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83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel
A young adult graphic novel that captures the complexities of the war in Ukraine, focusing on the siege of Mariupol (Feb ’22 – May ’22) and the brave people who stayed to defend their city against Russian forces as well as the resulting effects on global politics. A city ruined. In once quiet residential streets, two armies battle, driving people into cellars and basements with little food or water. No lights or heat. Dwindling medical supplies. Shells and bullets deliver cruel, random death to the young and old, men, women, and children. This is Mariupol, a Ukrainian city and early target of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bordering Russian-occupied territory, the coastal city seemed doomed to a defeat that would come within days, if not hours. Could Mariupol, and Ukraine, survive? As Russian rockets threatened the city, Ukrainians resisted, and with a heroic combination of sacrifice and bravery, the besieged city endured . . . for months. But it all came at a steep cost. With compassion and his keen journalist’s eye, Sibert Honor creator Don Brown illuminates the horrors of Mariupol and the depredations of its people not seen in the city since World War II. He also shows that outside of Mariupol, the city’s agonies were mirrored by similar events occurring in towns and cities across Ukraine. 83 Days in Mariupol reminds us that the bloody defiance shown at the Alamo, Dunkirk, Leningrad, and Thermopylae isn’t confined to the past but has a violent, modern presence. It is the story of senseless destruction, patriotism, and grit against long odds—a brutal battle whose consequences still reverberate across Ukraine and continue to reshape the global political landscape. Read more books by Don
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
12 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Don Brown
48 books148 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
October 26, 2023
I am Ukrainian. The only Ukrainian reviewer here, as far as I can see. Please listen.
There is no heart to this book. It's an impersonal jumble of uncredited accounts. It's like reading a Wikipedia article that mentions gruesome details for fun: torture porn that Americans can read to pity us.
Many of the lines appear to be quotes, but not a single name is mentioned. It feels like Don Brown is trying to tell our stories for us, but fails miserably. As a Ukrainian, I am insulted when your average Joe Smith Jr. from the east coast tries to capture a pain they have never, and will never feel.
So many white westerners use the war as a way to benefit themselves, be it for fame, money, or brownie points. For example, there is a sticker at the back of this book that says that "a one-time donation has been made to Razom Ukraine". That's great! Now Don can't be accused of using the war for his monetary benefit, right? The rest of the money that this book earns isn't going straight into his and the American publisher's pockets, right?
Based off of his previous work, I believe Don Brown's format will never do this story justice. I am asking for a depth that cannot be conveyed in an American graphic novel of 120 pages.
Do not read this to educate yourself. If you want to help, read something by a Ukrainian, support Ukrainian authors, donate to Ukrainians directly, and know better than to write a stranger's story.
There is no heart to this book. It's an impersonal jumble of uncredited accounts. It's like reading a Wikipedia article that mentions gruesome details for fun: torture porn that Americans can read to pity us.
Many of the lines appear to be quotes, but not a single name is mentioned. It feels like Don Brown is trying to tell our stories for us, but fails miserably. As a Ukrainian, I am insulted when your average Joe Smith Jr. from the east coast tries to capture a pain they have never, and will never feel.
So many white westerners use the war as a way to benefit themselves, be it for fame, money, or brownie points. For example, there is a sticker at the back of this book that says that "a one-time donation has been made to Razom Ukraine". That's great! Now Don can't be accused of using the war for his monetary benefit, right? The rest of the money that this book earns isn't going straight into his and the American publisher's pockets, right?
Based off of his previous work, I believe Don Brown's format will never do this story justice. I am asking for a depth that cannot be conveyed in an American graphic novel of 120 pages.
Do not read this to educate yourself. If you want to help, read something by a Ukrainian, support Ukrainian authors, donate to Ukrainians directly, and know better than to write a stranger's story.
September 8, 2023
HOT TAKE: This book is a shameless money grab by a 74-year-old New Yorker. In my opinion they had no business creating this subpar graphic novel.
There's hardly anything new to be discovered from its shoddy pages, and the illustrations come across as hastily drawn storyboards rushed into production due to the urgency of the current conflict.
I despise books of this ilk, especially since I picked it up (thankfully, from the library) with hopes of gaining insight into the ongoing situation. While I stand in solidarity with Ukraine, I can't help but suspect that the positive reviews on Goodreads are more a show of support than a genuine reflection of the book's quality. In this forum for book reviews, my one-star rating stands firm.
There's hardly anything new to be discovered from its shoddy pages, and the illustrations come across as hastily drawn storyboards rushed into production due to the urgency of the current conflict.
I despise books of this ilk, especially since I picked it up (thankfully, from the library) with hopes of gaining insight into the ongoing situation. While I stand in solidarity with Ukraine, I can't help but suspect that the positive reviews on Goodreads are more a show of support than a genuine reflection of the book's quality. In this forum for book reviews, my one-star rating stands firm.
January 1, 2025
You in the West may call that an "own voice review".
As a Ukrainian refugee and an avid reader, I was happy to see this book in the local Texas library and know that someone in the US cared enough to write, publish, buy, and display comics about my country, about the events that ruined my life. Unfortunately, after actually reading the book, I wished nobody had written it since it is full of subtle Russian propaganda.
After seeing the title, one may think that this is a diary of a journalist who has worked in Ukraine or an illustrated diary of a person who survived the tragedy of Mariupol. However, the title is misleading because the author has never been to Ukraine or spoken to any Ukrainian person, consultant, or editor to publish the book; he just read a few articles on the topic (listed on the back) and compiled a lazy narrative out of them.
The second next misleading thing after the title is the Prologue, in which Don Brown tries to explain the history that led to the invasion of 2022. He starts strong with the phrase "the fortunes of Russians and those who had come to see themselves as Ukrainians diverged" (why not the other way around, if we are talking about Kyivan Rus? but I guess I should be grateful for not reading "so-called Ukrainians" here) and continues with a wild Russian propaganda about mass Ukrainian support of Nazis during WW2, about how every non-Jewish Ukrainian went on assasinating Jewish Ukrainian neighbors and how "the most hideous episodes of the Holocaust occured in Ukraine", being conveniently silent about the fact that the entire territory of Ukraine was under Nazi occupation at the time and the most hideous episodes of the Holocaust were committed by the occupiers (and of course, who needs to know about the numerous resistance groups during the occupation, Don Brown only reads Russian propaganda according to which every Ukrainian was in SS - apparently, including my own grandparents who fought against Nazis and who I had a personal honour to know but Don Brown knows better). It's funny how later on, the author tries to debunk Putin's rhetoric about how Ukraine needs denazification while playing right into Putin's narrative on the previous page.
Then Brown claims that "Russian sympathizers in the eastern Ukrainian province of Donbas declared independence from Ukraine". I am from Donbas, born and raised in (and sought refuge from) Luhansk; it is sad for me to read in a book such a lie - those "sympathizers" were brought (and sometimes bought) by Russia, and it was a full-scale invasion to my city from Russia's side, with tanks, helicopters, armed Russian regular army personnel, etc. In this book, Donbas is called "the Donbas province of Russian separatists" later on. The author called Ukrainians of Donbas living under Russian occupation "Russian-backed residents, broken away from Ukraine in 2014, setting off something of a civil war between the separatist and Ukrainian forces", relentlessly playing into the "civil war" narrative so popular among Russian propagandists in the West. It is aimed at Western countries to lower the support of Ukraine and has nothing to do with reality.
