Water Baby

Imagine Ahab as a multiracial, sexually ambiguous surfer girl and Moby Dick as a great-white shark. Add an ex-boyfriend who’s completely obsessed with getting his rocks off; a long-suffering, attractive surfer girl BFF; and a prosthetic leg that hurts when you wear it without a sock. That’s Brody’s life. Dreams of the shark that bit off her leg keep her from either completely relaxing or accepting the loss of a limb. She’s afraid of the water. Go figure. Now add a road trip to get rid of said ex-boyfriend, complicated by a scrawny, omnisexual chick, a stolen car and the necessity of a 30-mile hike. Ross Campbell’s straightforward, funny, occasionally gross graphic novel is a reminder that life’s losses are tough for anyone, let alone a teen, and obsession can sometimes serve a purpose.