Numb To This

YA nonfiction graphic novel 

     Kindra Neely was no stranger to guns and gun violence.  Lots of people carried in her childhood Texas town.  Her school had police, police dogs, and metal detectors.  A drive by shooting went down a few houses over from her home.

     That was the last straw for Kindra's mom who moved the two of them to the Oregon town she grew up in.  After high school graduation Kindra chose a local community college.  Her life was going beautifully until in a place where she felt safe, where she had no expectations of violence...

     ...the unthinkable happened.  A shooter opened fire.  Chaos ensued.  What was happening?  Where could she go?  Should she call someone?  

     After the terror came the intrusion of outsiders.  Seeing her picture in newspapers made Kindra feel violated.  "The nation was watching us while we were most vulnerable, but it felt like we were entertainment."

     Kindra's journey toward healing took years.  In Numb To This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting she shares her experiences candidly with readers.  The graphic novel format gives her narrative the vividness and immediacy a word alone format couldn't have captured.  

     This book is very much needed in these days when active shooter violence has become all too common and more and more survivors struggle to make sense of their experiences and a world in which they could happen.  It's a must acquire for high school libraries and YA sections of public libraries.  

Jules Hathaway 

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