Will I See?

by David Alexander Robertson, G.M.B. Chomichuk (Illustrator)

May, a young teenage girl, traverses the city streets, finding keepsakes in different places along her journey. When May and her kookum make these keepsakes into a necklace, it opens a world of danger and fantasy. While May fights against a terrible reality, she learns that there is strength in the spirit of those that have passed. But will that strength be able to save her? A story of tragedy and beauty, Will I See illuminates the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Indigenous, Young Adult, Comics, Canada, Fiction, Contemporary

58 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

DAVID A. ROBERTSON is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, has won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, as well as the Writer's Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He has received several other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate. He was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba for outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements in 2023. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moody and haunting art carries this vaguely told but moving and important story about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIW or MMIWG). I recommend looking into the subject and checking out this other short graphic novel on the subject: Surviving the City.

And take a moment to listen to the related songs of iskwē, who provided the story for this book: Will I See and Nobody Knows.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short comic about young girls disappearing. The story isn't very clear and the art was muddy in some panels. A young girl finds a bunch of keepsakes I guess from missing girls which she turns into a necklace. Then she gets attacked and must escape. Honestly, I think it's gotten higher ratings than it deserves based on its subject manner versus its merits of being a good story or not.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens to the spirits that are killed violently? Indigenous women in Canada are being killed, or vanishing at an alarming rate. I feel that the author is trying to address this issue, but in a way that shows that spirits live on.

This is a dark, yet up lifting tale of one such young Cree woman who finds things left by those who have vanished, and tries to make sense of it.

It is a quick read, almost the length of a short story, and is probably hovering between a three and a half and a four star.

It is a sad state of affairs that First Nation women are being "taken" at such an alarming rate. This graphic novel/comic book, of course, is not the solution, but more a calling out of the situation.

The publisher specializes in books about First Nation peoples, and I would recommend this, as well as their other books to those who want to know more, and even to those who don't know that they should know more.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Fraser Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the art, which will be polarizing. It’s very artistic, abstract and almost gothic; so very little colour. I also thought they managed to get across a lot in such a short story about a young adult who finds a cat, leading her to found objects of missing indigenous women like her. It’s a short story meant to communicate two things (imo): That people be aware of the disproportionate rating of indigenous women going missing and are subject to violent crimes, and to provide more than bleak despair, despite the trappings of the art. I thought it was a great story and the contrast between art and plot was highly effective.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received an ARC from HighWater Press (an imprint of Portage & Main Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

This book is so powerful. I almost wish it were longer, because it's so short--but really, how could anyone handle that? My heart beat so fast reading it, the fight or flight response almost kicking in, because my reaction to this was so visceral.

The premise of this graphic novel is that a teenage girl, May, is being led by a stray cat to find unique and meaningful trinkets along her walk home. At her house, her grandmother helps her to make a necklace of her findings. Unknown to her, the found items are from other Indigenous girls and women who have been kidnapped and probably murdered. Some dark forces are at work, but when May encounters her own trial with the darkness, she finds strength from her necklace and the items' previous owners.

David Alexander Robertson got his point across. He wanted to bring attention to Indigenous girls and women going missing in Canada, and boy, did he! I will be looking up information on this happening and doing anything I can from here. And GMB Chomichuk's illustrations are so incredibly affecting! I was terrified a portion of the time reading this because the combination of words and illustrations was so strong, and I just had to focus on something else for a minute. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes graphic novels that are gritty, nonfiction, or emotional. Or to everyone, because it's that good!

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely unforgettable! Will I See? addresses the topic of violence against women with beauty and power.  The black and white images are realistic, but there is also a dreamlike quality to them.  Swaths of red add a dramatic flair, implying violence and death.  Will I See? has a strong emotional affect and is best suited for teens and older readers.

May, a young teenage girl meets up with a cat who helps her to find various keepsakes.  With each item, readers are shown what happened to the previous owner.  In each instance, a violent crime was committed against a young native woman.  May's kookum (grandmother) fashions these into a necklace for her to wear and warns her that her youth doesn't protect her from being taken.  Young native women are disappearing.  When May faces danger she must rely on her own strength and that of those who passed before.

