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Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide
Not yet published
Expected 10 Mar 26A bold, autobiographical graphic novel chronicling one girl’s quest to uncover her family’s history during the Armenian genocide.
Nadine loves stories and her mother loves to tell them—all but one. Nadine would give anything to learn about her family's history in Armenia and Turkey—where they came from and how they came to America—but it is just too painful for her parents. All Nadine knows is that they were caught up in the Armenian genocide.
Until one day the dam bursts. And through that flood of stories and memories, and a trip back to their people's homelands, Nadine discovers a key to unlocking her own heritage and the courage to speak up when injustice rears its head again.
Told in interwoven historical, contemporary, and fantastical sequences, Armaveni is a gripping graphic novel debut and a much-needed historical document.
Nadine loves stories and her mother loves to tell them—all but one. Nadine would give anything to learn about her family's history in Armenia and Turkey—where they came from and how they came to America—but it is just too painful for her parents. All Nadine knows is that they were caught up in the Armenian genocide.
Until one day the dam bursts. And through that flood of stories and memories, and a trip back to their people's homelands, Nadine discovers a key to unlocking her own heritage and the courage to speak up when injustice rears its head again.
Told in interwoven historical, contemporary, and fantastical sequences, Armaveni is a gripping graphic novel debut and a much-needed historical document.
344 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 10, 2026
2 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for a free digital copy in exchange for a review.
Full disclosure, I am somewhat biased in reviewing this book as I am of Armenian descent and I found it really meaningful to read and experience this book. But are we ever truly fully unbiased in reading a book?
Nadine Takvorian uses a blend of autobiographical, historical, and fantastical to tell and illustrate the historical events of the Armenian genocide her family experienced, as well as the generational trauma that has effected her family. Nadine's exploration of her identity feels natural and relatable, her curiosity to learn more about her culture is contagious and leads the reader into discovery of both wonder and sorrow.
Both the historical and more contemporary storylines were easy to separate in terms of narrative, but the connective themes and events allows the reader to see clear parallels between Nadine and Armaveni's lives. Additionally, Takvorian includes a decorative border for Armaveni's story to further help the reader distinguish between the two. She also uses a monochromatic palette of purple, making a memorable color scheme outside of black and white or sepia. Takvorian's art is filled with life and she captures the complex emotions the characters feel throughout the story. I am really excited to hold a physical copy of the book.
Again, due to my background, I really connected to Nadine in her intense curiosity and need to learn more about her family. I envy her ability to ask her family questions and found her search for the truth inspiring. I was delighted every time I found a connection to her experience, whether it was the food she was eating or learning her grandfather and my great grandfather had the same name. Despite the emotional toll many scenes took on me, there were parts I found genuinely joyful.
I would recommend this book to people who want to learn more about historical events and those who enjoyed They Called Us Enemy and Silenced Voices. This is a great book for teens and adults. I plan on buying a copy when it is released.
Full disclosure, I am somewhat biased in reviewing this book as I am of Armenian descent and I found it really meaningful to read and experience this book. But are we ever truly fully unbiased in reading a book?
Nadine Takvorian uses a blend of autobiographical, historical, and fantastical to tell and illustrate the historical events of the Armenian genocide her family experienced, as well as the generational trauma that has effected her family. Nadine's exploration of her identity feels natural and relatable, her curiosity to learn more about her culture is contagious and leads the reader into discovery of both wonder and sorrow.
Both the historical and more contemporary storylines were easy to separate in terms of narrative, but the connective themes and events allows the reader to see clear parallels between Nadine and Armaveni's lives. Additionally, Takvorian includes a decorative border for Armaveni's story to further help the reader distinguish between the two. She also uses a monochromatic palette of purple, making a memorable color scheme outside of black and white or sepia. Takvorian's art is filled with life and she captures the complex emotions the characters feel throughout the story. I am really excited to hold a physical copy of the book.
Again, due to my background, I really connected to Nadine in her intense curiosity and need to learn more about her family. I envy her ability to ask her family questions and found her search for the truth inspiring. I was delighted every time I found a connection to her experience, whether it was the food she was eating or learning her grandfather and my great grandfather had the same name. Despite the emotional toll many scenes took on me, there were parts I found genuinely joyful.
I would recommend this book to people who want to learn more about historical events and those who enjoyed They Called Us Enemy and Silenced Voices. This is a great book for teens and adults. I plan on buying a copy when it is released.
November 21, 2025
as someone who has only heard about the armenian genocide only is passing conversations and has little knowledge about it armaveni was the perfect introduction. the art feels very soothing to the eyes, almost melancholic. I really loved the panoramic panels of the places Nadine visited but I have to say one of my favourite panels was the one with a snake spiralling a hairbrush. the author’s note in the end really sealed the deal for me. it was heartbreaking to read what countless people have witnessed and suffered but it frustrated me to know the oppressors will always show history through the lens that fits them the best.
p.s the country we dont talk about was mentioned once idk how to feel about that
p.s the country we dont talk about was mentioned once idk how to feel about that
November 5, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
In this graphic novel, Nadine Takvorian tells the fictionalised story of how she found out the history of her family and their experiences with the Armenian genocide, as Armenians from modern-day Turkey, showing the discrimination they face within the wider Armenian diaspora community, as well as the struggles they experience as Armenians in a world in which the genocide is still denied by certain actors.