The author also talks a lot about Russians, protesting against war (are they really?), and even Russian soldiers with immense sympathy. "And the agents of the terror, the Russian troops? Some are shocked to find themselves in a real war." That is the direct quote from the book, illustrated with a bunch of Russian soldiers who look like a group of confused children, with bubbles that say, "I didn't know this was going to happen. They said we were going for training" and "We were fucking fooled like little kids". Mind it, the author tries to infantilize and victimize fully grown men who joined the military, trained to attack the borders of a foreign country for months and months, and currently are the perpetrators of a bloody genocide for which they have been preparing all their lives. They perfectly knew what they were training for, and are telling these lies about not knowing where they were going only when they are captured as prisoners of war (and lots of them are because Ukraine is the only side in this war that is playing by the Geneva Convention).
The author even described the Russian troops as "cheerful and friendly" to fleeing Ukrainians. Maybe he got this information from the International Committee of the Red Cross, a money-laundering organization that was supporting deportation, kidnapping, and torture of Ukrainian civilians at Russian checkpoints, and which he proudly quotes on another page. I can only wish everyone who can agree with that description of a Russian soldier to encounter cheerfulness and friendliness of this kind for themselves in real life.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians, in his words, "became vicious" against each other in the times of occupation. They are also portrayed as racist against the people of color who are trying to evacuate from the country, an influential Russian propaganda of the early invasion which has been debunked numerous times but somehow is still affecting the Western audience and even found its way into this little book.
The Ukrainian government is continuously pictured as weak, indecisive, and spreading fake news about its victories.
Apart from propaganda takes, the book does not portray a bigger picture of what's going on in Ukraine and even in Mariupol. The author shows his continuous lack of understanding of the war's scale. There's also no story in the book whatsoever, and there is no reminiscence of the author focusing on one group of people surviving the bombing or something. He is not even trying to tell a story of any kind. The text is just some quotes from the articles Don Brown found online, illustrated in a sketch style.
Generally, it feels like a cash grab from someone who has built his literary career on abusing stories of other people's tragedies to publish another quickie, which a library will purchase to tick off the "important" topic in their teen collection. The art style is wannabe rough and hazy but comes out as plainly unfinished and lazy. You can watch a 10-minute video on YouTube about Mariupol and have more substantial understanding of the events than after buying and reading this graphic novel.
As a Ukrainian refugee and an avid reader, I was happy to see this book in the local Texas library and know that someone in the US cared enough to write, publish, buy, and display comics about my country, about the events that ruined my life. Unfortunately, after actually reading the book, I wished nobody had written it since it is full of subtle Russian propaganda.
After seeing the title, one may think that this is a diary of a journalist who has worked in Ukraine or an illustrated diary of a person who survived the tragedy of Mariupol. However, the title is misleading because the author has never been to Ukraine or spoken to any Ukrainian person, consultant, or editor to publish the book; he just read a few articles on the topic (listed on the back) and compiled a lazy narrative out of them.
The second next misleading thing after the title is the Prologue, in which Don Brown tries to explain the history that led to the invasion of 2022. He starts strong with the phrase "the fortunes of Russians and those who had come to see themselves as Ukrainians diverged" (why not the other way around, if we are talking about Kyivan Rus? but I guess I should be grateful for not reading "so-called Ukrainians" here) and continues with a wild Russian propaganda about mass Ukrainian support of Nazis during WW2, about how every non-Jewish Ukrainian went on assasinating Jewish Ukrainian neighbors and how "the most hideous episodes of the Holocaust occured in Ukraine", being conveniently silent about the fact that the entire territory of Ukraine was under Nazi occupation at the time and the most hideous episodes of the Holocaust were committed by the occupiers (and of course, who needs to know about the numerous resistance groups during the occupation, Don Brown only reads Russian propaganda according to which every Ukrainian was in SS - apparently, including my own grandparents who fought against Nazis and who I had a personal honour to know but Don Brown knows better). It's funny how later on, the author tries to debunk Putin's rhetoric about how Ukraine needs denazification while playing right into Putin's narrative on the previous page.
Then Brown claims that "Russian sympathizers in the eastern Ukrainian province of Donbas declared independence from Ukraine". I am from Donbas, born and raised in (and sought refuge from) Luhansk; it is sad for me to read in a book such a lie - those "sympathizers" were brought (and sometimes bought) by Russia, and it was a full-scale invasion to my city from Russia's side, with tanks, helicopters, armed Russian regular army personnel, etc. In this book, Donbas is called "the Donbas province of Russian separatists" later on. The author called Ukrainians of Donbas living under Russian occupation "Russian-backed residents, broken away from Ukraine in 2014, setting off something of a civil war between the separatist and Ukrainian forces", relentlessly playing into the "civil war" narrative so popular among Russian propagandists in the West. It is aimed at Western countries to lower the support of Ukraine and has nothing to do with reality.
The author also talks a lot about Russians, protesting against war (are they really?), and even Russian soldiers with immense sympathy. "And the agents of the terror, the Russian troops? Some are shocked to find themselves in a real war." That is the direct quote from the book, illustrated with a bunch of Russian soldiers who look like a group of confused children, with bubbles that say, "I didn't know this was going to happen. They said we were going for training" and "We were fucking fooled like little kids". Mind it, the author tries to infantilize and victimize fully grown men who joined the military, trained to attack the borders of a foreign country for months and months, and currently are the perpetrators of a bloody genocide for which they have been preparing all their lives. They perfectly knew what they were training for, and are telling these lies about not knowing where they were going only when they are captured as prisoners of war (and lots of them are because Ukraine is the only side in this war that is playing by the Geneva Convention).
The author even described the Russian troops as "cheerful and friendly" to fleeing Ukrainians. Maybe he got this information from the International Committee of the Red Cross, a money-laundering organization that was supporting deportation, kidnapping, and torture of Ukrainian civilians at Russian checkpoints, and which he proudly quotes on another page. I can only wish everyone who can agree with that description of a Russian soldier to encounter cheerfulness and friendliness of this kind for themselves in real life.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians, in his words, "became vicious" against each other in the times of occupation. They are also portrayed as racist against the people of color who are trying to evacuate from the country, an influential Russian propaganda of the early invasion which has been debunked numerous times but somehow is still affecting the Western audience and even found its way into this little book.
The Ukrainian government is continuously pictured as weak, indecisive, and spreading fake news about its victories.
Apart from propaganda takes, the book does not portray a bigger picture of what's going on in Ukraine and even in Mariupol. The author shows his continuous lack of understanding of the war's scale. There's also no story in the book whatsoever, and there is no reminiscence of the author focusing on one group of people surviving the bombing or something. He is not even trying to tell a story of any kind. The text is just some quotes from the articles Don Brown found online, illustrated in a sketch style.
Generally, it feels like a cash grab from someone who has built his literary career on abusing stories of other people's tragedies to publish another quickie, which a library will purchase to tick off the "important" topic in their teen collection. The art style is wannabe rough and hazy but comes out as plainly unfinished and lazy. You can watch a 10-minute video on YouTube about Mariupol and have more substantial understanding of the events than after buying and reading this graphic novel.
August 13, 2023
A grim reminder of the evil Russia has perpetrated in Ukraine and the need for the United States to continue its support of the Ukrainian people and their nation.
Side note: Despite the word "diary" in the title, this is not a personal account of the invasion and siege but rather draws on eyewitness accounts from an extensive series of new reports noted in the back.
Side note: Despite the word "diary" in the title, this is not a personal account of the invasion and siege but rather draws on eyewitness accounts from an extensive series of new reports noted in the back.
March 22, 2024
This graphic novel tells the story of the first few month in the Ukrainian War with Russia. It was all familiar to me, having watched the news at the time, but the audience for this is middle school and high school, who may not have any sense of what an invasion means. Very, very well done!
