Author Sarah Mai developed her passion for graphic novels while pursuing her English Literature degree at the University of Minnesota. Now, she’s published her first graphic novel, “Freshman Year,” which is filled with angst, humor and self-doubt that comes with going away to college. “Freshman Year” is perfect for fans of “Heartstopper” and should be read by every college student, even if they’re not freshmen anymore.
Much like puberty and first loves, going away to college is a relatable experience for many teens even if they don’t leave their home state. “Freshman Year” follows Sarah who is leaving suburban Wisconsin for college in Minnesota. She has high hopes for the future: impress her professors, meet interesting new people, stay close to her best friends and boyfriend back home, flourish as an artist, and shed her lingering high school anxieties.
What seems manageable at first quickly unravels into a tailspin as she is overwhelmed by freedom, isolation and all of the possibilities that await in this new college environment. Based on the author’s journal and comics from college, “Freshman Year” navigates the inner workings of an 18-year-old girl in witty and heartfelt detail.
Rather than sugarcoat the college experience, Mai tackles the grit of it all. She shows the places students actually go, like the home goods aisle at Target, eating cereal for dinner in the dining hall and going to parties off campus. She shows the hilarious moments of her character’s first year at college while underlying universal messages of uncertainties about leaving home and fear of failure that every student faces at least once in their time at college.
“When I was writing, I was thinking of a reader who had just finished their first year of college or is the kind of person that might seek out this book before they go to college,” Mai said. “I think there are themes in the story that are more universal about periods of big change in life, which could really connect with anybody at any time.”
Another detail of her graphic novel that was very engaging in the story was Mai’s illustrations. They beautifully capture the moments and emotions in Sarah’s narrative while having entertaining dialogue and storylines that make the book engaging. Rather than just focusing on bigger life lessons, Mai includes traditions that most college students reminisce on, like watching movies in the dorms while binging on snacks and staying up late with friends during exam season. One of the really intriguing panels that stood with me even after I finished this book was a Medieval-inspired centerfold page, since it was illustrated differently compared to the other scenes.
“I am super inspired by and interested in medieval art and took a real deep dive into it during college, so I wanted to pay homage to that in the book,” Mai said. “In particular, I love medieval woodcut prints that are little vignettes of normal life, like people washing their clothes, gathering crops, making food, playing games. I think medieval art can often resemble modern comics in its form and humor, so in my brain, it just worked right into the story.”
I found Mai’s debut graphic novel to be profoundly funny and truthful, which made Sarah’s story stay with me even after I finished the book.