Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This September, Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, presents a story about body image, media, and the unseen forces that shape both with Unretouchable. In this graphic novel debut, visual artist Sofia Szamosi approaches these serious topics with a winning combination of curiosity, sensitivity, and wit.
Olive is spending the summer before art school at a coveted internship, helping one of the fashion industry’s elite digital-imaging specialists. After a glamorous photoshoot, she learns that taking pictures is only the first step. Next come the "violent verbs" (cut, crop, slice, lasso) of retouching software. And that’s before she discovers the secrets behind "virtual models." Soon Olive is fixating on her own appearance and pondering the ethics of work behind the scenes. As college gets closer, she'll try to get out of her head, attempt to quit the Internet, and finally embrace image-making on her own terms. Sofia Szamosi’s bold black-and-white artwork bring Olive to life with simple sophistication.
Unretouchable is a window into a little-known, hugely influential world and a tribute to self-acceptance. Young adults will return to this story again and again to find confidence and love.
Advance Praise for Unretouchable:
"This tale pairs bold, blocky, black-and-white art with text sharing Olive's deeply introspective musings. . . . An appealing look at important issues . . ."—Kirkus Reviews
"Sofia has a magical eye and voice. Her ability to take something classic and turn it on its head is something I had never seen before her work." —Emily Meade, actor, Dead Ringers, The Leftovers, and The Deuce
"Written with empathy, wisdom and humor, Unretouchable makes us feel heard and understood. I couldn't put it down!" —Sadie Radinsky, author, Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends with Food
"Soulful, playful, and full of heart, Unretouchable is a timeless coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of our modern, digital world. Sofia Szamosi has illustrated a narrative that is so visceral (and so relatable) that it invites a deeper understanding of readers' realities—past, present, and future." —Aliza Kelly, author, Starring You: A Guided Journey Through Astrology and This Is Your Destiny: Using Astrology to Manifest Your Best Life
About the Author and Artist
Sofia Szamosi is an artist, author, and zinester from New York City. She is obsessed with analog photo booths and lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and three-toothed Pomeranian named Breakfast.
About the Publisher
Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, creates high-interest and nonfiction titles through supreme graphic novel artwork and story lines created by industry veterans and up-and-coming talents.
Follow us online:
Blog: lernerbooks.blog
Twitter: @LernerBooks
Facebook: Lerner Publishing Group
Unretouchable
September 2022
$29.32 Hardcover, Jacketed
$14.99 Paperback
eBook Also Available
Ages 14–18
HC: 978-1-7284-0166-9
PB: 978-1-7284-6292-9
152 Pages ● 6 x 9
Attachments
