Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'malley

Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel Lost At Sea tells the story of teenage girl Raleigh, who has no soul, and what happens when a cross-country trip forces her to interact with other people her age.

The thing that struck me immediately about this text was the style on narration. Whilst we have the images and dialogue that shows us what is happening, and what has happened, we have Raleigh's thoughts in the background. So the story is narrated from Raleigh's point of view, and this attracted me because the way Raleigh thinks, in the narration, is similar to the way I think. Which is something I don't often find in first person texts.

"I was never good at being with people. I never really figured it out
          until I met you
and then it was easy. I didn't have to try, because it all came naturally and everything was so right. Was it the same for you?
Now I talk to you as if you're here, but you're not, he's not, I'm just talking to myself again."

The way she thinks, as if she's talking to someone, is what I do, and because I can relate to the way Raleigh thinks, the story is instantly a lot more attractive to me. I can relate to Raleigh a lot in general, although I dare say I'm more together, and I can relate to all of the teenagers and their relationships. Even though it's not like anything that's ever happened to me, it's something that could happen, and happens realistically. In a manner I can relate to.

One of the other realistic, relatable parts of the novel is the dialogue. The teenagers, throughout the novel, never fail to speak like teenagers. It's snappy and amusing, except when it's serious, and feels as random as conversation usually does.

'"Can I look at your cell phone?"
"Um…I guess? It doesn't do anything cool though."
"Careful. Last time she touched a cell phone we ended up with YOU in the car."
"Only because you keep every number in your phone that you ever dialled even for homework, stalker-boy!"
"More like because you're technologically retarded!"
"You called me by accident?"
"Well, not exactly but -"
"Bi bi bi bi bi!"'
That's the phone going off, saving the characters from embarrassment over Raleigh having accidentally been phoned. Why her being accidentally called should result in her in the car isn't revealed till later. It is as simple as her having "left to go home at the predetermined time, with her predetermined return ticket for the train, and he left her at the train station because he had to work, and she found this letter in her bag and she started crying like a baby because she just couldn't help it. And she missed her train."

The 'he' she speaks of, the he who is also the you she is thinking to, is "a couple of years older, and in university, and American". She meets him over the internet, and after graduating goes to visit him. It all went perfectly until she got to the train station and found the letter in her bag. The letter remains unopened throughout the whole novel, and being in the car with kids her own age, Raleigh decides, "Maybe it's important to open up to people - people who are right there with you, not some thousand miles away in another universe."

I can't imagine this sort of thing ever happening to me, but that doesn't mean I can't relate to them, and everything that happens in Lost At Sea I can relate to. I suppose that's its charm.