For the very technical details, I liked the pale purple colour this graphic novel was drawn in, but would recommend the publisher edit the PDF so that each PDF page only includes one comic page, rather than two, as I had to zoom in anyway to be able to read the text (which caused unnecessary hassle, as opposed to just dividing it from the start). I would also recommend the translations of words to be added to the page they are said on, rather than a glossary at the end, which would make it easier for readers who are not familiar with Armenian or Turkish to understand what is being said without having to scroll back and forth (which is even more difficult in a digital version, as opposed to a physical book where you can just put a bookmark).
I really liked the art style, when drawing nature, buildings etc., but less so when it came to how Takvorian draws people. Ultimately, it didn't matter much though, as the focus was on the story, not so much on if I personally like the way she draws faces.
As for the content of the book, I do not feel qualified to say much about it as I really am not knowledgeable at all about the Armenian genocide, so I cannot speak on how well/authentically the experiences were portrayed. I will leave this to readers that actually know what they are talking about. As someone who does not know much about the genocide, other than that it happened, and who also does not know about the contemporary politics of Armenian identity, I did however feel like this graphic novel gave me some impression of the issues Armenians faced and face to this day. Of course, it was not an exhaustive list, and somewhat "limited" as it shows the history of one single family (with other histories mentioned briefly), but I did not expect a history book when I read this. While I am sure there are so many more issues faced by the Armenian diaspora that were not featured in this graphic novel, emotionally, I think this graphic novel was successful in giving the reader an impression of the issues Armenians face due to the genocide and its ongoing denial.
In this graphic novel, Nadine Takvorian tells the fictionalised story of how she found out the history of her family and their experiences with the Armenian genocide, as Armenians from modern-day Turkey, showing the discrimination they face within the wider Armenian diaspora community, as well as the struggles they experience as Armenians in a world in which the genocide is still denied by certain actors.
For the very technical details, I liked the pale purple colour this graphic novel was drawn in, but would recommend the publisher edit the PDF so that each PDF page only includes one comic page, rather than two, as I had to zoom in anyway to be able to read the text (which caused unnecessary hassle, as opposed to just dividing it from the start). I would also recommend the translations of words to be added to the page they are said on, rather than a glossary at the end, which would make it easier for readers who are not familiar with Armenian or Turkish to understand what is being said without having to scroll back and forth (which is even more difficult in a digital version, as opposed to a physical book where you can just put a bookmark).
I really liked the art style, when drawing nature, buildings etc., but less so when it came to how Takvorian draws people. Ultimately, it didn't matter much though, as the focus was on the story, not so much on if I personally like the way she draws faces.
As for the content of the book, I do not feel qualified to say much about it as I really am not knowledgeable at all about the Armenian genocide, so I cannot speak on how well/authentically the experiences were portrayed. I will leave this to readers that actually know what they are talking about. As someone who does not know much about the genocide, other than that it happened, and who also does not know about the contemporary politics of Armenian identity, I did however feel like this graphic novel gave me some impression of the issues Armenians faced and face to this day. Of course, it was not an exhaustive list, and somewhat "limited" as it shows the history of one single family (with other histories mentioned briefly), but I did not expect a history book when I read this. While I am sure there are so many more issues faced by the Armenian diaspora that were not featured in this graphic novel, emotionally, I think this graphic novel was successful in giving the reader an impression of the issues Armenians face due to the genocide and its ongoing denial.
October 24, 2025
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC of this graphic novel. The art and this story were gorgeous! I cried reading it. I already knew some information about the Armenian Genocide but it was so much more impactful with a more personal story like this. It really exemplifies how trauma like this carries through generations.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices graphic memoir offering some insights into the Armenian genocide. The intent is worth appreciating; the content needs more detailing. Good illustrations, but I didn’t like the colour scheme. A valiant attempt at highlighting a part of history that’s never discussed. Recommended for awareness. Not an easy read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In September 2025, I read Pablo Leon’s ‘Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide’, a graphic novel highlighting a genocide in Guatemala I had never heard of. When I saw this book, I was stunned that yet another graphic memoir has opted to showcase a genocide that doesn’t get attention anywhere. It makes me wonder how many mass massacres throughout history have actually been brushed under the table or even been denied their occurrence as propaganda. Kudos to such graphic novelists for making their voices heard and showing the truth.
The author is a professional illustrator who has sketched for several children’s books and graphic novels. This is her debut writing effort. While it is a creative first novel exploring several facets of Armenia’s past and present, it still needs some finetuning.
Takvorian, whose family was originally from Turkey, is a first-generation Armenian-American,. When Turkish Muslims declared “Turkey for Turks” (So many variants of this slogan exist around the world even today! 😢), they started to assassinate the local Armenians, who were Christians. The author’s grandmother Armaveni lived through these painful times, but passed away without revealing much about those dark days or how much she had lost. Her daughter – the author’s mother – also refused to speak on the genocide for a long time. When she finally revealed her suppressed trauma, the author could understand the crux of her Armenian identity.
The story comes through interconnected historical, contemporary and fantastical sequences. The contemporary section was the most appealing to me as the journey of a young girl towards her roots showed awareness and spunk.
As this book is mostly autobiographical, there is a undertone of genuineness to the narrative. We see the pain of Takvorian and her family, we see her excitement at visiting her homeland for the first time, and we see the emotional upheavals she faces in Turkey. All of these emotions come out strongly.
However the narrative stays focussed only on her personal experiences and doesn’t dive much into the political and cultural status quo in Turkey during those years of upheaval. Several necessarily facts have been skipped from the book. As it is, the timeline isn’t always clear; the book randomly jumps across the past story, the present-day events, and the imaginative interludes, all juggling for attention. To add to this confusion, the book focusses a lot on the whats of the genocide but offers barely a line or two about the whys. There’s no historical note explaining the political situation in the Middle-East during that era, which should have been the logical first course of action. This makes me feel like the book is not a great starting point to learn of the genocide as it presumes familiarity with certain historical events.
