Hand-Me-Down: A Graphic Memoir

by Damian Alexander

From the author of the highly praised debut Other Boys comes a moving graphic memoir about the love we pass down across generations. Perfect for fans of Hey, Kiddo and Flamer.

Damian’s mother died when he was a baby, and he has lived with his grandma ever since. Now, all he has left of his mother are old photos and the stories Nanny shares with him. Nanny has a lot of stories, some about his mom and some about her own childhood growing up in foster care.

When Damian feels lonely, he imagines what life was like when his mother and grandmother were middle schoolers like him. Through memories, stories, and daydreams, he feels closer to the mother he lost and begins to see the mother he found.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Memoir, Nonfiction, Grief, Comics, Family

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Damian Alexander is a cartoonist & storyteller who grew up near Boston. Other Boys, published by First Second, is his first graphic memoir. You can visit him at https://damianimated.com

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this while feeling poorly was probably a bad idea: I cried all through the ending. I love the way the author interwove the his story with his mother’s and grandmother’s. It left me with so many questions about their lives, while also fitting together like puzzle pieces to form a complete picture. Very well done!

Thank you to :01 for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Bin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good 😭😭😭😭😭
It was so raw, real, and emotional. I loved the way he portrayed flashbacks and there was impeccable juxtaposition of his grandmother raising him and his mother. The way people are cut off and you can’t see their eyes, and the gap tooth oh my godddd 😭😭😭
Someone get that boy a game of DND nowwwww!!!

[Nicole Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this memoir of the author's life in middle-school, he mentions in passing that he knows he is gay. But that isn’t the focus of this book. It is more like one more thing he has to worry about, about not fitting in. In this memoir, as he has already written one about not fitting in for being gay, he writes about not fitting in for being an orphan and poor.

In this very moving journey, Damian muses on how his life and that of his grandmother who is raising him, and his mother all had things that they struggled with. With his grandmother, she and her sister became wards of the state very young, and were mistreated, but were always together, and they clung to that. Just has the author has family, with his brother. The name of the book, hand-me-down, reflects how all his clothes are second hand, as well as many of his toys. It is hard to be poor amongst other students, especially when they show off the latest shoes and toys or phones.
One of the saddest bits is when he realizes that with braces, he will no longer have a gap in his teeth, that he knows his mother had. He feels it leaving him, and he mourns for this connection that he had, that he is losing.

Very quick read. I thought I was just going to look quickly at it, but I got drawn into this story as he compares and contrasts his mother, his grandmother and his own life.

If nothing else, kids should read this to realize and empathize with kids that either have it just as bad, or not as bad as they do.


Thanks to Netgalley and First Second for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 28th of July 2026

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Oh, this graphic novel packs one heck of an emotional punch. I was not anticipating all the feels!

Damian, the protagonist, loses his mom when he is very young, and that's how he and his older brother end up living with Nanny. Nanny has had quite a life of her own. Along with her two sisters, she was raised in the foster system, and readers learn about this through her flashbacks, which are interspersed with the present-day plot. Unsurprisingly, Nanny wants her grandsons to have a very different childhood than she did, and while she can't give them a perfect life - their socioeconomic struggles are a constant issue, for example - she does give them unwavering love and constancy. Readers follow Damian as he grapples with his mother's death, his love for his grandmother, his understanding of his intersectional identities, and his coming of age.

This graphic novel is incredibly moving, and it's made even more powerful by the author's notes about how much of this is autobiographical. That part did me in.

I recommend this strongly for YA audiences and those who appreciate a layered, powerful example from the genre. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and First Second for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Carissa Manrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the opportunity to read "Hand-Me-Down". Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable enough read, but unfortunately it was not particularly memorable for me.

The story does a solid job capturing the feel of middle school life and the kinds of experiences and challenges that come with that stage of growing up. I can see younger readers relating to many of the situations and themes presented throughout the book.

For me personally, I struggled to connect deeply with the characters. While the story moved along well enough, I never found myself becoming particularly invested in the emotional journeys of the cast, which made it harder for the book to leave a lasting impression.

This was not a bad read by any means, and I think it has an audience that will appreciate the relatable middle school perspective. However, it did not stand out in a way that would place it among my personal favorites, largely because I was hoping for stronger character connection and a more memorable emotional impact.

Overall, a perfectly fine read, but one that I found enjoyable in the moment without leaving much of a lasting impression afterward.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hand Me Down by Damian Alexander is a beautiful, raw, and deeply moving graphic novel that stays with you long after you turn the final page.

