Beautiful illustrations and a coming-of-age story that aptly elicits the fears of growing up band together can be found in Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter’s graphic novel, Allergic. We follow Maggie, a young girl who wants nothing more than a dog for a pet, only to learn – on her birthday, no less – that she’s highly allergic to dog hair…and pretty much every other type of fur. Understandingly crushed, she is still determined to find a pet that she won’t be allergic to and thus, Maggie goes on the search of finding her perfect companion, with loads of mishaps and some unexpected obstacles thrown into the mix.
A graphic novel was the perfect medium to tell the story. The art draws out the moments that would perhaps gotten lost otherwise, like Maggie’s determination to keep her rat even when it has babies and her allergies, which should get better while she’s in treatment for them but just gets worse. Not to mention that Nutter’s art style has its own magic that creates vivid images and made me feel like I was living in the same house as Maggie. There’s attention to detail but never so much that you begin to wonder what you should be focusing on in the panels. I also liked the transition between the panels; it felt like watching a movie about Maggie in my head and at times I’d even forget I was reading a graphic novel altogether; the art was that immersive.
As for the narrative, the way the different aspects of the story intertwined was done so well; as we follow Maggie desperately looking for a pet that she isn’t allergic to (spoiler alert: there are a few trial and errors that are downright sad to witness), we learn why she is so insistent on getting one in the first place. With her parents preparing everything for the new baby and her twin brothers being each other’s automatic best friends since birth, Maggie feels left out and just wants someone in her life that cares as much for her as she cares for them. The story here really focuses on sibling dynamics and the panic of not being the favourite child anymore, yet all of Maggie’s siblings would protect each other to the ends of the earth. As an only child, this kind of made me feel like I missed out!
Lastly, the allergies themselves should deserve a spotlight! Speaking from personal experience, allergies can really impact the way we interact with others and I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where this was addressed so well. I loved how Maggie’s desperation to have a pet tied in with the overall story of fearing and rejecting change of any sort. Especially in these formative years, there are so many changes happening – friends come and go, siblings might band together or make each other’s lives a living hell, families grow and dynamics rarely stay the same. When you feel like there’s nothing you can control, you search for another thing that will be solely in your hands – and as Maggie learns that some things, even though they might seem bad at first, can turn out to the best things in life (like getting a baby sister), we all learn that change may be inevitable, but we decide whether and how we embrace it. As her search for a pet comes to a close, Maggie realises that it’s more about finding a place that she belongs than the animal itself and I think that message will especially resonate with younger readers.
A heartwarming story with a protagonist that will endear you, Allergic is a well-crafted, visually stunning graphic novel that will speak to everyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed with inevitable life changes – and those who, to this day, still want a dog more than anything else.
Allergic is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 2nd 2021.
Will you be picking up Allergic? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel featuring a girl with severe allergies who just wants to find the perfect pet!
At home, Maggie is the odd one out. Her parents are preoccupied with getting ready for a new baby, and her younger brothers are twins and always in their own world. Maggie loves animals and thinks a new puppy to call her own is the answer, but when she goes to select one on her birthday, she breaks out in hives and rashes. She’s severely allergic to anything with fur!
Can Maggie outsmart her allergies and find the perfect pet? With illustrations by Michelle Mee Nutter, Megan Wagner Lloyd uses inspiration from her own experiences with allergies to tell a heartfelt story of family, friendship, and finding a place to belong.