It might have helped if I had had some awareness of this massacre. But this book is the first time I have even heard about it. This lacuna in my knowhow affected my comprehension to a great deal, especially at the start. As the chapters progressed, I got a vague idea of the genocide, but even after completing this 344-page graphic memoir, I doubt I have grasped all the intricacies precisely.
That said, it is not easy to read such books during these dystopian times, when so many countries are still committing the same mistake that these countries did: considering one race/ethnicity/religion superior to the others. When humans look at each other only through the distorted lens of race or religion and not through the 6/6 vision of humanness, our future seems dire. Such books help spread awareness of historical crimes, and hopefully, (which is just a teensy-weensy barely-present glimmer of dull hope at present), someone somewhere will read such books and say, “I need to stop viewing others based on their race or religion. We are humans first.” (Such a big assumption on my part that racist bigots like to read diverse books!)
There is a helpful glossary at the end of the book for the Armenian and Turkish words. But even more fascinating is the author’s note: a marvellous way of setting things straight and clear.
The text is in typeface created from the author’s own handwriting. No complaints at all about this; her writing is very legible. The Armenian dialogues are indicated by a <> in the text bubble.
The illustrations left me with mixed feelings. I loved the sketches of all the human characters. Nadine’s curls are especially lovely. However, the colour scheme is monochromatic, mixing white with a darkish purple shade. Given how there are three types of stories in the book; present, past, and imaginative, the colour scheme could have reflected this, using one distinct colour scheme for each story. In its current format, the only indication of a shift in narrative is a kind of page border at the bottom of the historical narrative focussing on Armaveni’s timeline.
Overall, I did like this memoir, but I expected to learn a lot more from it. Given that it is aimed at adults, it could have gone darker and deeper into history so that the contemporary timeline were perfectly clear. In its present format, it feels more YA, even though the events it covers are far from YA.
Recommended to fans of true-life narratives focussing on a tragic event of the not-so-recent past.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the intent.
My thanks to Levine Querido for providing the DRC of “Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In September 2025, I read Pablo Leon’s ‘Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide’, a graphic novel highlighting a genocide in Guatemala I had never heard of. When I saw this book, I was stunned that yet another graphic memoir has opted to showcase a genocide that doesn’t get attention anywhere. It makes me wonder how many mass massacres throughout history have actually been brushed under the table or even been denied their occurrence as propaganda. Kudos to such graphic novelists for making their voices heard and showing the truth.
The author is a professional illustrator who has sketched for several children’s books and graphic novels. This is her debut writing effort. While it is a creative first novel exploring several facets of Armenia’s past and present, it still needs some finetuning.
Takvorian, whose family was originally from Turkey, is a first-generation Armenian-American,. When Turkish Muslims declared “Turkey for Turks” (So many variants of this slogan exist around the world even today! 😢), they started to assassinate the local Armenians, who were Christians. The author’s grandmother Armaveni lived through these painful times, but passed away without revealing much about those dark days or how much she had lost. Her daughter – the author’s mother – also refused to speak on the genocide for a long time. When she finally revealed her suppressed trauma, the author could understand the crux of her Armenian identity.
The story comes through interconnected historical, contemporary and fantastical sequences. The contemporary section was the most appealing to me as the journey of a young girl towards her roots showed awareness and spunk.
As this book is mostly autobiographical, there is a undertone of genuineness to the narrative. We see the pain of Takvorian and her family, we see her excitement at visiting her homeland for the first time, and we see the emotional upheavals she faces in Turkey. All of these emotions come out strongly.
However the narrative stays focussed only on her personal experiences and doesn’t dive much into the political and cultural status quo in Turkey during those years of upheaval. Several necessarily facts have been skipped from the book. As it is, the timeline isn’t always clear; the book randomly jumps across the past story, the present-day events, and the imaginative interludes, all juggling for attention. To add to this confusion, the book focusses a lot on the whats of the genocide but offers barely a line or two about the whys. There’s no historical note explaining the political situation in the Middle-East during that era, which should have been the logical first course of action. This makes me feel like the book is not a great starting point to learn of the genocide as it presumes familiarity with certain historical events.
It might have helped if I had had some awareness of this massacre. But this book is the first time I have even heard about it. This lacuna in my knowhow affected my comprehension to a great deal, especially at the start. As the chapters progressed, I got a vague idea of the genocide, but even after completing this 344-page graphic memoir, I doubt I have grasped all the intricacies precisely.
That said, it is not easy to read such books during these dystopian times, when so many countries are still committing the same mistake that these countries did: considering one race/ethnicity/religion superior to the others. When humans look at each other only through the distorted lens of race or religion and not through the 6/6 vision of humanness, our future seems dire. Such books help spread awareness of historical crimes, and hopefully, (which is just a teensy-weensy barely-present glimmer of dull hope at present), someone somewhere will read such books and say, “I need to stop viewing others based on their race or religion. We are humans first.” (Such a big assumption on my part that racist bigots like to read diverse books!)
There is a helpful glossary at the end of the book for the Armenian and Turkish words. But even more fascinating is the author’s note: a marvellous way of setting things straight and clear.
The text is in typeface created from the author’s own handwriting. No complaints at all about this; her writing is very legible. The Armenian dialogues are indicated by a <> in the text bubble.