Will I See? is beautiful, powerful and dramatic, skillfully addressing a topic of immense importance.  Violence against women is underreported, and those who do bring charges are often attacked again by the public.  Will I See? would make an excellent addition to a junior high or high school reading list.  It makes a great starting point for discussion.  It is also a graphic novel that would be good for parents to share with their daughters.

5/5

I received a copy of Will I See? from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read Graphic novels but I decided to give a shot with this one.

Will I See? is beautiful, dark, and intriguing. It tackles the subject, violence against indigenous women, in a realistic yet mystical and magical way. It talks about a deeply important topic through a series of skillfully drawn illustrations that were dark and valiant. The story is realistic yet in a way has this magical realism feel to it.

I read this through one sitting and it was very easy to follow, the flow and pace was fast yet easy to understand. There was moment when my heart pounded so fast because of the disequilibrium that a scene brought, and I think that showed how effective the drawings were.

Overall, it was a quick and interesting read. In a way it made me feel so small and sad because of the violence against women but more importantly it also gave empowerment and I hope that it will reach more teenagers like me who are in need of empowering.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this book.

MORE REVIEWS AND OTHER STUFF ON MY BLOG: https://geniereads.wordpress.com/

[Sanaa Hyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short graphic novel with mystical art, that almost makes you feel like you're slowly making your way through a museum.

This story starts off with a young girl who is innocently wandering by when she encounters a cat, after which things get very dark, very quickly. The scenes are depicted with stunning illustrations that grasp you by the hand and demand, "Listen." At the heart of it, this story is about violence against Indigenous women, but it also briefly touches upon some of the inspiring Indigenous spiritual traditions.

The ending may be confusing to some, but the authors' notes help in comprehending the story better.

[Alexia Polasky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Portage and Main Press for the ARC!
Coupled with magical realism elements, this beautifully illustrated graphic novel portrays in a heart-wrenching yet encouraging tone the empowerment of women that arises from overcoming gender and race violence and making their voice heard. Full review on my blog.

[Donna Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. A visually strong representation of the struggles of Indigenous women and the power of the Indigenous culture, heritage and connection to Mother Earth.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and gritty; I loved it.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada is a very important and prominent issue that has been and continues to go unrecognized. 'Will I See?' by David Alexandar Roberston shares the horrific truth of many Indigenous families, through a graphic novel form. The story follows the protagonist as she finds multiple objects on her walk home that are presumed belong to Indigenous girls who have been attacked. When she gets home she presents the objects to her grandmother who then talks to her about who these objects potentially belong to and why she needs to be careful. The story also includes some Indigenous culture such as the use of significant spiritual animals and including ideas of spirits staying alive after death through the embodiment of other living things. This comic I believe intentionally uses only black and white aside from the use of red on some pages. Using only the colour red is striking and draws the reader's attention to specific images. Red is used in scenes where violence is occurring to provide emphasis on the acts of violence against the girls and women in the story. Robertson's audience I believe was Canadians, as this is where MMIWG is most prominent and his intention was to draw attention to this very important issue. Overall, I think that the message was conveyed in a blunt manner to spread this horrific and neglected experience that is present in too many Indigenous families. Reading this book inspires readers to take action and spread awareness to fight against this disregarded issue.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional YA take on Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women. A girl walks home alone and is joined by a black cat, who shows her little relics along the way. A ring, a key, a pendant...the panels show us what happened to the owners of each of these items, with the cat as otherworldly witness. The girl gets home safely to her grandmother, who was worried about her. They talk about why she should call if she’s going to be late.

That night the girl dreams of a monster, a white man in a black car who steals her away. The art makes it clear that nothing is clear—is this real, is it a dream? Regardless, the girl’s life is at stake and because she’s Indian, she can’t expect anyone (white, Canadian) to help her. It was tremendously satisfying to see her use her grandmother’s wisdom and her own fierceness to shove that monster off a cliff. The cat helped too. :)

