Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis 2 : The Story of a Return.

SATRAPI, Marjane. Persepolis 2: The story of a return. Random House, Pantheon. 187p. illus. c2003. 0375714669. $11.95. SA *

This is the sequel to Persepolis, the highly praised memoir of a girl's childhood in Iran. Persepolis ends when 14-year old Marjane left Iran; Persepolis 2 begins when she arrived in Austria. Unfortunately, Marjane experienced culture shock and found it difficult to fit in. Partying with those crazy young Europeans only made matters worse, as it introduced her to hard drugs. Eventually, Marjane ended up living on the street. She decided to go back to Iran, a totalitarian state where women are denied freedoms as basic as how to dress. There she went to art school, got married, got divorced, and finally left Iran again.

If you don't have the hardcover edition of Persepolis 2, by all means purchase the paperback. Although this is the type of graphic novel that librarians will like more than their young charges, I wholeheartedly recommend both Persepolis volumes. The author's b/w art is simple but expressive, focusing on her characters and their emotional states. Satrapi is quite funny, and very honest about her own foibles (she thinks the world should revolve around her). Persepolis 2 contains vulgar language (both the f-bomb and the s-bomb) and adult situations, so you may want to think twice before giving this to younger patrons. George Galuschak, YA Libn., Montvale PL, Montvale, NJ