The illustrations left me with mixed feelings. I loved the sketches of all the human characters. Nadine’s curls are especially lovely. However, the colour scheme is monochromatic, mixing white with a darkish purple shade. Given how there are three types of stories in the book; present, past, and imaginative, the colour scheme could have reflected this, using one distinct colour scheme for each story. In its current format, the only indication of a shift in narrative is a kind of page border at the bottom of the historical narrative focussing on Armaveni’s timeline.
Overall, I did like this memoir, but I expected to learn a lot more from it. Given that it is aimed at adults, it could have gone darker and deeper into history so that the contemporary timeline were perfectly clear. In its present format, it feels more YA, even though the events it covers are far from YA.
Recommended to fans of true-life narratives focussing on a tragic event of the not-so-recent past.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the intent.
My thanks to Levine Querido for providing the DRC of “Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide" by Nadine Takvorian is a dual timeline graphic memoir of the author's experiences growing up in the USA as an Armenian-American in the late 90s/early 2000s and her grandparents' story of surviving the Armenian genocide in the 1910s. A thread of magical realism in the form of an Armenian folktale about a phoenix ties together both narratives. Takvorian's work sheds light on themes of intergenerational family trauma, the complexity of identity in diaspora, and the meaning of home and having a homeland.
The gorgeous cover art is what initially drew my attention to this book, and the interior comics are equally beautiful albeit drawn in a monochromatic style. There were also some clever stylistic choices made like the intricate border on pages depicting the historical timeline and use of <> speech marks to indicate when a character is speaking another language but has been translated to English for our benefit. After finishing reading, I looked up the author's Instagram page and watched an interesting video about the many photos from family trips that she has used as landscape references throughout. It is clear how much of the author's heart went into creating this work and giving voice to her family's story.
The listed target age is YA, and I believe this would be appropriate for mature middle school- or high school-age readers. While obviously tackling serious topics and depicting acts of violence and cruelty, there is nothing overtly gory. It also has enough nuanced themes to reflect upon for an adult reader to find engaging, I was immediately engrossed and read through in a single sitting. Prior to reading "Armaveni", I knew only the basic facts about the Armenian genocide (i.e. that it had happened in the early 20th century, and Turkey to this day denies and suppresses information) from 20th century world history classes, but had never read a memoir or story of a family's experience to bring the reality to life.
This book had many elements which reminded me of previous graphic memoirs I have enjoyed like "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood" by Marjane Satrapi, "The Rabbi's Cat" by Joann Sfar, "How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less" by Sarah Glidden, and "The Complete Maus" by Art Spiegelman. "Armaveni" is clearly following in the legacy of these graphic novels, and I believe has the potential to be regarded as equally important and impactful.
*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, Levine Querido, through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*
The gorgeous cover art is what initially drew my attention to this book, and the interior comics are equally beautiful albeit drawn in a monochromatic style. There were also some clever stylistic choices made like the intricate border on pages depicting the historical timeline and use of <> speech marks to indicate when a character is speaking another language but has been translated to English for our benefit. After finishing reading, I looked up the author's Instagram page and watched an interesting video about the many photos from family trips that she has used as landscape references throughout. It is clear how much of the author's heart went into creating this work and giving voice to her family's story.
The listed target age is YA, and I believe this would be appropriate for mature middle school- or high school-age readers. While obviously tackling serious topics and depicting acts of violence and cruelty, there is nothing overtly gory. It also has enough nuanced themes to reflect upon for an adult reader to find engaging, I was immediately engrossed and read through in a single sitting. Prior to reading "Armaveni", I knew only the basic facts about the Armenian genocide (i.e. that it had happened in the early 20th century, and Turkey to this day denies and suppresses information) from 20th century world history classes, but had never read a memoir or story of a family's experience to bring the reality to life.
This book had many elements which reminded me of previous graphic memoirs I have enjoyed like "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood" by Marjane Satrapi, "The Rabbi's Cat" by Joann Sfar, "How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less" by Sarah Glidden, and "The Complete Maus" by Art Spiegelman. "Armaveni" is clearly following in the legacy of these graphic novels, and I believe has the potential to be regarded as equally important and impactful.
*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, Levine Querido, through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*
December 2, 2025
Armaveni is another graphic memoir in a long line that focuses on the atrocities of the past (this time the Armenian genocide) and the generational trauma that follows, and I’m willing to say that Nadine Takvorian upholds that legacy.
The story focuses on the partially fictionalized life of the author Nadine as she finds her place in her Armenian identity and what that means to hold onto an identity that has been riddled with such hardships throughout history and present day. Armaveni really shines here, showing how that culture is still cultivated by her family and the profound impact that visiting her homeland had on Nadine. The passion that Nadine has for her Armenian heritage shows through in this novel both through the character and the author.
The story focuses more on the present (within the novel, as it’s set in 2001) rather than the past, which is not typical with these types of stories. This is not necessarily a fault and was clearly a purposeful choice. I would have enjoyed being able to see more of the history, but the pieces we received were still quite impactful. Especially with how they connected with the present in the story. The scene where Nadine’s parents put up an American flag after 9/11 being contrasted to her grandparents placing a Turkish flag hit quite hard showing the cyclical nature of history.
The art in the book is beautiful. For the most part, the art is fairly literal, but I found the moments where Takvorian allows for more surreal imagery to be more impactful. The constant through line of the firebird connected the story in a really satisfying way that I won’t spoil here. Additionally, the panel where the Turkish bandits are portrayed as wolves quite literally stopped me in my tracks.