June 9, 2025
For me, Don Brown's 2023 young adult graphic novel 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (and which due to its disturbingly realistic and necessarily horrifying both textual and illustrative contents regarding war, invasion, wanton destruction, regarding the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and its innocent and helpless population being deliberately targeted by Russian forces, by war criminal Vladimir Putin, is in my opinion not really suitable for readers below the age age of thirteen or fourteen, although to be sure, many of the victims in Mariupol as well as in other Ukrainian cities, towns and villages have of course also been children) should really have two completely separate ratings, one for Brown's prologue and one for the graphic novel section as well as for the epilogue and the detailed bibliographical material for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (and with the former rating only two stars but the latter rating very solidly five).
Furthermore, to be perfectly honest, if I had actually started 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel with the prologue (and which I fortunately did not as I sometimes and even often skip prologues and introductions to read post my perusal of the main textual body of a given book in order to avoid possible spoilers) I might indeed have stopped reading 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel altogether, since there is (well, at least in my opinion) some contents regarding what Brown writes in the prologue that truly and totally makes me cringe (and that I am thus really glad that I originally skipped the prologue for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel and went straight on to the graphic novel part). And yes, my main reason for being frustrated by and indeed even rather hugely annoyed with Don Brown's introductory (and completely non visual) words for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel is that Brown basically claiming that most Ukrainians supported Adolf Hitler during WWII and were also actively involved in turning Ukrainian Jews in to the Nazis is at best ridiculously simplistically shortsighted (and also makes it seem as though collaboration with the Nazi occupiers only happened in the Ukraine when this also occurred extensively in France, Poland, the Netherlands etc.) and also seems to (even if likely inadvertently) at least partially justify Putin's lies regarding the Ukraine being a Nazi state and that the invasion was therefore necessary (even through if ANYONE has been an all-encompassing Nazi in the 2022 and onwards Russia versus the Ukraine scenario, it is most definitely Russian president Vladimir Putin himself, who for and to me is a modern-day counterpart and total mirror image of Adolf Hitler and was in fact making the same putrid excuses regarding the Ukraine that Hitler equally used to justify invading Poland in 1939, and that Don Brown does not ever even remotely point this out in his prologue for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel, this both rather offends me and also makes me at least somewhat wonder if Brown might even somewhat agree or at least put up Putin's web of lies, and yes, even if the graphic novel section of and for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel then does kind of both textually and visually show pretty much, pretty well the exact opposite).
Now with regard to 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (excluding the prologue) what Don Brown both with his words and equally so with his expressively disquieting cartoons shows and provides is both spectacular and is also (thankfully so) majorly, hugely uncomfortable, is all-encompassingly traumatic, featuring an unflinching no holds barred so to speak "diary" of the siege on Mariupol and the very much deliberate massacre of totally innocent civilians by Russian forces, by war criminal like Russian soldiers (and bien sûr acting for, following the despicable orders of chief war criminal and vile monstrosity Vladimir Putin) in February 2022 and with the absolute horror and senselessness of war necessarily and very much justifiably being utterly front and centre in 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (and of course also totally non-fiction, totally verbally and illustratively showing utterly disturbing and horrid wartime reality). And yes Brown, who is known for intense and geared towards young adults non-fiction graphic novels and for using mostly muted palettes, with 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel Don Brown generally has his expressive and visually shockingly disquieting cartoons mostly appear as black, white, grey to very good and amazing visual effect and with the relentless grey panels accentuating and visually capturing the crushing burdens of the Russian bombings and Russia's deliberate and very targeted attacks on civilians, on life itself in Mariupol, with the many horrifying visual close-ups encountered in 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel bringing immediacy to the atrocities of war, while quotes from those actually present in Mariupol during the siege (and which are sourced in the back matter and are thus NOT made up by Brown) are included as typical cartoon and graphic novel type speech bubbles.
Also and really importantly for me personally, both Don Brown's words and his artwork for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel clearly and with no excuses (thankfully) are consistently and always showing and telling how Russian soldiers are very specifically and absolutely deliberately focusing on and gunning down the civilians of Mariupol and leaving them lying in the streets (and indeed so on and so on, sigh, and I guess this is also another reason why I am so hugely annoyed with the prologue for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel, since the main graphic novel part certainly does show Brown obviously both verbally and visually not at all believing Vladimir Putin's falsehoods and showing that with regard to the invasion of the Ukraine and in particular with regard to the siege of Mariupol Putin is nothing but a despicable and evilly satanic war criminal and as such also pretty much a Nazi, so why then have words in the prologue that at least somewhat for me seem to have Don Brown offer a bit justification for and credence towards Vladimir Putin, his Russian expansionism claims and his offensively bigoted lies regarding and concerning the Ukraine).
Finally, I have with regard to my rating for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel been vacillating between three and four stars. And while I have now decided on four stars, I do indeed think that there definitely are issues with Don Brown's prologue and that while I highly recommend 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (but with the caveat that both text and images are horrifying, painful and majorly distressing), I do NOT really recommend the prologue, I only recommend the main graphic novel chapters, the epilogue and Brown's extensive bibliographic material for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel.
Furthermore, to be perfectly honest, if I had actually started 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel with the prologue (and which I fortunately did not as I sometimes and even often skip prologues and introductions to read post my perusal of the main textual body of a given book in order to avoid possible spoilers) I might indeed have stopped reading 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel altogether, since there is (well, at least in my opinion) some contents regarding what Brown writes in the prologue that truly and totally makes me cringe (and that I am thus really glad that I originally skipped the prologue for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel and went straight on to the graphic novel part). And yes, my main reason for being frustrated by and indeed even rather hugely annoyed with Don Brown's introductory (and completely non visual) words for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel is that Brown basically claiming that most Ukrainians supported Adolf Hitler during WWII and were also actively involved in turning Ukrainian Jews in to the Nazis is at best ridiculously simplistically shortsighted (and also makes it seem as though collaboration with the Nazi occupiers only happened in the Ukraine when this also occurred extensively in France, Poland, the Netherlands etc.) and also seems to (even if likely inadvertently) at least partially justify Putin's lies regarding the Ukraine being a Nazi state and that the invasion was therefore necessary (even through if ANYONE has been an all-encompassing Nazi in the 2022 and onwards Russia versus the Ukraine scenario, it is most definitely Russian president Vladimir Putin himself, who for and to me is a modern-day counterpart and total mirror image of Adolf Hitler and was in fact making the same putrid excuses regarding the Ukraine that Hitler equally used to justify invading Poland in 1939, and that Don Brown does not ever even remotely point this out in his prologue for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel, this both rather offends me and also makes me at least somewhat wonder if Brown might even somewhat agree or at least put up Putin's web of lies, and yes, even if the graphic novel section of and for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel then does kind of both textually and visually show pretty much, pretty well the exact opposite).
Now with regard to 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (excluding the prologue) what Don Brown both with his words and equally so with his expressively disquieting cartoons shows and provides is both spectacular and is also (thankfully so) majorly, hugely uncomfortable, is all-encompassingly traumatic, featuring an unflinching no holds barred so to speak "diary" of the siege on Mariupol and the very much deliberate massacre of totally innocent civilians by Russian forces, by war criminal like Russian soldiers (and bien sûr acting for, following the despicable orders of chief war criminal and vile monstrosity Vladimir Putin) in February 2022 and with the absolute horror and senselessness of war necessarily and very much justifiably being utterly front and centre in 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (and of course also totally non-fiction, totally verbally and illustratively showing utterly disturbing and horrid wartime reality). And yes Brown, who is known for intense and geared towards young adults non-fiction graphic novels and for using mostly muted palettes, with 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel Don Brown generally has his expressive and visually shockingly disquieting cartoons mostly appear as black, white, grey to very good and amazing visual effect and with the relentless grey panels accentuating and visually capturing the crushing burdens of the Russian bombings and Russia's deliberate and very targeted attacks on civilians, on life itself in Mariupol, with the many horrifying visual close-ups encountered in 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel bringing immediacy to the atrocities of war, while quotes from those actually present in Mariupol during the siege (and which are sourced in the back matter and are thus NOT made up by Brown) are included as typical cartoon and graphic novel type speech bubbles.
