Essex County

Lemire is a great story teller and Essex County is perhaps one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. It reminds me of Craig Thompson's [b:Blankets 25179 Blankets Craig Thompson http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167595421s/25179.jpg 781193] with its black and white art style and heart-wrenching story. In Essex County, the focus is on a number of individuals who're in some ways related to one another. It is a collection of memories and tales about the human emotion at its most simple and raw. Lost, love, family, regret, pain, grief, joy... all these are rendered in a minimalistic manner that tags at your heartstrings. Simply brilliant.

A series of stories set in a small Canadian town. I liked the generational connections between them all and the themes of loss and grief. 

Another one I read in one sitting. While I identified with some of the books many themes, I couldn't help but feel there were some gaps or missing threads. It was cool to see all the Southern Ontario references, but I would definitely recommend some of the author's other works (like Sweet Tooth) before this.