From a technical point of view, I also appreciated the choice of adding a border around the pages when Amaveni’s story was presented. It added a nice bit of separation, which was extra beneficial since the book was very stream of consciousness with a lack of chapters.
I did have one minor flaw with the book and that is mainly that I wouldn’t recommend it as someone’s first source of the Armenian genocide. I was already somewhat familiar with it before reading this book, but I fear that I would have been very lost if I hadn’t been. I found myself googling while reading just to understand what was being discussed, especially about Bolsahye Armenians. Takvorian does provide some recommendations for further reading on the topic at the end which I do appreciate.
Overall, Armaveni is a beautiful book that discusses the generational impacts of genocide. A topic that is needed more now than ever. However, it functions better as the reflection of one woman and her familiy’s reflections on that genocide and how it impacted their lives rather then an straight history of the Armenian Genocide.
Thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
#Armveni #NetGalley
The story focuses on the partially fictionalized life of the author Nadine as she finds her place in her Armenian identity and what that means to hold onto an identity that has been riddled with such hardships throughout history and present day. Armaveni really shines here, showing how that culture is still cultivated by her family and the profound impact that visiting her homeland had on Nadine. The passion that Nadine has for her Armenian heritage shows through in this novel both through the character and the author.
The story focuses more on the present (within the novel, as it’s set in 2001) rather than the past, which is not typical with these types of stories. This is not necessarily a fault and was clearly a purposeful choice. I would have enjoyed being able to see more of the history, but the pieces we received were still quite impactful. Especially with how they connected with the present in the story. The scene where Nadine’s parents put up an American flag after 9/11 being contrasted to her grandparents placing a Turkish flag hit quite hard showing the cyclical nature of history.
The art in the book is beautiful. For the most part, the art is fairly literal, but I found the moments where Takvorian allows for more surreal imagery to be more impactful. The constant through line of the firebird connected the story in a really satisfying way that I won’t spoil here. Additionally, the panel where the Turkish bandits are portrayed as wolves quite literally stopped me in my tracks.
From a technical point of view, I also appreciated the choice of adding a border around the pages when Amaveni’s story was presented. It added a nice bit of separation, which was extra beneficial since the book was very stream of consciousness with a lack of chapters.
I did have one minor flaw with the book and that is mainly that I wouldn’t recommend it as someone’s first source of the Armenian genocide. I was already somewhat familiar with it before reading this book, but I fear that I would have been very lost if I hadn’t been. I found myself googling while reading just to understand what was being discussed, especially about Bolsahye Armenians. Takvorian does provide some recommendations for further reading on the topic at the end which I do appreciate.
Overall, Armaveni is a beautiful book that discusses the generational impacts of genocide. A topic that is needed more now than ever. However, it functions better as the reflection of one woman and her familiy’s reflections on that genocide and how it impacted their lives rather then an straight history of the Armenian Genocide.
Thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
#Armveni #NetGalley
November 7, 2025
5✨️
This was incredible, the Armenian genocide it's sadly a subject that wasn't too familiar to me, so this was truly the perfect way to be introduced to this part of the history. The graphic novel also has two pages at the end filled with books on the subject for further reading that I greatly appreciated (already noted some in my notebook to tackle in the future).
The book starts with a direct quote from Hitler, which is pretty devastating in itself, considering the context of the novel. The panels are monochromatic, with shades of lavender filling the pages, making it feel like a distant dream.
Armaveni, named after the author's grandmother (found this really sweet), is an autobiography that follows our author in teenage years on a mission to discover her heritage and family history. After finding out that her family was a victim of the Armenian genocide, Nadine goes on a trip to the land where her family's roots lie in order to deepen her connections to the past.
The graphic novel manages to present gut-wrenching themes, like genocide and discrimination, in a way that is appropriate and east to understand at any age. There is also a really nice transition from Nadine to Armaveni in the first part of the novel that was really nicely done, caught my eye immediately.
Armaveni is a love letter from Nadine to her grandmother, her family, her heritage, and even to herself, transforming itself into a promise that gently says, "I will not forget my roots, I will honor them as long as I am still alive, and whenever my time comes I will pass them on to the next generation."
Thank you, NetGalley, Levine Querido, and Nadine Takvorian, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was incredible, the Armenian genocide it's sadly a subject that wasn't too familiar to me, so this was truly the perfect way to be introduced to this part of the history. The graphic novel also has two pages at the end filled with books on the subject for further reading that I greatly appreciated (already noted some in my notebook to tackle in the future).
The book starts with a direct quote from Hitler, which is pretty devastating in itself, considering the context of the novel. The panels are monochromatic, with shades of lavender filling the pages, making it feel like a distant dream.
Armaveni, named after the author's grandmother (found this really sweet), is an autobiography that follows our author in teenage years on a mission to discover her heritage and family history. After finding out that her family was a victim of the Armenian genocide, Nadine goes on a trip to the land where her family's roots lie in order to deepen her connections to the past.
The graphic novel manages to present gut-wrenching themes, like genocide and discrimination, in a way that is appropriate and east to understand at any age. There is also a really nice transition from Nadine to Armaveni in the first part of the novel that was really nicely done, caught my eye immediately.
Armaveni is a love letter from Nadine to her grandmother, her family, her heritage, and even to herself, transforming itself into a promise that gently says, "I will not forget my roots, I will honor them as long as I am still alive, and whenever my time comes I will pass them on to the next generation."
Thank you, NetGalley, Levine Querido, and Nadine Takvorian, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the ARC!
I was scrolling through NetGalley looking for an ARC to read and review since I haven’t had the app for a while and this was one that was automatically approved so here we are.
