the Table. This is a powerful story as well about anti-Semitism, the police state of the USSR, about love, hope, and endurance. And I loved it as a graphic novel because the pictures also tell the story. I would love to have a class set of this for school.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man struggles along in Cold War-era Russia in the early 1980s. He wants to create, but his art is closely monitored by the KGB and he never knows who to fully trust. The artwork is incredibly detailed and nicely done.

[Alicia]

Reviewing for professional magazine.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great graphic novel. The art tells the story with limited text. Absolutely loved it.

[Lynn A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genius work of dark humor. Thoroughly enlightening, enjoyable and horrifying.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I am so happy I did. This was such a unique way to write a memoir. The whole book is done like a comic book and it held my attention the whole time.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling graphic memoir of Yelchin’s late adolescence in Leningrad and Siberia.

[Lori Emilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping graphic novel memoir. I loved The Genius Under the Table. This sequel is darker, but still extremely interesting.