Extraordinary is a 200-page graphic novel written and drawn by Cassie Anderson, about a princess who isn’t “normal”. Instead of being blessed with an extraordinary gift she was instead given the gift of being ordinary, which eventually causes her to go on a quest to become extraordinary on her own.
The graphic novel explores the idea of expectations in multiple dimensions by following different groups of characters.
The royal family and their subjects have specific expectations for what they believe a princess should be like. Princess Basil’s mother tries desperately and is disappointed constantly when her daughter is unable to meet those expectations. The montage displayed and later scenes of Basil interacting with the dragon Frederick further illustrate the expectations of what Basil, as a princess, should be and that she is not any of those things.
The story explores how Basil struggles emotionally to cope with not meeting the expectations being thrust on her. We only see her truly happy when she is in the company of Hudson where she is free to be herself.
In the age of social media where people are constantly bombarded with images of “effortless perfection” and staged “reality” the messaging in the comic is extremely relatable. It isn’t always possible or even wise to try and live up to the expectations set for us by society, our families, or even strangers. Sometimes you have to pushback and create your own path.
In graphic novels, beautiful art is nothing without a good story and a great story can be overlooked because of unappealing art. Neither was an issue in Extraordinary. The art really brought the story alive. Hudson and Basil had very simple faces but they were really expressive, adding to both the drama and the comedy of the novel. I also appreciated the round lines and use of shadows. It is a beautiful book and appealing to the eye.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this graphic novel. It was a funny and warm story reminding readers to be mindful about what they really want out of life rather than what they believe they are supposed to achieve.
Extraordinary is a fun read for all ages. The trade paperback will be released by Dark Horse on July 24, 2019.