Also and really importantly for me personally, both Don Brown's words and his artwork for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel clearly and with no excuses (thankfully) are consistently and always showing and telling how Russian soldiers are very specifically and absolutely deliberately focusing on and gunning down the civilians of Mariupol and leaving them lying in the streets (and indeed so on and so on, sigh, and I guess this is also another reason why I am so hugely annoyed with the prologue for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel, since the main graphic novel part certainly does show Brown obviously both verbally and visually not at all believing Vladimir Putin's falsehoods and showing that with regard to the invasion of the Ukraine and in particular with regard to the siege of Mariupol Putin is nothing but a despicable and evilly satanic war criminal and as such also pretty much a Nazi, so why then have words in the prologue that at least somewhat for me seem to have Don Brown offer a bit justification for and credence towards Vladimir Putin, his Russian expansionism claims and his offensively bigoted lies regarding and concerning the Ukraine).
Finally, I have with regard to my rating for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel been vacillating between three and four stars. And while I have now decided on four stars, I do indeed think that there definitely are issues with Don Brown's prologue and that while I highly recommend 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel (but with the caveat that both text and images are horrifying, painful and majorly distressing), I do NOT really recommend the prologue, I only recommend the main graphic novel chapters, the epilogue and Brown's extensive bibliographic material for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel.
September 4, 2023
I have to recognize Don Brown books for what they are: a wide, macro, general look at historical events. This is important for lots of people who are starting to learn about the things he writes & draws about. I have read at least five of his books at this point and he does typically stick to generalities. That's OK, it's just not what I most seek in my nonfiction. There is less emotion and his works are less memorable to me because there are less personal accounts; while he includes plenty of quotes from specific people, they are just not ascribed to subjects we get to know - even their names. I appreciate his style, his corner in the publishing world, and I will keep reading his books... they are just not 5-star in-depth reads.
August 16, 2025
“Still, the terror goes on.”
Now clearly the focus or purpose of this isn't to show great art work, because the quality of the drawing is sketchy at best, though I suppose you could argue that it injects a gritty, muddy feel to the subject, which itself is obviously very grim.
This is a short, shocking summary of the horrors which the Russians inflicted upon the city of Mariupol and makes for a decent and informative read for young adults or even the adults, who are seeking a primer or overview of what went on there.
“The city of Mariupol is ruined. Ukrainian officials estimate that the brutal 83 day siege killed 20,000 civilians and destroyed 90 % of the city.”
June 5, 2024
This sad story should be read by everyone.
June 8, 2024
If you read serious literature on Ukraine, you will find nothing new in this book. The book's audience is listed as YA, the format is comics, so maybe for young adults and teenagers, who usually do not follow the news, reading the book will be beneficial.
The book is a collection of white-black illustrations with emotional quotes from different news' reports. It tells a story of the siege of Mariupol from the point of view of ordinary Ukrainians. Easy to read, it can be yet another reminder that any war brings nothing but suffering.
(Remembering the quiet, green streets of Mariupol, its typically Soviet buildings make its destruction more horrible for me. I've been there in spring 2010 on a business trip.)
The book is a collection of white-black illustrations with emotional quotes from different news' reports. It tells a story of the siege of Mariupol from the point of view of ordinary Ukrainians. Easy to read, it can be yet another reminder that any war brings nothing but suffering.
(Remembering the quiet, green streets of Mariupol, its typically Soviet buildings make its destruction more horrible for me. I've been there in spring 2010 on a business trip.)
November 20, 2023
This was another great book by Brown about a tragic and terrifying event. I always enjoy how real and startling his graphic novels are. I found some of the language in this one to be a bit much for young people, but other than that, it was a very intense read and view into what is happening in our world.
November 21, 2025
This graphic novel by Don Brown are images taken and not experienced first hand. I read the book because I read everything.
The two star rating is because the graphic novel does raise awareness.
And thus, my biggest take away is to continue to support Ukraine by donating to humanitarian and defense efforts, volunteering time or professional skills, raising awareness on social media or through petitions, and advocating for government support.
Also one of the best reviews about this book you can find via GoodReads is by Dima and you can find it here > https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The two star rating is because the graphic novel does raise awareness.
And thus, my biggest take away is to continue to support Ukraine by donating to humanitarian and defense efforts, volunteering time or professional skills, raising awareness on social media or through petitions, and advocating for government support.
Also one of the best reviews about this book you can find via GoodReads is by Dima and you can find it here > https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 29, 2023
Don Brown uses a graphic novel format to explain a horrific human event to a young audience (grades 7 and up). In this book, he covers the unrelenting Russian attack on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. The city, on the edge of the Sea of Azov, is critical to Ukraine’s trade and coveted by Russian president Putin for its strategic position as a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula. Inked in black, white, and gray, the book is stark and full of emotion. The graphics are very rough and not meant to indicate identifiable people, but capture the sorrow, agony, and despair of a people under attack. Faces are not defined but the broken people are very clear. Quotes from various news reports give the feel of a personal diary written by many people over the course of the siege. The bombs began to fall on February 24, 2022 and the fall of the city was complete by May 17. It is still under Russian control today.
Reviewed for WASHYARG, the Washington Young Adult Review Group
Reviewed for WASHYARG, the Washington Young Adult Review Group
December 8, 2023
This was so sad. I wish it had been longer, because it is so important, but it barely scratched the surface of what is happening in Ukraine. It put me more “in the moment” and took me out of being desensitized due to the news & our distance from Ukraine. I’m glad I read it & I will continue to have their citizens on my mind. I hope the fighting ends as soon as possible.
September 16, 2023
An incredible and terrifying look into the suffering of the Ukrainian people. It’s so terrifying to think that people have to live in such fear and horrifying conditions even now. War is such an ugly thing.
May 22, 2023
Graphic novel timeline documenting incidents in the first year of the war in Ukraine. Simply and heartbreakingly told.
December 1, 2023
I honestly learned so much about the Russian/Ukraine conflict from this book. Great read for middle school/high school.
December 7, 2023
Well done depiction of the suffering of civilians in Mariupol during the early stages of the war in Ukraine.
September 20, 2024
This is such an odd graphic novel. There is no explanation that sets up who the narrator(s) is/are. The account is a bit disjointed, and the art, frankly, is lacking.
October 17, 2025
The diary is mediocre at best. The events of Mariupol are generalized and the art is poorly drawn. It’s like a graphic novel of a news article. I understand the informative perspective this book is meant to have however, for something so raw and horrific as the slaughter of 20,000 innocent civilians, we needed so much more. This book just doesn’t evoke the sorrow and mourning of the tragedy that happened.
July 27, 2023
First book I've read on the Ukranian/Russian war. Incredibly powerful. Graphic format is perfect for this story.
February 28, 2024
Don Brown has written and illustrated some excellent graphic novels. This was not one of them. I felt like this story was a bit rushed. Just not very quality...
October 23, 2023
While I think graphic novels of current events are a good way to connect the worldwide news to reluctant readers, I just don't know how to feel about this one.
