The Murder Next Door

"This visually spectacular book offers a powerful dive into the depths of fear and trauma and a reminder that the impact of violence spreads far beyond the official victim."-Rebecca Solnit, author ofOrwell's RosesandHope in the Dark

When someone is murdered next door, it changes everything about the way you live your life.

When Hugh was ten years old, he walked home from school to find his friends next door crying outside they had just come home and discovered their mother's body. She had been murdered.

Now an adult, Hugh has a happy social life and a successful career as an artist in Oakland, California. But even so he is plagued by anxiety, anger, and panic attacks. As he attends therapy and looks back on his childhood, he comes to realize the trauma and stress that the murder next door had on his life, and how it still affects him today.

Does trauma ever go away? Or does it just hang around, in the backs of our minds forever? This thoughtful, powerful memoir explores how one event in childhood can make a permanent mark on someone's life.

“This visually spectacular book offers a powerful dive into the depths of fear and trauma and a reminder that the impact of violence spreads far beyond the official victim.” —Rebecca Solnit, author of Orwell's Roses and Hope in the Dark
“A story of true honesty and clarity. Unlike what you might see on tv, real people are haunted by real events. And shocks to the system never go away.” —Tom Hart, author of the New York Times bestseller Rosalie Lightning
“As a graphic memoir, this book is stone-cold unique. It will trigger emotions you didn't know you had, and take you on an artistic journey to heal your soul.” —Eric Drooker, author of Naked City
“D'Andrade has a gift for making difficult, abstract ideas clear through expressive illustration creating depth and immediacy in this memoir, skewering the reader with a tale of murder, misogyny and manhood.” —Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and In Real Life
“Rarely does a book evoke such deep body empathy. This personal, highly vulnerable story creates the hope that the impacts of childhood trauma can be recognized and abated so that those who suffer from them can thrive.” —Elizabeth A. Trembley, author of Look Again
“An unforgettable story, that I devoured and then immediately passed along to my friends, D'Andrade’s directness speaks straight into you, and his honesty demands your honesty.” —Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of A Tale Dark & Grimm
“It's an empathetic look at the lifelong quest to find light amid the dark.” —Publishers Weekly

Hugh D’Andrade is an award-winning illustrator based in Oakland, California. His work has appeared on young adult book jackets, rock posters, magazines, t-shirts, skateboards, and on the occasional gallery wall. Hugh is Creative Director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and he has taught at the California College of Arts & Crafts, and the San Francisco Art Institute. This is his debut graphic novel. Follow the author on Instagram @hughillustration

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