04 Feb Review: Enlightened
Enlightened
by Sachi Ediriweera
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023
ISBN: 9781665903103 (paperback)
$18.99 CAD (paperback)
304 pages
Ages: 12 years old and up
Review by Alexander Slack
For anyone who is unfamiliar with Buddhism or the story of Buddha, Enlightened is a graphic novel that serves as an accessible introduction to both the practice and background of Buddhism. This comic tells the life story of the young Siddartha, his spirituality and becoming Buddha, and the overall path to enlightenment following his teachings. The story is straightforward and well-animated with simple, monochromatic illustrations. That being said, there is a lack of expressiveness to the art style that can be distracting, especially during moments that should be emotionally impactful. However, the prose is easy to read and provides a very human introduction to the background of Buddhism. The reading level is good for young readers, but anyone who is interested in what Buddhism is can benefit from this graphic novel.