I haven’t read too much about the Armenian genocide so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I had to read it! I predominantly read YA books anyway and I haven’t ever read a graphic novel before so this was exciting.
This was a very short story about Nadine’s history as an Armenian living in Turkey. It tackles genocide, discrimination, identity issues, and life as an Armenian student in America. Nadine endures hardships within her own home where her mother has refused to tell her about her family’s history given the trauma it evokes. She endures hardships at school with a teacher that refuses to address that the genocide happened. But Nadine is insistent to know the truth and learns about her grandmother’s experience during the genocide. She also gets to go on a church trip to Armenia and visit her homeland.
I love how this story didn’t gloss over the religious aspects of history and I appreciate the research that went into writing this. There definitely needs to be more books about this part of history as the evils of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire are not usually addressed.
I was scrolling through NetGalley looking for an ARC to read and review since I haven’t had the app for a while and this was one that was automatically approved so here we are.
I haven’t read too much about the Armenian genocide so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I had to read it! I predominantly read YA books anyway and I haven’t ever read a graphic novel before so this was exciting.
This was a very short story about Nadine’s history as an Armenian living in Turkey. It tackles genocide, discrimination, identity issues, and life as an Armenian student in America. Nadine endures hardships within her own home where her mother has refused to tell her about her family’s history given the trauma it evokes. She endures hardships at school with a teacher that refuses to address that the genocide happened. But Nadine is insistent to know the truth and learns about her grandmother’s experience during the genocide. She also gets to go on a church trip to Armenia and visit her homeland.
I love how this story didn’t gloss over the religious aspects of history and I appreciate the research that went into writing this. There definitely needs to be more books about this part of history as the evils of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire are not usually addressed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm very glad I read this book. I know that it's not an intricate telling of the genocide and all the political turmoil occurring during that time, but it did something that school never taught me, and that was the genocide. I knew nothing about it, and considering things that have happened recently in the world, it really does make you wonder what other genocides have been hidden. I will definitely be reading more into it.
The story itself is full of heart and is devastating simultaneously. Through Nadine, we see what happens to the families of those surviving the genocide and a slight spoiler, but the fact that the very same person who made her want to visit her home is the same person who then refuses to acknowledge what occurred there is so devistating and I was close to tears. It's just not fair, I don't knwo hwo to word it other than that, it's just not fair for Nadine, and then finally when you think all is well and the characters can move to preserving their history and their truth you are swiftly remindied of when this book takes place and thats when the past begins to mimic the future and it's just soul crushing. It's even more soul-crushing knowing about recent genocides, and history is repeating once again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!!!
The story itself is full of heart and is devastating simultaneously. Through Nadine, we see what happens to the families of those surviving the genocide and a slight spoiler, but the fact that the very same person who made her want to visit her home is the same person who then refuses to acknowledge what occurred there is so devistating and I was close to tears. It's just not fair, I don't knwo hwo to word it other than that, it's just not fair for Nadine, and then finally when you think all is well and the characters can move to preserving their history and their truth you are swiftly remindied of when this book takes place and thats when the past begins to mimic the future and it's just soul crushing. It's even more soul-crushing knowing about recent genocides, and history is repeating once again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!!!
November 27, 2025
It's 2001, USA, and Nadine (the author, but semi-fictionalized) is in high school. She is Armenian-American, and wants to learn about the genocide that happened to her people - especially the members of her own family who had to flee - but her family is reluctant to speak, their history is too painful. Her teacher, for reasons we learn later, is also of no help, and keeps her silent in class.
But as Nadine continues to ask to know the history, her family finally begin to tell their stories. We witness on paper the genocide, not just to the family but to the Armenian people as a whole, even decades later. Even in 2001, when the graphic novel takes place, Nadine and other Armenian's still have to fight hard to blend in, both in Armenia/Türkiye, and in the USA when terror strikes the nation.
This was a well written story, the art style was easy to follow and nice to look at, and it was a great introduction into learning about the genocide. The author notes at the end really bring in the reality, with photographs and additional information, as well as helpful pronunciation guides and direction to where readers can learn more.
But as Nadine continues to ask to know the history, her family finally begin to tell their stories. We witness on paper the genocide, not just to the family but to the Armenian people as a whole, even decades later. Even in 2001, when the graphic novel takes place, Nadine and other Armenian's still have to fight hard to blend in, both in Armenia/Türkiye, and in the USA when terror strikes the nation.
This was a well written story, the art style was easy to follow and nice to look at, and it was a great introduction into learning about the genocide. The author notes at the end really bring in the reality, with photographs and additional information, as well as helpful pronunciation guides and direction to where readers can learn more.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
Somewhere in the past 16 years my love of graphic novels shifted from the heroic fantasy variety to the historical and/or storied style of Eisner. This is one of those gems I’m glad my interest shifted. The tale itself models a remembering and lived current reality of trying to deal with the Armenian genocide. Any country or regime’s first priority is to suppress the horrors of its history — it’s a sad, sick, virus built into our as human history. We are not prone to address the trauma, and yet, it is only when we begin to address the difficult sides of our history we can truly move into the light of the good of any countries history. The story is off putting at start, which adds a nice churning into the tale, which comes to a head when characters wrestle with individuals that acknowledge the tragedy and those that don’t. The art could use some contrast within different sections to heighten this, which is why it backed away from a 5 star.