The work quickly goes over the 83 days it took for Russia to besiege the city of Mariupol, Ukraine. It talked about the many horrors committed, like bombing a refuge that specifically contained children, the day to day fear that the citizens felt as war tore their city apart. But this wasn't a "diary." It was a collection of quotes from Ukrainians who fled and news articles about the siege.
The art is very sketchy and the features of the people are bland and simplistic. The GN speaks of the grandeur of Maripoul's architecture before it was destroyed by shelling, but it doesn't show this in the artwork.
While learning about this is important, I think, perhaps, there may be better ways or, at least, better artists.
The work quickly goes over the 83 days it took for Russia to besiege the city of Mariupol, Ukraine. It talked about the many horrors committed, like bombing a refuge that specifically contained children, the day to day fear that the citizens felt as war tore their city apart. But this wasn't a "diary." It was a collection of quotes from Ukrainians who fled and news articles about the siege.
The art is very sketchy and the features of the people are bland and simplistic. The GN speaks of the grandeur of Maripoul's architecture before it was destroyed by shelling, but it doesn't show this in the artwork.
While learning about this is important, I think, perhaps, there may be better ways or, at least, better artists.
November 9, 2023
Hundreds more reviews like this one at MrsReaderPants.
83 Days in Mariupol by award-winning author Don Brown is not a feel-good graphic novel. It doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war, including shelling, bombing, gun violence, rape, baby and child murder, mass graves, starvation, thirst, and more. Is it necessary in a school library? Probably, considering the ongoing war in Ukraine. Did I enjoy reading this book? Not really.
Yes, I am fully-aware that I am the lowest Goodreads review as of today. I only see one other reviewer saying anything like what I am saying here. It's important for librarians to keep some perspective. Not every book from an award-winning author is going to be spectacular.
WHAT I LIKED
I guess my favorite part about this book (and why I read it) is that it’s about the current war in Ukraine. I've lived outside the US since 2014 and intentionally avoid any news coming from the US. Some news, such as news of the war in Ukraine, still trickles down to me. I was excited to read this book because i wanted to know more about this important and historical situation. I’m betting some high school students will also want to know more.
I love the graphic novel format to inform teens about current events. I’d love to see more books about the current situation in Ukraine, especially if those books told stories about specific people and families.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Oh my goodness, it is really not my intent to trash this book or the author. I really do respect the idea behind this, and I do think we need more graphic novels for teens about current and previous wars. I read several Goodreads and professional reviews, so I know I am quite alone in my “didn’t likes” here. But here goes…
MISLEADING MARKETING
Did the author actually go to Ukraine to write this book? I see nothing in the book to indicate that. Yet is is advertised as “a war diary” in the title and “journalistic” in the publisher’s blurb. That makes it sound more personal than it actually is. This book reads more like a summary of Western news headlines…because that’s what it is.
SUPERFICIAL AND TOO SHORT
Where is the in-depth look at the causes of this war? Where is the examination of Russian propaganda (mentioned on one page only)? Why couldn’t there be more than one page about the extensive history between Ukraine and Russia? Where is the discussion of this war’s impact on other European nations? Where are the individual stories that are more than just a line or two?
At only 128 pages, there is ample opportunity to double the length of this graphic novel so it can properly portray this war.
IT IS NOT JOURNALISM
The publisher’s summary uses the phrase “journalist’s eye” to describe the reporting in this book. This is not journalism; it’s a cobbling together of news headlines and quotations that are in news articles.
The 4 pages of source notes and bibliography are all news articles.
I see no indication anywhere that the author went to Ukraine or that he personally interviewed any of the people whose stories appear in the book. It feels lazy, and it most definitely isn’t journalism.
NOT A “WAR DIARY”
The book’s full title is 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a diary as, “a book in which one keeps a daily record of events and experiences.”
This is not a diary. A diary is a personal account of someone’s experiences. This would be someone who has BEEN THERE and done that. If the author actually traveled to Ukraine and experienced any of this war firsthand or interviewed those who did experience it, it would have been mentioned, either in an author’s note, or more likely, within the story itself.
It wasn’t mentioned at all.
WHERE ARE THE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS?
The personal accounts of any of the Ukrainians whose stories briefly appear in the book would have made such interesting reading. It would have been so much more authentic than the one or two lines we get for most of the stories.
With atrocities such as these, the reader should easily FEEL the pain, grief, sorrow, and waste of war. But all we get are short, factual statements. This happened. Then this happened. Then this. There is little emotion behind what should be a very emotional story.
LITTLE MENTION OF PROPAGANDA
Some explanation of the war’s purpose feels a bit propaganda-y. The page below in particular is problematic for me (page shown in my blog review). The author introduces Russian propaganda in one line at the end of the page. This is the first and last mention of it. Really?
Russian propaganda is such a huge part of this (and any) war. 83 Days in Mariupol is only 128 pages, so there is plenty of room to add a few pages to explore specific propaganda and add some serious intrigue to this story of war. I know I always enjoyed examining old war propaganda cartoons and posters in school, and I would have loved to see some specific examples of it in this book.
That the propaganda isn’t shown or described makes it more an accusation without support than fact. I know Russian propaganda exists. I know there is a ton of it, as there is anywhere, including (GASP!) in the US. But if you are going to mention it, then it should be explored at least a little. To be honest, this page reads more like Western media propaganda to me.
THE GLOVES ARE COMING OFF NOW…
Overall, this just feels lazy, like an award-winning author and publisher capitalizing on a tragic situation in a cheap and easy way. If Don Brown had traveled to Ukraine, if he had interviewed survivors, it would have been presented in the Source Notes, if not within the text. This isn’t presented at all, so it clearly didn’t happen.
The saddest part to me is, this will likely be an award contender next January. Awards tend to beget more awards, just as they do in movies and music and even at school. The same people tend to win over and over because we EXPECT them to win. 83 Days in Mariupol has already garnered four starred professional reviews. Did the reviewers read the same book I did? Or did they just expect the book to be so amazing that they overlooked serious flaws?
DIVERSITY
All people depicted are either Russian or Ukrainian. There is a brief mention of refugees of color being turned away at the borders of other countries (add that to the list of things that should have been explored further).
ARTWORK/ILLUSTRATIONS
Okay, here we go again…I was not a fan of the illustrations, either.
I liked the cover. The orange of the flames, the deep red of the title, and the varying shades of gray and brown draw me to the book and catch my eye.
Beyond the cover though, most of the illustrations just aren’t that interesting or engaging. They are just gray and white scribbles. Most people have simple facial features or no facial features at all. Maybe that’s a style choice to show that these could be any Ukrainians, but it does not make me feel any connection to the people. Again, I want their stories, not regurgitated news headlines.
And can we just stop with the teeny-tiny white font on a gray background? I read this one page at at time (not a two-page spread) on my large iPad. The display screen is 11 inches, larger than the 23cm (9 inches) size of the printed book. Even enlarged for my screen, the print is soooo small. And it’s not a great font for reading.
THEMES
war, war atrocities, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, NATO, Donbas region, Crimean Peninsula, rape, brutality, refugees, starvation, bombing
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
Would adults like this book? I don’t think “like” is the right word here, but yes, I do think many adults will find it informative. Clearly, it’s already gotten much love from professional library journal reviewers.
Would I buy this for my high school library? Despite my many issues with this book, I would still buy it for my high school. Plenty of high schoolers do not know much about the situation in Ukraine, and the graphic novel format will help them understand what’s going on if they don’t watch the news.
Would I buy this for my middle school library? This one is a no, mainly due to the extreme violence. The five professional reviews currently in Titlewave all recommend Grades 9-12. 83 Days in Mariupol does not hold back on the atrocities of war. Rape, mass graves, dead bodies, a dead baby…these are all depicted in both images and text. I personally think this is okay for 8th grade though.
