THE CARTOGRAPHERS

A 17-year-old girl struggles through emotional and philosophical quandaries in New York City.

Abandoned by her roommates, Georgie and Tashya, and stuck on a subway platform during a blackout, Ocean Sun can’t quite shake the feeling that she has died and this is the afterlife. Living in Brooklyn after having deferred her college entrance to avoid mental health strain—and without informing her mother—adds to Ocean’s sense of limbo. Then a bizarre White boy named Constantine Brave enters the scene, rambling about mythology and spouting philosophy (to a degree that readers may find frustrating at times) as he takes her on a disjointed journey filled with his spray-painted graffiti train maps, conversations about cloud documents, and dreamlike late-night wanderings. As Ocean is drawn closer to Constant, her own thoughts on life, reality, dying, the self, and language clash with his, creating an intriguing dynamic and a twist on the typical romance arc. Ocean’s original narration and worldview are immersive and sympathetic, providing insights into her experiences of depression and disassociation. Similarly, Ocean’s relationship to her Chinese ethnicity through her immigrant mother and how it affects her self-view is smoothly integrated into the wider philosophical discussion of life, society, and dreams. White American Georgie and Slovenian Tashya are three-dimensional and grounded, adding extra layers of realism and friendship to Ocean’s often unmoored narrative.

A satisfying story arc exploring relationships with the self and others.