Somewhere in the past 16 years my love of graphic novels shifted from the heroic fantasy variety to the historical and/or storied style of Eisner. This is one of those gems I’m glad my interest shifted. The tale itself models a remembering and lived current reality of trying to deal with the Armenian genocide. Any country or regime’s first priority is to suppress the horrors of its history — it’s a sad, sick, virus built into our as human history. We are not prone to address the trauma, and yet, it is only when we begin to address the difficult sides of our history we can truly move into the light of the good of any countries history. The story is off putting at start, which adds a nice churning into the tale, which comes to a head when characters wrestle with individuals that acknowledge the tragedy and those that don’t. The art could use some contrast within different sections to heighten this, which is why it backed away from a 5 star.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A really good find, a story that has elements of what people are experiencing today. Not feeling like you belong in one community or another, being bullied for being different, being you. And the twisting of events in history and today to fit a certain narrative. I thought this was an excellent look at the Armenian people and the genocide they faced and continue to go through.
In this autobiographical work, we follow our main character (author of the book), a high schooler, Nadine, and her family as she navigates high school and her family's identity. She wants to know her family history and learns that and more after visiting her homeland. This was great, I think it's an excellent perspective of tapping into one's culture and wanting to celebrate all that the Armenian people have lived through and still persevered. I liked the simplicity and style of the artwork and would like to add a physical copy to my collection.
In this autobiographical work, we follow our main character (author of the book), a high schooler, Nadine, and her family as she navigates high school and her family's identity. She wants to know her family history and learns that and more after visiting her homeland. This was great, I think it's an excellent perspective of tapping into one's culture and wanting to celebrate all that the Armenian people have lived through and still persevered. I liked the simplicity and style of the artwork and would like to add a physical copy to my collection.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is such a wonderfully illustrated and well-written book.
It is as much of a historical and societal testament as it is personal.
Nadine describes her journey of discovering her own national and cultural identity while uncovering the atrocities of the Armenian genocide. She is finding her own place in this world, while simultaneously keeping the memory of all those before her and their lives alive.
The illustration was magical, and I think it matches the story so well. I loved the added fantastical elements.
I cried so much reading this. It is a powerful story, depicted uniquely and beautifully.
I consider this one of my top reads so far this year.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It is as much of a historical and societal testament as it is personal.
Nadine describes her journey of discovering her own national and cultural identity while uncovering the atrocities of the Armenian genocide. She is finding her own place in this world, while simultaneously keeping the memory of all those before her and their lives alive.
The illustration was magical, and I think it matches the story so well. I loved the added fantastical elements.
I cried so much reading this. It is a powerful story, depicted uniquely and beautifully.
I consider this one of my top reads so far this year.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Armaveni is a heart-wrenching graphic novel that chronicles the author’s experience learning about her family history. Her grandmother, the titular Armaveni, survived the Armenian genocide, many of her family and friends were not so lucky. This is a story about the importance of remembering, about family, diaspora and what it means to (not) have a homeland. With what happened in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh only a few years ago, the topic of this graphic novel is unfortunately still highly relevant. The art style isn’t quite my cup of tea, but that’s really the only thing I found to criticise about it.
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Many thanks to Levine Querido for the ARC
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Many thanks to Levine Querido for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I very interesting semi-autobiographical graphic novel about being Armenian in the USA and the Armenian genocide. The artwork is excellent, but unfortunately rather monotone. At times it is hard to know when things are happening (there are no dates) and it is a shame colour wasn't used to differentiate times and places. As this was an ARC, there were still some layout issues which hopefully will be resolved before publication. All-in-all an excellent graphic novel which delves into the complicated and delicate history of Armenia, being Armenian, and the genocide, the denial and the consequences thereof.
November 17, 2025
I was really surprised how good this book was when reading about the characters Armenian heritage and the fact I hardly know about the Armenian genocide really opens your eyes. I was really sad on a scene where the women and children were about to be burnt to death in a locked building like for such a plain art-style, it really was gripping and horrifying! Of course this book would remind you of the ongoing Russia vs Ukraine and Israel vs Gaza wars. War never wins and that’s what Nadine Takvorian is telling us here!
Got this via Netgalley and publisher with thanks
Got this via Netgalley and publisher with thanks
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I found this as an ARC on NetGalley, and was attracted to the cover. The description mentioned Armenian genocide, and I felt it was important to read. Both sides of my family survived Nazi Germany and raised us with knowledge of the atrocities and to never forget. It left me with a need to witness others and their stories. It was simple, beautiful, and left my heart pounding afterwards. I appreciate the list of resources at the end, as well as definitions at the end for non-English words (Armenian and Turkish).
December 27, 2025
I already knew this story—I wrote my BA thesis on Artsakh and the recent Azeri occupation, and I’m familiar with the persecution of Armenians and the genocide. However, reading it remains just as emotional. I think this graphic novel could be the perfect way to share this story, especially with a younger audience. It’s important to talk about this part of history and to tell the stories of the Armenian people. I also love the illustration style and the metaphor of the phoenix, which I find really effective.
November 4, 2025
Armaveni is a moving and beautifully told story that really stayed with me after I finished it. The combination of tender storytelling and expressive artwork makes for an experience that’s both emotional and thought-provoking. It touches on difficult history with care and sensitivity.
What struck me most was how personal the story feels—it’s full of quiet moments that speak volumes about love, loss, and endurance. The illustrations add so much depth and emotion; they linger in your mind long after you close the book.
I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the opportunity to read an ARC. Armaveni is a story I won’t soon forget.
What struck me most was how personal the story feels—it’s full of quiet moments that speak volumes about love, loss, and endurance. The illustrations add so much depth and emotion; they linger in your mind long after you close the book.