Overall, the art here is bold and striking, and I appreciated seeing it in service to a story that offers both a hard look at racism and a hope that sometimes the oppressed can rise up and save he selves.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Will I See?" is a graphic novel by David Alexander Robertson that chronicles a young indigenous girls journey of self realization. The story is set in modern day Canada as we follow a young indigenous girls after she meets a cat that leads her on her journey on her way back home. Along the road various trinkets are picked up along the young girls journey; a ring, a key and a pendant. The panels depict the violent acts that happened to the indigenous women that owned these trinkets the cat almost serving as a guide through these stories. The young lady returns to her grandmother who was concerned about her safety as a young indigenous woman and discuss why it's important that she knows about her whereabouts. That night she had a nightmare, about a white man in a black car kidnapping...leaving readers unaware if it is real or a dream...Regardless her life is at stake, and she cannot expect anyone to help her because of her race. It felt great to watch her use her newfound wisdom along with her grandmothers wisodom to overpower and defeat the "man" which represents her oppressor. Overall, I believe the art in this story was very striking and powerfull. I appreciated that the story represents prejudice not in a sugarcoated way bringing awareness to the epidemic that is missing anf murdered indigenous women.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going through all the content my library has from David Robertson, as I have really enjoyed everything I have read from him so far. Much to my delight, Iskwe (whose music I enjoy a great deal) was involved in writing the story that the script was based around.

The art is one of the things I enjoyed the most about this particular story. I wasn't sure about it at first, but once I got a good look at the colours I couldn't help but like what I saw. The sinister splashes of red really heightened the mood. "Sinister" describes the overall tone, especially of the last half, particularly well. There are far too many missing and murdered indigenous women in this country for the tone to hit any differently. I was glad this story had a happy ending, even if most real life stories like this would not.

I would definitely recommend this (with a trigger warning for violence against women, as the first page of the book notes) for anyone (teen and up) looking for stories about MMIW, or anyone who enjoys David Robertson or Iskwe.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a while to get into, and I think that a big part of that was that I went into this graphic novel completely blind. It would have been nice to know that this is a Canadian book examining Indigenous culture and highlighting Canadian issues involving this people group.

It was devastating and a really interesting look at First Nations' culture. More people need to be reading this, especially if you're into graphic novels!

[Shannon MacNeill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand the message being conveyed about the missing indigenous women but I wish this was much longer and had more information in it. It felt too quick to read and put down in a matter of minutes. The pictures had an eerie-ness to them that set the tone for the story, but again, it felt like this story came and went too quick but maybe that’s the point.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about a very important topic. I liked the colouring, it was cery impactful. The history of MMIW using a visual medium is a fantastic way to show the emotion and humanity behind what the rest of North America refers to as "cases". They have names, belongings, loved ones. Only wish is that it were longer, with more time to develop these ideas.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, powerful story.

[N Shannacappo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerfully written book that will lift you up and break your heart with the sorrow and juxtaposed hope it breathes with.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

haunting

[Reading_seas0n · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark artwork for a dark subject. Indigenous women being kidnapped and killed isn't fiction, in happens all the time and it wasn't until college I knew about it.

[Zoë Birss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very moving book, published in Manitoba, reads like a memorial or eulogy for missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada.

As is true of my favourite graphic novels, this one uses an economy of words, trusting the artist to communicate the story in the illustrations. This they do.

Readers will linger on each page, rich with spiritual imagery and religious symbolism. The expressive art captures the fear and grief of the subject matter.

The cat is adorable. Yet, somehow also wise and beautiful.

Recommended.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Before reading this graphic novel, readers will have to do some "research" or "looking into" the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. Until recently, it was a much overlooked issue. As a Canadian woman, I am not going to sugarcoat it, our government started an inquiry, but a lot more work needs to be done. Because we( Canadians) also need to talk about our missing and murdered aboriginal men too. Amnesty International, CBC( the public broadcaster in Canada), and Native Women's Association of Canada all have very vital information that I would suggest as a good place to start. A tough subject to read up on, but your reading interest and the author's intention will pull a bigger punch if you're equipped with the right amount of information.