Would I buy this for my elementary school library? Definitely not. It’s not for elementary at all.
MATURE CONTENT
Language: There is some profanity, including at least one F-bomb. It’s not gratuitious.
Sexuality: none
Violence: Extreme–rape, murder, dead bodies, mass graves, a dead baby, a dead teenager, a dead pregnant woman, torture (electric shock)
Drugs/Alcohol: none
83 Days in Mariupol by award-winning author Don Brown is not a feel-good graphic novel. It doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war, including shelling, bombing, gun violence, rape, baby and child murder, mass graves, starvation, thirst, and more. Is it necessary in a school library? Probably, considering the ongoing war in Ukraine. Did I enjoy reading this book? Not really.
Yes, I am fully-aware that I am the lowest Goodreads review as of today. I only see one other reviewer saying anything like what I am saying here. It's important for librarians to keep some perspective. Not every book from an award-winning author is going to be spectacular.
WHAT I LIKED
I guess my favorite part about this book (and why I read it) is that it’s about the current war in Ukraine. I've lived outside the US since 2014 and intentionally avoid any news coming from the US. Some news, such as news of the war in Ukraine, still trickles down to me. I was excited to read this book because i wanted to know more about this important and historical situation. I’m betting some high school students will also want to know more.
I love the graphic novel format to inform teens about current events. I’d love to see more books about the current situation in Ukraine, especially if those books told stories about specific people and families.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Oh my goodness, it is really not my intent to trash this book or the author. I really do respect the idea behind this, and I do think we need more graphic novels for teens about current and previous wars. I read several Goodreads and professional reviews, so I know I am quite alone in my “didn’t likes” here. But here goes…
MISLEADING MARKETING
Did the author actually go to Ukraine to write this book? I see nothing in the book to indicate that. Yet is is advertised as “a war diary” in the title and “journalistic” in the publisher’s blurb. That makes it sound more personal than it actually is. This book reads more like a summary of Western news headlines…because that’s what it is.
SUPERFICIAL AND TOO SHORT
Where is the in-depth look at the causes of this war? Where is the examination of Russian propaganda (mentioned on one page only)? Why couldn’t there be more than one page about the extensive history between Ukraine and Russia? Where is the discussion of this war’s impact on other European nations? Where are the individual stories that are more than just a line or two?
At only 128 pages, there is ample opportunity to double the length of this graphic novel so it can properly portray this war.
IT IS NOT JOURNALISM
The publisher’s summary uses the phrase “journalist’s eye” to describe the reporting in this book. This is not journalism; it’s a cobbling together of news headlines and quotations that are in news articles.
The 4 pages of source notes and bibliography are all news articles.
I see no indication anywhere that the author went to Ukraine or that he personally interviewed any of the people whose stories appear in the book. It feels lazy, and it most definitely isn’t journalism.
NOT A “WAR DIARY”
The book’s full title is 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a diary as, “a book in which one keeps a daily record of events and experiences.”
This is not a diary. A diary is a personal account of someone’s experiences. This would be someone who has BEEN THERE and done that. If the author actually traveled to Ukraine and experienced any of this war firsthand or interviewed those who did experience it, it would have been mentioned, either in an author’s note, or more likely, within the story itself.
It wasn’t mentioned at all.
WHERE ARE THE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS?
The personal accounts of any of the Ukrainians whose stories briefly appear in the book would have made such interesting reading. It would have been so much more authentic than the one or two lines we get for most of the stories.
With atrocities such as these, the reader should easily FEEL the pain, grief, sorrow, and waste of war. But all we get are short, factual statements. This happened. Then this happened. Then this. There is little emotion behind what should be a very emotional story.
LITTLE MENTION OF PROPAGANDA
Some explanation of the war’s purpose feels a bit propaganda-y. The page below in particular is problematic for me (page shown in my blog review). The author introduces Russian propaganda in one line at the end of the page. This is the first and last mention of it. Really?
Russian propaganda is such a huge part of this (and any) war. 83 Days in Mariupol is only 128 pages, so there is plenty of room to add a few pages to explore specific propaganda and add some serious intrigue to this story of war. I know I always enjoyed examining old war propaganda cartoons and posters in school, and I would have loved to see some specific examples of it in this book.
That the propaganda isn’t shown or described makes it more an accusation without support than fact. I know Russian propaganda exists. I know there is a ton of it, as there is anywhere, including (GASP!) in the US. But if you are going to mention it, then it should be explored at least a little. To be honest, this page reads more like Western media propaganda to me.
THE GLOVES ARE COMING OFF NOW…
Overall, this just feels lazy, like an award-winning author and publisher capitalizing on a tragic situation in a cheap and easy way. If Don Brown had traveled to Ukraine, if he had interviewed survivors, it would have been presented in the Source Notes, if not within the text. This isn’t presented at all, so it clearly didn’t happen.
The saddest part to me is, this will likely be an award contender next January. Awards tend to beget more awards, just as they do in movies and music and even at school. The same people tend to win over and over because we EXPECT them to win. 83 Days in Mariupol has already garnered four starred professional reviews. Did the reviewers read the same book I did? Or did they just expect the book to be so amazing that they overlooked serious flaws?
DIVERSITY
All people depicted are either Russian or Ukrainian. There is a brief mention of refugees of color being turned away at the borders of other countries (add that to the list of things that should have been explored further).
ARTWORK/ILLUSTRATIONS
Okay, here we go again…I was not a fan of the illustrations, either.
I liked the cover. The orange of the flames, the deep red of the title, and the varying shades of gray and brown draw me to the book and catch my eye.
Beyond the cover though, most of the illustrations just aren’t that interesting or engaging. They are just gray and white scribbles. Most people have simple facial features or no facial features at all. Maybe that’s a style choice to show that these could be any Ukrainians, but it does not make me feel any connection to the people. Again, I want their stories, not regurgitated news headlines.
And can we just stop with the teeny-tiny white font on a gray background? I read this one page at at time (not a two-page spread) on my large iPad. The display screen is 11 inches, larger than the 23cm (9 inches) size of the printed book. Even enlarged for my screen, the print is soooo small. And it’s not a great font for reading.
THEMES
war, war atrocities, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, NATO, Donbas region, Crimean Peninsula, rape, brutality, refugees, starvation, bombing
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
Would adults like this book? I don’t think “like” is the right word here, but yes, I do think many adults will find it informative. Clearly, it’s already gotten much love from professional library journal reviewers.
Would I buy this for my high school library? Despite my many issues with this book, I would still buy it for my high school. Plenty of high schoolers do not know much about the situation in Ukraine, and the graphic novel format will help them understand what’s going on if they don’t watch the news.
Would I buy this for my middle school library? This one is a no, mainly due to the extreme violence. The five professional reviews currently in Titlewave all recommend Grades 9-12. 83 Days in Mariupol does not hold back on the atrocities of war. Rape, mass graves, dead bodies, a dead baby…these are all depicted in both images and text. I personally think this is okay for 8th grade though.
Would I buy this for my elementary school library? Definitely not. It’s not for elementary at all.
MATURE CONTENT
Language: There is some profanity, including at least one F-bomb. It’s not gratuitious.
