I have known nothing of the topic, and this was a gentle introduction. It didn't shy away from the more gruesome basics either, and while due to the limitations of the format I felt like I am missing some context, it was nothing a quick wikipedia check couldn't help with, after which I could appreciate the story more.
The art is beautiful, and the story is framed by love and hope, it would be a great way to start conversations about hard topics like war and genocide with older children.

Yazidi! by Aurélien Ducoudray & Mini Ludvin

This is a graphic novel about a girl living through the 2014 Yazidi genocide. It's written for younger teens, so it's not as graphic as real life, but it does a really good job of representing what happened.

This doesn't treat Islam as evil. It makes it clear that ISIL/ISIS doesn't represent all Muslims and that genuinely good people can be manipulated into helping bad people.

content/trigger warnings:
blood (two characters injury themselves in order to fake periods for their safety)
childhood sexual assault (discussed but not explicitly shown)
genocide (discussed but not explicitly shown)
guns (they're used by good and bad characters)
kidnapping (this happens to several characters)
sex slavery (not explicitly shown, but the main character is purchased)
stabbing (explicit)
terrorism (this is a main part of the story)
virginity test (not explicitly shown but a character does receive one)
war (this is a main part of the story)

Here are links to information about the Yazidi genocide and ways to help survivors.
https://www.nadiasinitiative.org
https://donorbox.org/farida_org
http://www.yezidisinternational.org/raising-awarenesseducating-the-public

This is graphic novel is beautifully illustrated. The story is moving, but full of hope. This is a must have for all YA graphic novel collections. Great conversation starter about oppression, genocide and human trafficking.

Yazidi! is a tale of religion and modern genocide that follows a young girl through abduction by the Islamic extremist group, ISIL. The story is brief of but moving with strong themes and beautiful illustrations.

This book haunts me. I will never forget the news reports when ISIL took the Yazidi girls, and I'm so glad their stories are coming out now. While the stories are heinous, the graphic novel is very respectful of their experiences and displays it in a way that seems sad to younger readers who may not get the nuance, and absolutely tragic to older readers who can read between the lines. Following two families -- one who left and one who stayed -- this book reminds me of many families who leave war-torn homelands and the what-ifs that ensue. I'm still not quite over the ending, and knowing that this is based on true events is heartbreaking. 1000% recommend this book for all who are looking to learn more about the conflict and the beautiful Yazidi people.

Yazidi! is a beautifully illustrated and informative graphic novel on some very hard themes which I hear too little about.

Even though the drawings are gentle and use a very soothing color palette, the themes are intense. Through the eyes of two girls the reader is able to understand how when politics intertwine with religion dynamics change even in a region where different believes where living alongside each other peacefully.

The story is fast paced and even if there is not much violence shown in the drawings - a part from a non fatal stabbing - the reader can clearly understand what is going on.
I would say that this graphic novel can be aimed to raise awareness in a younger audience (since the main character is around 13) as well as in adults. The themes are clear, and it can be read in a sitting.

This story is a real story and as such doesn't have a happy ending, but it gives a glimpse of what girls like Zèrè and her family are willing to leave behind to fight for freedom.

I would love to see the printed drawings since they were stunning already from my laptop.

Based on true events, this graphic novel has beautiful illustrations but conveys a part of the terrors of the 2014 Yazidi Genocide. This story is told through the eyes of two Yazidi families - one who fled and the other who stayed in their home village. It

I have not heard of the 2014 Yazidi Genocide before but will definitely be reading more about it. This is a hard hitting work of art that provides an small insight into these historical events in an easy to understand manner with emotionally complex characters.

Highly recommend to everyone.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Yazidi! follows Zéré, a young Yazidi girl who is thrown into a conflict when her childhood is cut short. The book provides just enough context to enable readers to follow the story, even if they're unfamiliar with the historical events surrounding the Yazidi people. While the pacing was overall good, the story was too short and ended quite abruptly.

The art is reminiscent of manga and the color pallette doesn't match the heavy topics in the graphic novel. This book is best suited for adults, even though the art and the overall presentation would suggest otherwise.

