Review: Enlightened

Book cover art for Enlightened.

Review: Enlightened

Book cover art for 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.