Adrian and the Tree of Secrets

Adrian isn't very happy these days. He lives in a small town and goes to a Catholic high school. He wears glasses, secretly reads philosophy books, and wishes he had more muscles. He's dogged by a strict mother, bullied by fellow players on the soccer field, and chastised by the school principal, who considers gay rumors about Adrian as a sign that he is "ill." But Jeremy, the coolest kid at school, thinks otherwise; he takes Adrian on scooter trips, where they end up in Jeremy's secret treehouse stealing kisses. Adrian finds himself falling in love, until Jeremy's girlfriend rats them out, sending Jeremy into a tailspin of embarrassment for being different than the rest. What will become of him?"Adrian and the Tree of Secrets" is a poignant, beautifully illustrated graphic novel about first love, growing up, and having the courage to be true to yourself.Hubert studied at the School of Fine Arts in Angers, where he first set his career sights on comics. He has written a number of graphic novels and comic series in French, including one that has been translated into English: "Miss Don't Touch Me, Vols. 1 and 2," a graphic novel series set in Paris in the 1930s.Marie Caillou studied fine arts in Strasbourg, France, and then in 1995 went to Brussels to study animation. She has directed short animated films, including a series entitled "Peur(s) du Noir" ("Fear of the Dark"). This is her first book to appear in English.

“"Visually beautiful, and using both dialogue and captivating images, Adrian and the Tree of Secrets lets Adrian's story unfold panel after panel ... This graphic novel is a sensitive reminder that there are still plenty of [gay teens like] Adrian's out there, and despite great leaps forward, isolation and harassment remain a reality for many LGBT youth around the world." --About.com LGBT Teens "Rendered in crisp lines filled in with shades of blue, green, brown, and salmon, Marie Caillou's graphics astutely emphasize Hubert's affecting narrative about life beyond black and white." --BookDragon "Author and artist expertly balance naivete and worldliness, from both Jeremy and Adrian, allowing readers to empathize with both. The ambiguous ending could serve as a conversation starter that gets teens talking about society's and religion's rules and how challenging it can be as individuals to carve one's own path." --Shelf Awareness "Writer Hubert and illustrator Marie Caillou explore the emotional fraught world of gay adolescence in this beautifully rendered graphic novel." --Lambda Literary "In the spirit of Alison Bechdel and other comic artists opting for realism over fantasy as their storytelling methods, a new graphic novel depicts the difficulties of growing up as a closeted gay man ... Adrian's adventures are imbued with thoughtful discussions of art and literature, and are made touchingly relatable by illustrator Marie Caillou." --Huffington Post”

"Visually beautiful, and using both dialogue and captivating images, Adrian and the Tree of Secrets lets Adrian's story unfold panel after panel ... This graphic novel is a sensitive reminder that there are still plenty of [gay teens like] Adrian's out there, and despite great leaps forward, isolation and harassment remain a reality for many LGBT youth around the world." --About.com LGBT Teens

"Rendered in crisp lines filled in with shades of blue, green, brown, and salmon, Marie Caillou's graphics astutely emphasize Hubert's affecting narrative about life beyond black and white." --BookDragon

"Author and artist expertly balance naivete and worldliness, from both Jeremy and Adrian, allowing readers to empathize with both. The ambiguous ending could serve as a conversation starter that gets teens talking about society's and religion's rules and how challenging it can be as individuals to carve one's own path." --Shelf Awareness

"Writer Hubert and illustrator Marie Caillou explore the emotional fraught world of gay adolescence in this beautifully rendered graphic novel." --Lambda Literary

"In the spirit of Alison Bechdel and other comic artists opting for realism over fantasy as their storytelling methods, a new graphic novel depicts the difficulties of growing up as a closeted gay man ... Adrian's adventures are imbued with thoughtful discussions of art and literature, and are made touchingly relatable by illustrator Marie Caillou." --Huffington Post

Hubert: Hubert was born in 1971 in Finistère, France. He has written numerous graphic novels and comic series in French, including one translated into English: Miss Don't Touch Me, Vols. 1 and 2, a graphic novel series set in Paris in the 1930s.
Marie Caillou: Marie Caillou was born in 1971 in Montbeliard, France. In 2010 she illustrated her first graphic novel with Hubert, La Chair de l'Araignée (Spider's Flesh), then in 2012, she wrote and illustrated Les Monsters de Mayuko (Mayuko's Monsters). This is her first book to appear in English.

Adrian isn't very happy these days. He lives in a small town and goes to a Catholic high school. He wears glasses, secretly reads philosophy books, and wishes he had more muscles. He's dogged by a strict mother, bullied by fellow players on the soccer field, and chastised by the school principal, who considers gay rumors about Adrian as a sign that he is "ill." But Jeremy, the coolest kid at school, thinks otherwise; he takes Adrian on scooter trips, where they end up in Jeremy's secret treehouse stealing kisses. Adrian finds himself falling in love, until Jeremy's girlfriend rats them out, sending Jeremy into a tailspin of embarrassment for being different than the rest. What will become of him?"Adrian and the Tree of Secrets" is a poignant, beautifully illustrated graphic novel about first love, growing up, and having the courage to be true to yourself.Hubert studied at the School of Fine Arts in Angers, where he first set his career sights on comics. He has written a number of graphic novels and comic series in French, including one that has been translated into English: "Miss Don't Touch Me, Vols. 1 and 2," a graphic novel series set in Paris in the 1930s.Marie Caillou studied fine arts in Strasbourg, France, and then in 1995 went to Brussels to study animation. She has directed short animated films, including a series entitled "Peur(s) du Noir" ("Fear of the Dark"). This is her first book to appear in English.

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