The illustrations and attention to the Seven Sacred Teachings( don't worry, that is explained at the back of the graphic novel) are absolutely stunning. But the pictures are also disturbing, graphic, and may cause some readers distress. I would recommend reading it as slowly as possible or at the very least taking some time in between the first and second reads.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will I See? is a powerful, short graphic novel that addresses the ongoing issue of violence against indigenous women across Canada. The narrative, which is loosely connected to a song of the same name by Iskwé, follows May, a young woman walking home. Along the way, she discovers a cat, who in turn draws her attention to objects left on the path. Flashes relate the violent fate that befell the women who previously owned the items. This knowledge leaves you praying that May doesn't encounter the same, even while knowing that inevitably she will. Darker moments are interspersed with those that are meant to comfort and reassure as we see the connection she has with the cat, her grandmother, and her heritage. The illustrations have a rather unique style. They look like photocopies of photorealistic images; these heavy black inks, with their splashes of bloody red, give a raw, emotional quality to the work. Aboriginal syllabics flit through the background (presumably these words are from one of the Cree dialects; at least two of the creators are of Cree descent). This collaboration between singer/songwriter Iskwé, Erin Leslie, David Alexander Robertson (7 Generations), and GMB Chomichuk (The Imagination) is an important piece to share because many indigenous women are currently at risk of abuse and violence, and, of falling prey to men with murderous intentions. Ultimately, this work poses you a question. Will you see? Will you act?

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Will I See?' by David Alexander Robertson with art by GMB Chomichuk was a surreal read, and I liked it. I'm still not entirely sure what the title means though.

A young girl named May wanders the streets. She finds odd bits of things and takes them home to her grandmother, along with a stray cat that follows her home. Her grandmother makes the items into a kind of necklace. It seems that the items May has found are soemtimes born out of violence, and when May next travels out into the world, she will have to call on primal forces for protection. There is danger and May is prey. Can she find safety?

The art is mostly black and white and grey with distinct areas of red. The pictures are mostly silhouette and shadow and the panels have interesting writng and runes on them. The story feels a bit fragmented, but it works really well. Included at the end are explanations of the spirit animals that show up to help May. I'm not sure I would have read this if I'd seen it on the shelf, but I gave it a chance since I got a review copy and I'm glad I got to read it.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Portage & Main Press, HighWater Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will I See? is a haunting story about the missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. In this comic, May, a teen girl, follows a little black cat through her city, picking up little tokens along the way. As May comes to realise, these little remembrances are items lost by Indigenous women who were killed, their spirits crying out to be acknowledged, but also protecting those still in need. It's a stark, horrifying look at the terrible things that happen in Canada today, but ultimately a hopeful one about resilience and love.

The art is quite experimental. Most images are black and white, sometimes looking like photocopied photos, but with splashes of red for effect. At times the pages can seem rather muddy, but it's an interesting approach that I hope the artist continues to develop.

This is definitely a comic that should be in school libraries as I think it can be a good opener to many conversations. It does lack a little depth, but it captures the heart of the reader who will hopefully be inspired to learn more.

[Mainon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black and white drawings with splashes of read are starkly appropriate to illustrate this story that highlights the violence faced by Native women.
The topic is timely and powerful, and the art is both beautiful and gruesome. The storyline is suffused with magical/spiritual traditional beliefs, and while I appreciated that, I also sometimes found it difficult to understand what was happening. I confess that I was probably hampered by my own lack of familiarity with some of the Native storytelling traditions that informed this piece.
Well worth a read, and sometimes what we don't understand can be as education as what we do.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Kat]

Will I See? is a whimsically drawn, poignant story highlighting the issues surrounding violence against Indigenous women today. It's quite short but the art style is done really well; it could be quite chaotic at times which matched the story. It was also written well. The note at the end clarified the significance of the spirit animals and made the story that much more meaningful. I think that the message the authors and illustrators are trying to convey is a really important one and was done subtly but effectively here.

Note: With these types of books I find it hard to give a suitable rating, especially as the message is so important, so it will remain unrated.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highwater Press consistently publishes provocative and compelling indigenous literature and graphica.

Will I See ? is a poignant story centring on the theme of violence against women. It fits into the MMIW tragedy that has unfolded over many years across Canada.

The artwork by GMB Chominchuk is incredible. It contains a powerfully written story by Iskwe and Erin Leslie with scripting by David Alexander Robertson. This was a short read and is most likely recommended for 12+ in my opinion due to the triggers and mature subject matter.

I bought my copy from indigenous bookseller www.goodminds.com. Owner Jeff is a kind and courteous man from Six Nations who provides impeccable service. I probably own 30 books that I’ve purchased from him from children’s books to academic texts.