Everyone has a secret. But will your secret send everything you’ve built falling into ruins if it gets out? When Juliette comes back from Paris to visit family, her sister, Marylou, seems like she has it all—the house, the kids, the husband—but things aren’t as perfect as they seem. There’s another man in the picture and he’s growing more and more attached to Marylou as their secret affair grows into a real relationship. Now, Marylou’s flawless facade is cracking, and it seems the only thing left to do is to grin and bear it. But Marylou’s husband, Stéphane, isn’t the only one being kept in the dark in this family. In fact, Juliette’s family has withheld information from her for decades—they lost a baby before she was born—and it’s driving her insane. These skeletons have been locked away in the closet for too long, and now it’s finally time for them to rattle on out.

 

Camille Jourdy, a French author and illustrator, takes us through the world of a troubled family in Juliette, a graphic novel following a woman as she returns home and finds her loved ones struggling with more problems than they had when she initially left. Jourdy’s attention to detail in Juliette is ultimately unmatched, every frame fit for a gallery while also being reminiscent of a cosy comedy series. Laugh and cry along with this odd bunch as they navigate the strange twists life takes and watch them tend to their own fair share of mistakes and misfortunes. Enjoy every second of this lovely book but, be warned, you’ll be wishing to go back and read through it again for the first time.

 

Juliette’s feeling strange as of late and can’t even find her own pulse. Everything seems to go too fast and too slow—nothing a little family visit can’t fix, though, right? But before she knows it, she’s arrived just as the storm rolls in. Poor Juliette is thrown into a mix of breakups, lies, and tense family dinners. All of this seems like too much until she meets Polux, a nervous guy who, like her, doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing with his life. You’d think a couple like that would only make each other feel more anxious, but they actually do the opposite. Although both Juliette and Polux are dealing with self-doubt and worry, they bring each other to a place of mindfulness and peace. In the storm that’s surrounding Juliette’s family life, Polux is there to ground her and give her something bizarre to take part in, such as attempting to lick their own elbows or raising a stray duck named Norbert Fillet together. I just can’t make this stuff up! By all means, I’d love to get a whole separate graphic novel focusing on their love story, but not all tales can be just rainbows and butterflies. Once Marylou’s big affair is unravelled, all hell will break loose and she’ll have to say her farewells to the white picket fence lifestyle she’d grown so comfortable in. Stéphane will be heartbroken, and she’ll have to consider where to go from here as a single mother. And although Jourdy shows us the end of a marriage in Juliette, she also lets us witness the beginning of a new love as it reveals itself to our main character. In the end, we’re left wondering if this will be the end of everything or the start of something new as Juliette departs from her family, leaving us in mystery as she boards the train headed for Paris again.

 

Out of all the things I loved about reading Juliette, I enjoyed the dialogue the most. Jourdy’s writing style is so exciting and fresh, making every punchline and sly pun roll off the page with ease. Seeing Juliette’s separated parents argue about her mother’s new boyfriend was just hilarious, every poke and jab about Jean-Pierre getting more and more clever. They say there’s beauty in simplicity, and I can’t lie to you. Jourdy had me cracking up many times with her direct but effective jokes. Whether it was those nutty family car scenes filled with bickering and banter or Polux’s friend group trying to push his buttons about his haiku readings—Jourdy had me howling. Every scene felt unique and worked to establish the chaotic vibes that this graphic novel embodies, jumping from heartfelt moments to full-blown relationship fights. Jourdy will have you biting your nails while simultaneously forcing you to burst out laughing with Juliette’s search for a “ghost” in the house. This “ghost,” in fact, turns out to be Marylou’s lover, covered in a white blanket—one of his many odd disguises used to hide from her family. On one hand, I was freaking out over the fact that Marylou’s secret would come to light, and on the other, I was cheering on Juliette as she desperately scoured the house for a strange presence. If I’m honest, I couldn’t decide whose team I was on and I loved it! After finishing Juliette, I felt like I’d been watching a full-blown sitcom rather than just having read these events in a book—the only thing missing being a laugh track.

 

It’s clear to me that Jourdy put her all into crafting the cast of Juliette as each character is woven together with so many flaws and imperfections, making them that much more delightful to read about. And as much as I love fangirling over invincible superheroes who achieve all of their goals in two seconds, I also have a soft spot for characters with struggles of their own, people just trying to get by despite having so much weight on their shoulders. From Polux being stuck in a rut of drinking and sleeping too much to him suddenly getting up and deciding to tidy up his apartment, Jourdy shows us these characters’ lowest points and lets us see how they better themselves. Not to mention that throughout Juliette, there was so much at stake for these characters and, unlike many books out there, they weren’t excused from dealing with the consequences of their actions or neglectful moments. I felt my heart drop when Norbert Fillet escaped through an open door and was subsequently killed by a car, but it was truly a wake-up call for Polux. One can say that this pet duck’s death was the final nail in the coffin for Polux, prompting him to take charge of his own life—for any day could be the last one. In Juliette’s case, her family has been holding back on having an open discussion about their traumatic miscarriage decades prior—only really talking it through with Marylou, who is perceived as tougher than her sister. This entire situation creates resentment in Juliette and leaves her wondering why she’s seen as the fragile one. By Jourdy writing such sorrowful yet realistic scenes in her graphic novel, I found the comedic tone scattered throughout the story that much more relieving since each character felt like they needed a well-deserved break from all the chaos, just as I did.

 

Our lives can completely change in an instant. Sometimes, we go through positive shifts, and others, more negatively. And as much as we would like to stay in our comfort zone to avoid these normal transitions in our journey, it’s important that we keep putting ourselves out there in order to grow. This is a comforting thought to hold onto; we can move through these different phases and become wiser from them. In Juliette, Jourdy shows us a variety of characters at a turning point, dealing with making hard decisions but knowing that they can’t live this way forever. We’re reminded through the character Marylou that living in a web of lies is never a good idea. The truth, despite being frightening to admit at times, is the only way one can set themselves free from their own inner prison. In my life, I’ve discovered that authenticity and true self-expression can open so many more doors that had seemed to be locked-up for good before. Our time here is so short, making lies and secrecy a complete waste of not only our precious moments, but also our full potential. Within her graphic novel, Jourdy shows us people on the brink of a new chapter in life and leaves us wondering what’ll become of our beloved characters when all is said and done. Will Juliette and Polux be together? Or will they never meet again? What will happen to Stéphane after his separation with Marylou? And, much like our own lives, we’re met with that familiar sting of the unknown as we turn the final page, wondering what may await us beyond this funny little world in Juliette.