Sexuality: none
Violence: Extreme–rape, murder, dead bodies, mass graves, a dead baby, a dead teenager, a dead pregnant woman, torture (electric shock)
Drugs/Alcohol: none
December 9, 2025
83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary is written and illustrated by Don Brown and was published in 2023. After reading Diaries of War: Two Visual Accounts from Ukraine and Russia, I wanted to find more nonfiction books suitable for my high school students. When searching for YA nonfiction graphic novels on Ukraine and Russia, I found 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary. I purchased and read a hardcover copy of the book with the goal of adding it to my future classroom library. Some of the recognitions for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary include a recommendation by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a positive review by Kirkus Reviews with their focus being on honest and accessible reviews, and a nominee for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction in 2022.
83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary is a book I would like to share with others and encourage mature individuals to read, but I would also include a trigger warning, especially for any readers who may have left Ukraine because of the conflict themselves or have family still living there. With that being said, it is incredibly important for Ukrainian students to see that their story and their families’ stories are not being ignored, and for all students to recognize that, especially as the conflict continues.
83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary tells the story of the Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol from February to May of 2022. Rather than the traditional narrative style of writing that may be expected, Brown tells the story of Russia’s attack on Mariupol from a journalistic perspective by including the effect of the attack on all of the citizens living there in a very direct manner, with some specific moments, but not following the arc of a central character. By doing so, Brown strategically conveys the widespread, horrific effects of the Russian bombing and the mass destruction it caused on the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals.
In addition to the primary text showing the harsh reality of what occurred in Mariupol, 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary includes a prologue before the main story begins, which tells some of the most significant information to know about the history between Russia and Ukraine, which is important context to understand before reading the story of this specific attack. Additionally, at the end of the graphic novel, after the primary text is finished, there is an afterword that describes some of what occurred and continues to occur to this day, including the Russian attack on Ukraine. It is important for readers to read all of these additional sections of the text in order to fully understand what took place in Mariupol, what led up to it, and what continues to take place as the Russian brutality in Ukraine continues.
The illustration style of 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary is muted, creating a haunting effect; Brown uses only grays, white, and black to loosely sketch the scenes and characters, further adding to the graphic novel's frantic nature. Throughout the graphic novel, Brown illustrates scenes of demolished buildings, seriously injured or killed individuals, soldier attacks, and many explosions, which demonstrate the widespread nature of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
With a trigger warning, I would recommend 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary for readers 14 years old and older due to the serious nature of the book and some visual depictions of medical emergencies and death throughout the graphic novel. 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary would be a strong independent reading choice for readers interested in war, battles, or history, particularly given its significance and under-discussed nature as an ongoing conflict in our current world.
If I were to teach 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary as a whole class text, before we begin reading the graphic novel I would provide students with context on the Ukraine and Russian history and past conflicts, which would include carefully reading the prologue before the start of the primary text, as well as additional historical information on what led up to this moment. During reading, I would have students independently analyze Brown’s choice by considering the emotion and tone conveyed through the combination of text and visuals, and then discuss the effect this has as a whole group. After reading, I would have students create a call-to-action project using multimodal formats for the people of Ukraine who continue to face challenges due to Russia’s violence, as demonstrated throughout the text.
83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary is a book I would like to share with others and encourage mature individuals to read, but I would also include a trigger warning, especially for any readers who may have left Ukraine because of the conflict themselves or have family still living there. With that being said, it is incredibly important for Ukrainian students to see that their story and their families’ stories are not being ignored, and for all students to recognize that, especially as the conflict continues.
83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary tells the story of the Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol from February to May of 2022. Rather than the traditional narrative style of writing that may be expected, Brown tells the story of Russia’s attack on Mariupol from a journalistic perspective by including the effect of the attack on all of the citizens living there in a very direct manner, with some specific moments, but not following the arc of a central character. By doing so, Brown strategically conveys the widespread, horrific effects of the Russian bombing and the mass destruction it caused on the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals.
In addition to the primary text showing the harsh reality of what occurred in Mariupol, 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary includes a prologue before the main story begins, which tells some of the most significant information to know about the history between Russia and Ukraine, which is important context to understand before reading the story of this specific attack. Additionally, at the end of the graphic novel, after the primary text is finished, there is an afterword that describes some of what occurred and continues to occur to this day, including the Russian attack on Ukraine. It is important for readers to read all of these additional sections of the text in order to fully understand what took place in Mariupol, what led up to it, and what continues to take place as the Russian brutality in Ukraine continues.
The illustration style of 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary is muted, creating a haunting effect; Brown uses only grays, white, and black to loosely sketch the scenes and characters, further adding to the graphic novel's frantic nature. Throughout the graphic novel, Brown illustrates scenes of demolished buildings, seriously injured or killed individuals, soldier attacks, and many explosions, which demonstrate the widespread nature of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
With a trigger warning, I would recommend 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary for readers 14 years old and older due to the serious nature of the book and some visual depictions of medical emergencies and death throughout the graphic novel. 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary would be a strong independent reading choice for readers interested in war, battles, or history, particularly given its significance and under-discussed nature as an ongoing conflict in our current world.
If I were to teach 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary as a whole class text, before we begin reading the graphic novel I would provide students with context on the Ukraine and Russian history and past conflicts, which would include carefully reading the prologue before the start of the primary text, as well as additional historical information on what led up to this moment. During reading, I would have students independently analyze Brown’s choice by considering the emotion and tone conveyed through the combination of text and visuals, and then discuss the effect this has as a whole group. After reading, I would have students create a call-to-action project using multimodal formats for the people of Ukraine who continue to face challenges due to Russia’s violence, as demonstrated throughout the text.
August 4, 2023
I am a big fan of Don Brown's work and this one was no different. There is who lot of information packed into a fairly quick read. Titled a war dairy the book takes you through the first bombs to the arrival of Russian troops through to the fall of the city and Russian take over. The images are dark and brutal but the timeline that is created helped me to piece together my understanding of the situation that was basically gleaned from news coverage during that time.
I think this would be a good choice for a reader that wants something that they can complete in a shorter time, it is current and the non-fiction element may be of interest to some readers. The language is friendly but the content is deep and there is a great deal of background that readers will be able to dive into to make sense of the situation. Things like the geography of Ukraine, NATO, Crimea, the collapse of the Soviet Union, WW2, and the Holomodor, are all areas that may need further learning in order to make sense of the timeline.
When book talking I would pair this with My Left Skate as Elizer Sherbatov writes about his escape from Mariupol. I also like the pairing of a memoir with the non-fiction graphic as I think it could be a good next step for those students who may be resistant to reading. My Left Skate may grab the attention of those students who really like sport and specifically the resilience of an athlete that comes back from injury to still play professional hockey in Europe. The fact that he is Jewish, has an Israeli passport and played in Poland in the very city where Auschwitz once was, creates a number of connections and should help to create engagement. I also like that it has a Canadian connection, is a short book but still non-fiction and it does have a little more volume than the war diary.
I think this would be a good choice for a reader that wants something that they can complete in a shorter time, it is current and the non-fiction element may be of interest to some readers. The language is friendly but the content is deep and there is a great deal of background that readers will be able to dive into to make sense of the situation. Things like the geography of Ukraine, NATO, Crimea, the collapse of the Soviet Union, WW2, and the Holomodor, are all areas that may need further learning in order to make sense of the timeline.
When book talking I would pair this with My Left Skate as Elizer Sherbatov writes about his escape from Mariupol. I also like the pairing of a memoir with the non-fiction graphic as I think it could be a good next step for those students who may be resistant to reading. My Left Skate may grab the attention of those students who really like sport and specifically the resilience of an athlete that comes back from injury to still play professional hockey in Europe. The fact that he is Jewish, has an Israeli passport and played in Poland in the very city where Auschwitz once was, creates a number of connections and should help to create engagement. I also like that it has a Canadian connection, is a short book but still non-fiction and it does have a little more volume than the war diary.