Alexander pours so much of his personal story into this middle grade graphic novel, telling the story of a young boy navigating life after the loss of a parent. Now living with his grandmother and brother, he begins to imagine the lives of his mother and grandmother, imagining what their worlds might have looked like when they were his age. Through these reflections, three generations of stories intertwine.

This is an honest and unfiltered look at loneliness, grief, fitting in, and the sometimes difficult journey of figuring out who you are. It explores the longing to connect with a parent who is no longer there and the complicated feelings that come with trying to find your place in the world.

It's a beautiful, heartfelt story about family, identity, and connection. One that will leave you thinking long after you've read it.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book as a member of the Kentucky Bluegrass Book Award committee. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle grade graphic memoir. This is Alexander's second graphic memoir, following Other Boys. This one concentrates on Alexander's feelings of being disconnected. He's disconnected from other kids his age because of his poverty, because he doesn't have parents in his life, and because he's being raised by his grandmother. And he especially feels disconnected from his late mother, who was murdered when he was a baby. Over the course of this book, he looks for that connection in learning as much as he can about his mother when she was his age, and by strengthening his bond with his grandmother. There's not much of a plot here, but there isn't meant to be. It's more a series of feelings. And those feelings are thoughtfully and sensitively explored. A lot of young readers will see themselves in this book, even if their family stituations don't exactly mirror Alexander's.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 014 of 365 ~ 2026

🌟🌟🌟💫

I haven't read his earlier book but I saw that it was about him coming out.

This one shares the hard times he faced about being an orphan, not fitting in yet again, and just struggling with being that odd kid and feeling everything all at once.

I felt for him, I really did but I felt more for his nanny because to go through all that heartbreak.. and still want to love and care for the two boys. Amazing woman.

I received a complimentary copy of the ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book014of365 #amreading #netgalley tbrpile instareads readstagram reading bookreview bookreviewer booklover booksAreLife booksForTheWin booknerds thisbookfairyisreading bookstagram bookstagrammer bookstagramfeature bookshelf booksofinstagram bookish bookworm goodreads booklovers bookaddict theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads bookaholic #bookchallenge2026 reviews lovebooks

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like many people mourn a lost loved one over so many years and in a lot of different ways. But the thing that makes it all the same is wanting answers to who that person was and how someone else remembers them. The thing that hurts the worst is when someone is too young to remember them at all, so they have to rely solely on the memories and stories of others.

What’s so touching and beautiful about Hand-Me-Down is that the author (this is an auto-biographical graphic memoir, so the author is writing about themself) learns over time that the woman he knows as mother may have birthed him, but she didn’t get the chance to raise him. So while he’s trying to learn more about her, he’s learning that the real mother he got to know was the woman who raised him after her death, his grandmother.

This was a beautiful story, but so sad in many ways. There is a lot of loss, but also a lot of love that’s shared as well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted eARC.

[Tonya Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such a great reminder as to why kids need to read books about people who don't look or live like they do. Hand-Me-Down by Damian Alexander is a wonderful story of his life during middle school. Middle school can be tough as it is, but when you factor in that some kids don't have the money for a gift exchange or know their family history/tree, it's worse.

I enjoyed getting glimpses into both his Nanny and mom's life from the stories Nanny shared with him and the pictures he found. One of the sweetest and saddest parts was when he realized having braces would change his appearance and get rid of the gap both he and his mom had. Writing about his childhood, as an adult, allows for reflection and understanding, though it doesn't diminish the very real feelings that were felt during that time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Samantha Sunderman-Drakeford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Damian Alexander, First Second, and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to preview Hand-me-Down in exchange for my sincere review.

First of all, the illustrations were well-done and added so much to the story. The illustrator did a great job conveying the emotions of the main character and his family members.

This is a story that I would like to add to my middle school library collection. I think it would resonate well with all readers. It is a story of loss, navigating hard situations, and hope. I appreciated the juxtaposition of the characters’ past. When we learned about what happened to the grandmother and mother, it helps us see how it has shaped Damian. When he feels lonely, imagining their lives helps him cope with his own situations at home and school.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc! This is a heartfelt graphic novel with some heavier topics so it is probably more appropriate for middle school and high school. Damien's mom passed away when he was young and he has lived with his grandmother. He can relate to his Nanny's upbringing of not having much money (she lived in foster care). Damien does not know much about his mom but by imagining his mom in middle school ( as well as hearing his Nanny's stories about growing up), he feels closer to his mom. Alexander does a great job portraying difficult emotions in an accessible way and the illustrations definitely contribute well to this.

[Abby Aguilera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley.