Yazidis, a minority group who practice an equally minority religion, have faced persecution for centuries—most recently from ISIL. "Yazidi!" tells the story of four young girls, sisters and cousins, living in the shadow of ISIL (also known as IS or ISIS). They're Yazidi, and while Mounia and Zina are living in the city with their parents, safe enough from threats, things are about to get very, very hard for Zéré and Nizra.

I picked this up for the cover but also because I know so very little about Yazidism. I love how clearly *contemporary* this setting is: the older girls in particular are as ready as any modern teenager to use their phones for selfies and covert flirting—and worried about keeping their parents from noticing toooo much.

There's some information about Yazidism here, though I found it necessary to supplement with Wikipedia at the very least. I would have loved more detail—among other things, what the daily lives of the girls, in the city and more rurally, look like; how they envision their futures; more about religion—but the illustrations are beautiful, and I'm glad the book is careful to separate ISIL from ordinary Muslims. There's also a clear attempt to find an ending that is happy but also realistic—this is no dystopian novel in which teenagers overthrow the oppressors and start a more equal society; it's a story in which the conflict can't end with the graphic novel because it's ongoing in real life. I'd be quite interested to see a follow-up graphic novel written about these girls when they're a bit older.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Yazidi! tells the story of Zéré, a young girl in the Kurdish area of Iraq. She and her family are followers of an ancient faith, who for centuries have been persecuted by various groups for their beliefs.
The story is set against the backdrop of ISIL's invasions of the region in 2014, and their genocide against the Yazidi people. The graphic novel declines to show the most horrific parts of ISIL's terror on-page. Rather, it can be felt through the fear in people's eyes, the relatives who never return, the terror of women and children who wait to be sold as slaves. It also doesn't give us a documentary-like overview, but rather drops us right into the world.
The art is beautiful and features soft lines and subtle colors, the big-eyed characters reflecting the innocence with which Zéré and her sister and cousins see the world. Smartphones, tween crushes, and loving girl-dads put the story firmly in our time, unsettling against the barbarism of the terrorists. Throughout the story and despite the horror and betrayals, Zéré never loses her determination - a mirror of the sad reality that the Yazidi people have had to face.
Definitely pick this up for the beautiful art and the education.

I really don't read comics that much ....it was the first for me but I like what I had read so far.
5 stars .

A moving and educational story about people who still get overlooked and dismissed, eventho their suffering is great and their treatment is severely unfair.
Yazidi! Is a must in times like this and hopefully it brings more awareness to a topic that is as important as others.

Definitely a read that leaves one staring at nothing, just thinking for a while.
Highly recommend.

This comic gives a little bit of insight into the Yazidi community, their history, and their dreadful contemporary circumstances. It follows a Yazidi family during the genocide in 2014, a topic I admittedly am not very familiar in, so this has encouraged me to learn more about this travesty. The story told is incredibly impactful and I am glad I was able to pick this up.

Though a short read, it's obviously a tough one. It has a good amount of sweet and loving moments mixed in that provided a hopeful tone in addition to all the heartbreak which helped bring the art and writing alive. It feels very accessible for younger readers because of this, as well as how many of the horrifying acts were not explicitly drawn out, only written or heavily implied. I appreciated this as it gives the focus on the actual people in the story and not just the violence enacted upon them, without diminishing or brushing off what they went through. The kids in the comic were also really well written in my opinion. They all felt like their age — just kids despite their tragic circumstances.

Definitely a read that I'll continue to think back on, with its soft art style and harsh chronicle, I believe it's something definitely worth one's time to pick up so as to learn about a piece of history very often overlooked.

Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for a free copy. All thoughts and opinions are my entirely my own.

"Yazidi!" is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel depicting a harrowing time for the Yazidi people. The story follows two Yazidi families trying to survive the genocide of Yazidi folk by ISIL. It doesn't pull punches, and this story is intense. While most stories from this time end in tragedy, this one has some hope. Bringing light to a little known people and experience, this is an essential purchase.

