Year of the Rabbit

I liked the idea of this autobiographical graphic novel, and I did learn some about Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. But I found it difficult to differentiate characters. Many looked similar to me. Plus, I thought too many things were vague, almost sanitized. I wanted something grittier with more realism. That said, this isn't bad by any means. It's just not as good as I was hoping.

Year of the Rabbit is a graphic novel that depicts one family's struggle to survive the genocide in Cambodia. I've read about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge–this book doesn't really show that. This genocide looks like every other genocide by a tyrannical ruler and I'm not sure this was the case. I'd like to have seen a story that didn't hold back. Perhaps this is just how it was for this family.

Also, this story is a bit chaotic. Too many characters and an artistic style that makes it difficult to distinguish one family member from the next. In many ways, this is an important work, but I didn't find it particularly eye-opening.