Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

This is one of those books that does something genuinely important: it takes a historical event we all 'know about' and makes it impossible to look away from the human reality. Neufeld's graphic novel format isn't a gimmick—it's the perfect vehicle for making you feel the rising water, see the chaos at the Superdome, understand why some people stayed and others fled.

The seven interweaving stories give you a cross-section of New Orleans that news coverage rarely captured: different races, neighborhoods, economic situations, all facing the same storm but with wildly different resources and outcomes. It's not preachy, but the systemic failures become obvious when you see them play out in real people's lives.

This isn't light reading, and it's not for younger kids. But for teens and adults who want to understand Katrina beyond 'big hurricane, bad response,' this is essential. It builds empathy, teaches history, and shows how comics can be serious journalism. Just go in knowing it's emotionally heavy—that's the point.

Age Fit

Best for ages 14 and up. The subject matter is mature—not because of graphic content, but because it deals with real trauma, systemic failure, and loss. Younger teens who are ready for serious nonfiction will find it powerful; younger kids would likely find it too heavy and distressing.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

72

This graphic novel handles real human tragedy with dignity and compassion. The stories center on resilience, community, and survival during Hurricane Katrina. It doesn't shy away from the trauma and systemic failures, but it's told through a lens of humanity rather than exploitation. The emotional weight is heavy but appropriate for the subject matter—it models empathy and acknowledges real suffering without sensationalizing it.

Imaginative

81

Neufeld uses the graphic novel format brilliantly to tell true stories in a way that's both journalistic and artistically compelling. The visual storytelling brings New Orleans to life—the architecture, the water, the chaos—in ways prose couldn't. It's not imaginative in the fantasy sense, but in how it reimagines documentary journalism through comics, making history visceral and immediate. The format invites readers to see real events through fresh eyes.

Safe

68

This is a book about a natural disaster and its aftermath, which includes depictions of flooding, danger, displacement, and systemic failure. There's no graphic violence, sex, or gore, but the emotional content is intense—people losing homes, facing life-threatening situations, dealing with government abandonment. The graphic novel format makes these scenes more immediate than text alone. It's safe in that it's not exploitative or gratuitous, but the subject matter itself is heavy and could be distressing, especially for younger or more sensitive readers.

Enriching

93

This is exactly the kind of book that builds empathy, historical understanding, and critical thinking. It presents real stories from diverse New Orleans residents—different races, economic backgrounds, neighborhoods—showing how disaster and policy failures affect people unequally. It's a masterclass in how to tell true stories with nuance, avoiding both victimization and heroic oversimplification. Readers come away understanding Katrina not as an abstract event but as something that happened to real people with names and lives. The 4.5 Amazon rating and consistent critical praise back this up.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Uses the graphic novel format to make documentary journalism visceral and immediate—you see the rising water, feel the chaos
Tells seven real stories from diverse New Orleanians, showing how disaster affects people differently based on race, class, and neighborhood
Builds genuine empathy and historical understanding without sensationalizing tragedy or turning survivors into symbols
Consistently praised by readers and critics; 4.5 stars on Amazon with reviewers calling it 'stunning' and 'beautifully told'
Perfect for teens (and adults) who want to understand recent American history beyond headlines and statistics

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What to Watch For

Heavy emotional content—people losing homes, facing life-threatening floods, dealing with government failure. Not graphic or violent, but intense
Some readers may find the subject matter distressing, especially if they have personal connections to natural disasters or displacement
The graphic format makes the disaster more immediate than text alone—you see people in danger, which can be harder to process than reading about it
This is serious journalism in comic form, not entertainment—approach it as you would a documentary about tragedy

Conversation Starters

"Which person's story stuck with you most, and why do you think their experience was different from the others?"
"What surprised you about how the government responded—or didn't respond—to Katrina?"
"How do you think where someone lived in New Orleans (which neighborhood, what kind of house) affected their chances of surviving the storm?"
"If you had to make the decision to evacuate or stay, what factors would you consider? What would make it hard to leave?"
"This happened in 2005—what do you think has changed about how we handle disasters since then? What hasn't changed?"

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