History, CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge
I am starting this with saying this is, to say the least, not an easy read. There are several situations that could be triggering. The main one is that this is about the 1972 Andes plane crash that would result in the eventual consumption of the deceased passengers. I was not completely ready for what was going to happen (and I felt I was prepared) and therefore I was not comfortable with the subject. Also, I will say that I actually found it difficult to write this review due to comments I would normally use to describe a book/graphic novel/story did not feel appropriate to use.
Shadows on the Ice: The 1972 Andes Disaster by Frédéric Bertocchini, Thierry Diette and Pacal Nino is an emotional powder keg of emotions. The creators do seem to have handled things in a respectfully done manner. However, sometimes things might feel a bit casual towards events. The illustrations are not completely fully formed, but that does help counter the situation, and still you are aware of what is happening. The lack of details and colors does make it difficult to tell which person is being mentioned, though. There is a lot going on and therefore make this a slower read, taking your time to fully take in what is happening.
The emotional aspect is obvious: What would you do in the same situation? Everything I had heard about this event made it seem like that was their first choice and only choice. However, the way it is presented in this graphic novel it wasn’t until a few weeks into things, when the survivors realized they probably wouldn’t survive without this option. And many wouldn’t partake right away, mostly due to their strong faith. Therefore, it really puts into perspective what might happen when you think all hope is lost.
The second part of things is how much more information is given. I always heard it was a soccer team, but it was a rugby team. I was unaware that some families and friends had joined the team on the trip, and therefore, there were women (a player’s wife and another’s mother and sister) on the trip as well. Therefore there were around 50 people that started and only around 16 survived. The details they focus on are not the gory ones (but are not shied away from) but the overall concept of survival.
Narrated by one of the surviving members of the team, there is a lot to unpack here. I read via an online reader’s copy, though it is currently available, and I am glad I did. I think it helped take me away from the situation as I was not “physically” holding something that made it feel more real. It ended with the men in the hospital (it is less than 200 pages), therefore it is not a full encounter and many details are missing (I did some further reading online to learn more about the survivors and noticed this). Overall, I cannot give this a 3 as it is too good for an average rating, but it is not a pure 4 as I was not a fan of the illustrations and the few empty places (the final rescue seemed to happen a lot more quickly than it was).