Chernobyl, My Life, and Other Disasters
Written and Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg
"[E]legantly composed pages of this moving story, told largely through Nayberg’s effervescent illustrations, make clear the special place she holds in her heart for memories of her childhood in Kiev (now spelled Kyiv), Ukraine. . . . [E]xquisitely wrought, soft-hued. . . .
Nayberg’s narrator is resilient, funny and ironic, observing her surroundings with an artist’s probing eye. Her story gracefully brings to life the Soviet world . . . provoking thorny questions about different approaches to art, the cost of trying to conform and the complexity of family ties. 'Stories let us hold on to people a little longer,' Nayberg writes at the end of this tender memoir dedicated to her artist mother. Genya’s mom, and the rest of the characters in “Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters,” will stay with me for years to come." —The New York Times
★"Nayberg peppers her deeply personal narrative with vivid historical details that immerse readers in her world. . . . Nayberg’s watercolor and collage art brilliantly mirrors Genya’s emotional landscape—varied panel layouts with muted earth tones and expressive faces capture her day-to-day life navigating school, family, and friendships, while scratchy, anxious black compositions mark moments of conflict; a hopeful double-page cityscape in luminous oranges and pinks offers a stunning visual pause that suggests possibility beyond Genya’s current constraints. Nayberg’s depictions of her mother—alternately manipulative, uncaring, or fiercely protective—and of friend dynamics feel wholly authentic, while the portrayal of Soviet-era antisemitism, environmental catastrophe, and casual cruelties never overwhelms the intimate story of a girl finding her voice through art amid chaos.
An utterly unforgettable, achingly honest, and spectacularly crafted graphic memoir." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★"[P]owerful. . . . The creator plants subtle hints about the social and political pressures of living in the U.S.S.R.. . . . Frenetic snarls of scribbled pencil strokes—visible beneath muted watercolor and collage artwork produced on paper that seems purposefully creased—suggest that confusion and unrest lie beneath idyllic slice-of-life depictions of Nayberg’s childhood, and emphasize the narrative’s contrasting tones." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★"[L]ife in the Ukrainian city has an unfortunately timely relevance now, and our Genya, the Ukrainian narrator, is instantly and charmingly accessible. Her dissatisfaction with her name and haircut, her loving but demanding family, the way her personal passion fills her world, and the pressure of an upcoming test on which her whole life seems to hinge will make her immediately embraceable. Nayberg’s voice creates an easy connection with history and Genya's culture while still resonating with the familiar perspectives and priorities of contemporary 11-year- olds. So, too, the art finds a way to hold both the deceptively simplified forms of a child’s art along with a scope, accuracy of environments, and palette that offers immediacy and nuance." —Booklist, Starred Review
★”Nayberg revisits her “Chernobyl year” with clarity and striking visual invention. . . . Dry, self-aware, and occasionally absurd humor punctuates the uncertainty without diminishing its gravity. Nayberg deftly interweaves earlier memories of Cold War events, sharpening historical context without sacrificing narrative momentum. The digital art fuses vibrant collage with expressive line drawing in muted, earthy tones. Diagonal lines heighten tension, while nuanced light and shadow propel the story forward. The result is a resonant account of perseverance, artistic identity, and learning to move through life—and other disasters." —The Horn Book, Starred Review
"A Ukrainian illustrator and artist Nayberg shares a compelling and accessible graphic memoir. . . . Nayberg’s art makes subtle but striking growth as the book progresses, starting with basic pencil lines of her early years, beginning to experiment with texture and collage, then maturing into a variety of expressions and exploration with color. The confusing world of adult vocabulary, euphemisms, and contradictions are amusingly portrayed. Today’s young readers will gain important Cold War history and awareness of the effects of nuclear radiation through Nayberg’s childhood world, which provides context for the complexities of Ukraine today. A strong and beautifully rendered addition to graphic memoir and nonfiction middle grade collections." —School Library Journal
"[E]ntertaining. . . . [I]lluminating. . . .
The book’s own art is stylized and lovely, whether portraying dreamy Kiev cityscapes or reflecting subtle differences among children’s drawings. Humor and childhood charm are also a feature. . . . [A]lively coming-of-age graphic memoir." —The Foreword
"The autobiographical lens of an eleven-year-old becomes a powerful tool here: readers who are unfamiliar with the Chernobyl disaster will be as uncertain as Genya about whether they are safe, whether she will be able to stay in her home, and how this may change her future. The art is exceptional. . . . Genya’s pre-art school coming-of-age story is well-told, memorable, and historically resonant." —The Bulletin
"[N]ot only is she upsetting expectations of what a graphic novel memoir for kids can be, she’s funny while doing it! . . . Far and away a favorite of the year. . . . In his blurb for this book, author Daniel Nayeri says that Nayberg finds, “the brilliant in the banal, the hilarious in the harrowing, and the universal in the personal.” It’s that last point, the universal in the personal, that stood out the most to me. Genya is just so relatable. . . . One might argue that that’s what the truly great authors of autobiographies for kids must do. . . . Of course what really lets this book stand out is the art. Nayberg has a style that literally looks like no one else’s. If Picasso were to live today and took it into his head to write a graphic novel memoir, he might produce something akin to what Nayberg is pulling off here. . . . the figures and characters have this incredible style to them. I’m not entirely certain how to describe it. Picture what would happen if you were to turn Venn Diagrams into people and allow them to walk around on the page. That’s my imperfect praise. Something that will certainly turn off those kids that seek the norm. Something that will also attract the ones who like humor and something a bit new. Books of this sort are rare jewels. When I read one I immediately wish that I had twenty more like it. . . . Nayberg humanizes something as distant (to Americans) and foreign as the Chernobyl disaster by focusing on the elements kids will completely understand. . . . I’m just happy that the world of comics has extended so far as to start to include books like this one. Odd and honest, this humanizes the past brilliantly. Like nothing else out there, and that’s worth something in and of itself." —Betsy Bird, Fuse #8, Review of the Day