This was really lovely and so sad. The description of the sadness Damian has when reflecting on memories and movies and history is something I have always felt and haven't heard many people talk about. This is such a beautiful reflection on family, loss and memory and I loved the author's note at the end that includes the family photos he used to base his art for the book on.

I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title was interesting to me. But I did not feel it matched the story. The story was more or less an autobiography of a boy. The boy grew up in a different living situation. Some kids are raised by their grandparents and struggle to figure out where their place in the world. Some also want to know how their parents grew up and if they are like them. The ending had a note from the author, which gave a bit more indepth information on his life and how it pertained to the book.
I really did enjoy this story, but won't use for my classroom.

[Sascha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for the e-ARC!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy “Hand-Me-Down.” Every chapter felt repetitive and seemed to follow the same (or similar) arc. I did not find the art pleasurable to look at, something that usually raises my view of graphic novels.

However, I think this book could be very meaningful to a middle-grade reader struggling with grief, of which I am neither. Its impact was lost on me. The concept is unique, but I found that it could have been better developed.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The author shares his childhood struggle to feel connected to the mother he never really knew. Raised by his grandmother after his mother was killed when he was only a year old, Damian is eager for stories of his mother, but really longs for a more immediate connection than the second-hand words of the family who knew her. We see him struggle through his thirteenth year, wondering if his mother had the same struggles. If his grandmother had the same struggles. This is a beautiful tribute to family and the ties that connect us from one generation to the next.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

As eighth grader Damian approaches adolescence, he begins to wrestle with the loss and anxiety he feels about being raised by his grandmother rather than his parents. Through photographs, his art, and pop culture memorabilia, he tries to piece together a connection to his mother. Shifts in color signal jumps between past and present, gradually revealing how tragedy shaped Damian’s family. By the end, he begins to recognize just how much Nanny has given him, finding some peace in a broader understanding of what makes someone a mother. The art is heartfelt, even if it isn’t always polished.

[Haruka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read! The book shows how Damian feels so out of place in the world. He doubting himself, he always wonders about his mom past, he was alone. I'm glad at the end he knows nanny is like a mother to him. Nanny has given so much to make sure he and his brother have a good life. He can move on. It was a great read.
.
.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me this chance to read this book in advanced~

[Binxie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for sending this to me. In this memoir, Alexander focuses on the middle school challenges he faced, and he imagines the challenges his mother and Nanny faced. His story is illustrated in full color, his Nanny's in black and white. Both of them are orphans. Grief is examined as it manifests itself in many ways. This is a deeply personal memoir, but it addresses universal experiences of many middle-graders.

[Jeni Enjaian]

(I do not rate memoirs.)
This graphic memoir is poignant and well executed. The author tells his own story mixed with the story of his grandmother who raises him. He weaves these stories together with care and compassion. I definitely teared up a little bit at the end when he talked about the fact that quite recently he and his brother were together at their grandmother‘s side as she passed suddenly from pancreatic cancer. I definitely recommend this memoir.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start by saying I really liked Damian Alexander's other books.

This graphic novel will serve a group of readers very well. The group who is struggling with their identity, struggling with depression, struggling with understanding who they are. For that group, this book will serve them well and help them understand that they arent alone.

For the rest of us, this was a really depressing read. I wanted to hug him and put this book down at the same time.

[Amanda Zibell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet tale of Damian's childhood, being raised by his grandmother "Nanny". Damian mourned the loss of the mother he never knew, and loved the grandmother who was now filling that role. Middle school was a hard time for Damian as he navigated learning who he was and seeing the good in his life.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

This graphic novel is different from what I was expecting from the title but brilliant in it's story telling. It's more about generational trauma then just being poor and having hand me downs. I like how the drawings depicted the time period they where from -sepia tones for the 50's, bright colors for the 70's, etc.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly moving and tender graphic memoir about dealing with grief and a loving tribute to his grandmother who raised him and his brother. The artwork is muted but perfectly captures the moments of loneliness and uncertainty. I also really juxtaposition between the author's own life as a middle schooler along with his imagined life of his grandmother, and his mother.

[Bug · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short graphic novel where Alexander reflects on and contrasts his, his mom's, and his grandma's childhoods. Very loving depiction of his family, and definitely had me tearing up a little at some points.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and First Second for the eARC.

Another masterfully written graphic memoir by Damian Alexander!

[Joseph Gremillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, LOVE this book. Very heartwarming and heartbreaking. I read his first book, Absolutely Everything and it was superb.

[Allison]

So poignant.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

For upper elementary or middle school students, this moving graphic novel is an interesting look at intergenerational connection.