The Flip Side: A Graphic Novel is an unusual book that has all the feelings, but not the ones you might think of at first. They are the ones that we can share simultaneously, but at the same time, each of us have our own way of dealing with them. The first is grief and the second fear. Jason Walz shows us this through the eyes of two main characters. One, a boy who lost his best friend to (assuming) cancer (or other similar illness), the other a girl who has severe mental health issues and physical injuries to her brain.
When both of these characters find themselves in an alternative version of their town (identical except for the fact all people have disappeared and everything is literally upside down) they learn that being a friend has complications when both parties are grieving, wanting to be alone, but still want connection. The concept of their grief and fears following them is not new, but the way author and illustrator Jason Walz presents it does feel new. Or at least not something done regularly.
The content can be mature (there is some language and death in several forms) and it can be a bit abstract, therefore making it not for everyone, but most people will find something to enjoy. I liked how Walz took some of his own personal experiences and put them into their work. Things are also relatable, even as an adult. When we see the gathering of family and friends after the male character’s friend’s funeral and the foster parents of the young girl, we see the reality of how the adults can be a bit clueless even if they think they are being well meaning. We see how things can get out of sorts, how sometimes the people who should know better do not, or they do not know how to ask you what you need or how to help.
And while I appreciate everything about the book, sometimes the deeper meaning got lost in some of the surface parts (such as did this character need to be there? Was this event the best way? Did the ending really feel realistic considering the rest of things?). It is a good book, a solid read, but not one to rush through and a second read might help out.