On sale date: March 12, 2024
A psychological thriller about a woman obsessed with her vision for a picture-perfect, curated life.
New York Public Library Best Comics for Adults 2024
Carolanne wanted a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, a perfect family. She carefully performs her own roles (gal pal, bestie, girlfriend, wife, and expectant mother) and in trying to enact agency over her life, sacrifices it completely. Her desire to control the uncontrollable ultimately becomes her undoing. When things don't go her way, she exerts dominance over the one thing she does have total control over: her body; until that "betrays" her. After suffering a horrible loss, Carolanne spirals into a literal, all-consuming delusion that will engross comics readers and horror aficionados alike.
Chicago cartoonist and educator Beth Hetland's graphic novel debut is a brilliant psychological thriller that tears down the wall of a genre — body horror — so often identified with male creators. Heady and visceral, Tender uses horrific tropes to confront women's societal expectations of self-sacrifice despite those traditional roles often coming at the expense of female sexuality and empowerment.
Praise
"Terrific debut graphic novel..." — The New York Times Book Review
"Hetland gets under the skin in her nimble and unsettling graphic novel debut. ... [Her] ability to maintain a sinister atmosphere in scenes both mundane and monstrous will keep horror fans turning the pages." — Publishers Weekly
"Tender is disturbing, cleverly titled, and one of those stories once read destined to stick with you for a long time." — Cinema Sentries
"[Tender is] completely horrifying, completely disturbing and completely brilliant. ... Hetland comments on female sexuality, gender roles, toxic internet culture and societal expectations placed upon women." — Broken Frontier
"A strong debut with powerful visual storytelling, Tender digs into the existential dread of getting everything that you thought you wanted and still not being satisfied." — Diabolique Magazine
Specs
- Pages
- 162
- Format
- Hardback
- Color
- Full-color.
- Dimensions
- 6.3" × 9.3"
- ISBN-13
- 9781683969358