Limbo Lounge

A man emerges into a silent, colorless wasteland and begins exploring his surroundings. He becomes more aware of himself and realizes that his head is a giant flower. He follows other creatures into the Limbo Lounge, a bizarre world of sound and color where characters are reflecting, with varying levels of repentance, on the sins that brought them here. Everyone wants to escape, but not all will be successful. At first glance, this book appears to be a quick read because of the many wordless pages, but teens might want to revisit it to appreciate the nuances. Readers will feel as though they've fallen headfirst into a Salvador Dalí painting: this world is sometimes confusing, sometimes remarkable, and always surreal. Calver's artwork, whether in grayscale or bursting with color, is remarkably detailed, and the cute cartoons that illustrate gruesome moments are emotionally jarring.