A wonderful story about a group of people most don't know anything about. I love this and will add it to my classroom!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful, poignant, and informative graphic novel. With gorgeous artwork relaying the story, it was easy to root for the characters. I thought the author did a fantastic job of providing detailed information on the plight of Yazidis, their struggles and fierce determination and resilience. A quick read that packs a punch.

**ARC from NetGalley**
Thanks to publishers and author!

Yazidi is a graphic novel that follows a girl, Zéré who is a Yazidi and whose life falls apart after the ISIL and Islamic caliphate take over. There are mentions of sex work and violence/war, genocide so be wary of that.

I thought that this book was beautifully illustrated. I spent several times looking at a single panel, and poring over how gorgeous the detail was. I think it made the book a little less depressing, as you can easily sympathize with all the characters. Though the book felt a little rushed, there's a huge plot twist that took me by surprise!

The last thing I wanted to mention was that the title is a bit too lighthearted for a book like this. It was kind of misleading but to each their own.

This was a book about female strength, and how even in adversity you can fight against. This is based in for a country, where she is taken and is imprisoned and used and brought into the female trade and sold as slaves. The female lead is a young character and you can tell through her character at how she grows up and how she gets used to the setting, but it also picks that depending on your situation you can view characters differently and through cloud glasses, I actually love the art style and I’ll definitely read more of this authors work as I think it was gripping it was emotional and it just sucked you in

Another interesting localization choice from Europe comics. Yazidi is a portrait of Yazidi families during the 1914 genocide under Daesh. Written by Aurélien Ducoudray (translated by Allison M Charette), it manages to fit a surprisingly large amount of political, social, and religious backstory into the narrative in a way that (generally) feels quite natural. And while the book felt like it could have used an extra 5-10 pages - it wraps up slightly too quickly - it's compellingly written and well-paced. The illustrations by Mini Ludvin are surprisingly manga-esque in bits (most noticeable in the faces of the girls), while also have detailed realistic backgrounds. The contrast sometimes feels slightly cartoon-y, but generally works well. The use of full colour also helps humanize the kind of story that often feels like it's being held at arms-length in b&w work.

Given the setting, there is a fair bit of violence to the story, but with the exception of one non-fatal injury near the end the murders and rapes occur off-page/in-between panels, which should make the book more accessible to audiences who might avoid a more visually graphic book. I had an eARC from Netgalley, but I imagine the visuals will be even more impressive in a hardcopy.

///// English /////

*Disclaimer: I had received a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 8/10 – 4 stars out of 5
Genre: Graphic novel

Make love, respect others. We are all important.

These types of stories, although hard at times, are necessary to know the harsh reality that many people live in the world. In 2014 we received a lot of news related to the genocide of Yazidism. However, this graphic novel allows us to approach the events as someone lived them and, from this format, it is easier for the little ones to understand that respect for others is the most important thing.

The illustrations are pretty, but quite adult, so it is highly recommended reading for practically anyone. It is not limited to teenagers.

The end of the story brings us closer to fighting women, those who understand what others have gone through and fight so that it does not continue to happen. In addition, betrayal must be understood from the point of view of someone who has totally lived for it.



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*Aviso: Recibí un eARC gratuito a cambio de una revisión honesta.

Calificación: 8/10 – 4 estrellas de 5
Género: Novela gráfica

Haz el amor, respeta a los demás. Todos somos importantes.

Este tipo de historias, aunque duras a veces, son necesarias para conocer la dura realidad que viven muchas personas en el mundo. En 2014 nos llegaron muchísimas noticias relacionadas con el genocidio del Yazidismo. Sin embargo, esta novela gráfica nos permite acercarnos a los hechos tal cual alguien los vivió y, desde este formato, es más fácil que los más pequeños entiendan que el respeto a los demás es lo más importante.

Las ilustraciones son bonitas, pero bastante adultas, así que es totalmente recomendable su lectura para prácticamente cualquier persona. No está limitado a los adolescentes.

El final de la historia nos acerca a las mujeres luchadoras, las que entienden lo que otros han pasado y pelean para que no siga pasando. Además, la traición hay que entenderla desde el punto de vista de quien ha vivido totalmente para eso.