August 29, 2023
Don Brown…Don Brown…your books just keep on getting better. I’ve been reading his books for a while now and I love how he drives deep into the subject matter and tells it, like it is. Nothing is sugar coated but the subject matter is softened for his target audience. It’s important to know something about the people of Mariupol and where this city is located. A war broke out battling to gain control of it. If I said Ukraine, I’m sure the picture of Mariupol becomes clearer and now, you’re wondering how this city played a part in this war.
Mariupol was like other cities in Ukraine during the war. They would be under attack. This city was special though. Comprised of 400,000 citizens, they were the first ones to come under attack from Russia because of their uniqueness. Mariupol was a port city, the gateway to the Sea of Azov which was important to the agriculture and financial sector of Ukraine but would also be a great benefit to Russia.
Brown takes us there, to where the action is. In the Prologue, he explains the history of the area yet we’re not ready for what is coming. February 24,2022 is the date that Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine and that’s the date this story begins. Reflected in black and white graphic novel boxes, the story is told in dateline format which is perfect. The story is not a happy one as the citizens and the Ukrainian Soldiers try to take cover and they’re fighting back against an army who are relentless. The war tears up the book. The citizens who are trying to stay safe as running out of options. Too many battles and destruction is everywhere. The number of casualties is rising, and the fighting continues. My adrenaline was rising, and I caught myself sitting on the edge of my seat as the action intensified. Yes Brown, you did it again, you brought this event right into my home. 5 stars
Mariupol was like other cities in Ukraine during the war. They would be under attack. This city was special though. Comprised of 400,000 citizens, they were the first ones to come under attack from Russia because of their uniqueness. Mariupol was a port city, the gateway to the Sea of Azov which was important to the agriculture and financial sector of Ukraine but would also be a great benefit to Russia.
Brown takes us there, to where the action is. In the Prologue, he explains the history of the area yet we’re not ready for what is coming. February 24,2022 is the date that Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine and that’s the date this story begins. Reflected in black and white graphic novel boxes, the story is told in dateline format which is perfect. The story is not a happy one as the citizens and the Ukrainian Soldiers try to take cover and they’re fighting back against an army who are relentless. The war tears up the book. The citizens who are trying to stay safe as running out of options. Too many battles and destruction is everywhere. The number of casualties is rising, and the fighting continues. My adrenaline was rising, and I caught myself sitting on the edge of my seat as the action intensified. Yes Brown, you did it again, you brought this event right into my home. 5 stars
June 23, 2025
What do you consider to be history? Is it something that happened decades or centuries ago? Or something that happened last week? History is defined as the study of past events. The study of history also includes how those past events influence current and future events. Anything that has happened before the present is considered history, even if it was just yesterday, a couple weeks ago, or a couple years ago.
This discussion of when is something considered history happened when a friend saw I was reading 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary written and illustrated by Don Brown. This devastating and violent read attempts to capture the complexities of the war in Ukraine with emphases on the 83 day, February 2022 through May 2022, siege of the coastal city of Mariupol by Russian forces. For 83 days, civilians were driven to basements and cellars while two armies battled in the streets. Without food, water, lights, or heat, civilians dodged the shells, bullets, and death raining down on this coastal town. No one was exempt from death or injury. With homes and businesses destroyed and minimal medical supplies, these brave people stayed to defend their city from Russian forces. Some believed that Russian forces would overtake Ukraine in only a few days, but Mariupol managed to hold out for 83 days before surrendering. 83 Days in Mariupol discusses, from the points of view of multiple people, how the city and those involved endured this siege and the great cost they paid. I highly recommend this read as this event happened in the not distant past and has repercussions for current events. This story of unwavering survival and heroism against unimagined cruelty highlights how the consequences of this siege and the actions of a few will reshape global politics for years to come.
This discussion of when is something considered history happened when a friend saw I was reading 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary written and illustrated by Don Brown. This devastating and violent read attempts to capture the complexities of the war in Ukraine with emphases on the 83 day, February 2022 through May 2022, siege of the coastal city of Mariupol by Russian forces. For 83 days, civilians were driven to basements and cellars while two armies battled in the streets. Without food, water, lights, or heat, civilians dodged the shells, bullets, and death raining down on this coastal town. No one was exempt from death or injury. With homes and businesses destroyed and minimal medical supplies, these brave people stayed to defend their city from Russian forces. Some believed that Russian forces would overtake Ukraine in only a few days, but Mariupol managed to hold out for 83 days before surrendering. 83 Days in Mariupol discusses, from the points of view of multiple people, how the city and those involved endured this siege and the great cost they paid. I highly recommend this read as this event happened in the not distant past and has repercussions for current events. This story of unwavering survival and heroism against unimagined cruelty highlights how the consequences of this siege and the actions of a few will reshape global politics for years to come.
September 2, 2024
Although I am not Ukrainian I did live in Mariupol for five years up until 2021, right in between the Drama theater and Children's Hospital. My mother-in-law stayed behind at her house on Kuprina across the street from Hospital #2. Mother ended up trapped there 73 days. Nobody in Mariupol ever imagined that Russia would level the entire city. She underwent bombardment, forced starvation, neighbors burned alive or buried in shallow graves, and basically descended into the depths of Hell. Our burning house ended up as the opening shot of Day 16 in the movie "20 Days in Mariupol". By a miracle she was able to board the last Azovstal evacuation bus among a crowd of thousands at Port City Mall on May 7 2022. Then she went through Bezimmene filtration camp, where she was able to cry and lie her way out while being threatened by three FSB agents. She is so lucky to escape it was like she flipped a coin ten times and hit heads every time. We still have friends, neighbors, and relatives trapped under occupation there.
This book was written by somebody who never set foot in Ukraine, but instead sat on his sofa across the ocean and read newspapers. A fake diary under such circumstances feels to me like blatant profiteering from the suffering of Mariupol. There are plenty of true survivor accounts to read instead of this. Anybody could have written this book by inventing fake Ukrainian characters and emotions and doing a little internet research.
This book was written by somebody who never set foot in Ukraine, but instead sat on his sofa across the ocean and read newspapers. A fake diary under such circumstances feels to me like blatant profiteering from the suffering of Mariupol. There are plenty of true survivor accounts to read instead of this. Anybody could have written this book by inventing fake Ukrainian characters and emotions and doing a little internet research.
April 28, 2023
Don Brown abandons color in his newest non fiction graphic novel about the war of Russian aggression against Ukraine. His traditional black and white pen and ink art has an urgent, brutal feel, which mirrors the sparse text of the novel. He depicts the brutality of the “crazy shit” of Mariupol’s destruction with brief quotations from sources such as intercepted calls from Russian fighters, the New York Times and other news outlets. In addition to bombing and gunfire, there are depictions of rape, torture and point blank executions. Eyewitness accounts of looting, hunger, surviving in dark basements and the necessity of mass graves are simply and horrifically told. The last page has a quote by Tacitus, from 85 CE, “They give the lying name of empire to robbery and slaughter; they make a desert and call it peace.”
A map of Ukraine, a prologue detailing the history of the country’s relations with Russia, an afterword telling of developments since the book went to press in January, and plentiful source notes show that Brown heavily researched the book.
I would not hand this to young readers who enjoyed his other books because of the language and graphic violence. It's more suited to high school and adult collections.
A map of Ukraine, a prologue detailing the history of the country’s relations with Russia, an afterword telling of developments since the book went to press in January, and plentiful source notes show that Brown heavily researched the book.
I would not hand this to young readers who enjoyed his other books because of the language and graphic violence. It's more suited to high school and adult collections.
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