Adrian and the Tree of Secrets

October 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-According to a study published in 2011 by Dr. Mark Hatzenbuehller, gay teens who lack the support of their community are five times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. The work's small French town provides an accurate backdrop for the story of a questioning young man in a repressive environment. Marie Caillou's illustrations echo the Art Deco movement. Adrian is bound by the expectations of his mother, the priests and nuns at the Catholic school he attends, and the small town in which he lives until an accident on the rugby field in PE takes him from bullied outcast to secret love interest of the star player, Jeremy. When the two are discovered, Jeremy is quick to distance himself from Adrian. It is possible that something was lost in the translation from the original French to this English version; the end result is a series of episodes that seem to suggest a strong dislike of the Catholic church and its influence, rather than a deeper, more nuanced character exploration that is hinted at in Adrian's conversations about philosophy. An admirable topic, but lacking in execution.-Jodeana Kruse, R. A. Long High School, WA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 Adrian feels angry and stifled in his dead-end town. His strict mother babies him, his tight-laced Catholic school has aggressively moralistic teachers, and his fellow students treat him like an outcast. No one even knows that he is gay. So when handsome, popular Jeremy takes a shine to him, Adrian softens his bitterness and indulges in daydreams for a change. And when Jeremy kisses him in a secret treehouse, Adrian finally feels hopeful that he is not doomed to a life of isolation. But Jeremy is careless, and soon everyoneeven Adrian's parentsknows their secret, and Adrian's sunny future quickly crumbles. Filled with crisp shapes of flat color and precise, geometric lines, Caillou's illustrations capture the restrained quality of Adrian's life, while the serene, muted palette of calm blues and sunset pinks serves as a sharp contrast to the casual cruelty Adrian faces in his community. Her figures and facial expressions are equally impressive, and she artfully depicts meaningful emotions during wordless passages. This French import will find an easy audience among teen fans of realistic graphic novels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)