I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the opportunity to read an ARC. Armaveni is a story I won’t soon forget.
October 29, 2025
I loved this amazing graphic novel obout a teenage girl searching for her family's Armenian history in the early 2000's. It is stunningly beautiful, informative and emotional.
It is a semi-autobiography and deals with her family history of the Armenian Genocide, where she fits in as an Armenian-American and others prejudices towards her. This is an evocative account of trying to find out about the painful memories and history your family tries to protect you from. But this overprotection often means staying quiet, forgetting history, lost memories taken to the grave, not knowing who you are and generational trauma.
Graphic novels are the perfect medium for autobiographies and memoirs as they are so personal and the readers 'get to know' the author through such an intensive, creative, labor of love. These difficult memories and first-hand historical accounts are so important for the next and future generations to uncover. While it is a YA graphic novel I highly reccommend it to adult readers as well. Reading and learning about the personal stories of one family can have a much larger emotional impact and understanding than learning the large picture of facts and figures.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc
It is a semi-autobiography and deals with her family history of the Armenian Genocide, where she fits in as an Armenian-American and others prejudices towards her. This is an evocative account of trying to find out about the painful memories and history your family tries to protect you from. But this overprotection often means staying quiet, forgetting history, lost memories taken to the grave, not knowing who you are and generational trauma.
Graphic novels are the perfect medium for autobiographies and memoirs as they are so personal and the readers 'get to know' the author through such an intensive, creative, labor of love. These difficult memories and first-hand historical accounts are so important for the next and future generations to uncover. While it is a YA graphic novel I highly reccommend it to adult readers as well. Reading and learning about the personal stories of one family can have a much larger emotional impact and understanding than learning the large picture of facts and figures.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
What a great introduction to this topic! Teens whose family is Armenian and yet has some gaps in their understanding of their heritage.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Astonishing book. The story of the Armenian Genocide was unfamiliar to me, and after reading Armaveni, I understand why. It's not just a heart-wrenching story, it is an important part of history.
October 31, 2025
Like Nadine in the character in the story I am Armenian and don’t know many details of my families survival of the genocide. I’m sure now if I asked my parents will tell me and while I grew up well aware of what happened generally it was until my adult life that I learned more of the history. This graphic novel seems like a great way for a teen to learn. Touching on the tragedy with just enough detail. I will have to remember this graphic novel for when my kids are older.
November 14, 2025
ARC provided by Netgalley and Levine Querido
This book was a fairly tough read that's about an Armenian teenager living life and learning about the Armenian genocide. It's autobiographical with some details mixed around to provide a more interesting story. Some of it did go by a tad too fast in my opinion, but overall it kept a good pace.
The art is a neat and has a dull color scheme to signify the heavy topics. I do believe that this is a nice, short read that could maybe be a good intro on what the Armenian genocide was. I knew of it, but I didn't know about it, and I found this one both emotionally profound and compelling
This book was a fairly tough read that's about an Armenian teenager living life and learning about the Armenian genocide. It's autobiographical with some details mixed around to provide a more interesting story. Some of it did go by a tad too fast in my opinion, but overall it kept a good pace.
The art is a neat and has a dull color scheme to signify the heavy topics. I do believe that this is a nice, short read that could maybe be a good intro on what the Armenian genocide was. I knew of it, but I didn't know about it, and I found this one both emotionally profound and compelling
December 27, 2025
⭐ Autobiographical | Historical | Cultural Identity
Thank you, Levine Querido, for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Armaveni is an autobiographical graphic novel that begins with a young girl, Nadine, being told a bedtime story by her mother. The story soon expands into a heartfelt exploration of Nadine’s Armenian heritage, her family’s daily life, and the painful history of the Armenian Genocide.
The art style is monochromatic, a purplish-gray tone, which gives the story a somber, reflective mood. However, I found it difficult to read at times due to the muted visuals and some spelling errors throughout.
There are also several panels written entirely in Armenian without English translation, which made parts of the story challenging to follow, especially for readers unfamiliar with the language.
I picked up this book hoping to learn more about Armenia and its history, and while I appreciated the personal storytelling and emotional weight, I wish there had been more context or translation for non-Armenian readers.
The author’s note was especially powerful, explaining that at the time of creating this work, writing about the genocide was still considered dangerous.
Overall, Armaveni is a brave and intimate project that sheds light on cultural memory and survival, but its presentation made it a bit tough to fully connect with as an English reader
Thank you, Levine Querido, for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Armaveni is an autobiographical graphic novel that begins with a young girl, Nadine, being told a bedtime story by her mother. The story soon expands into a heartfelt exploration of Nadine’s Armenian heritage, her family’s daily life, and the painful history of the Armenian Genocide.
The art style is monochromatic, a purplish-gray tone, which gives the story a somber, reflective mood. However, I found it difficult to read at times due to the muted visuals and some spelling errors throughout.
There are also several panels written entirely in Armenian without English translation, which made parts of the story challenging to follow, especially for readers unfamiliar with the language.
I picked up this book hoping to learn more about Armenia and its history, and while I appreciated the personal storytelling and emotional weight, I wish there had been more context or translation for non-Armenian readers.
The author’s note was especially powerful, explaining that at the time of creating this work, writing about the genocide was still considered dangerous.
Overall, Armaveni is a brave and intimate project that sheds light on cultural memory and survival, but its presentation made it a bit tough to fully connect with as an English reader
Want to read
January 6, 2025From Bleeding Cool: "a new a semi-autobiographical YA graphic novel... that weaves two stories linked by the generational trauma of the Armenian genocide: Armaveni, a girl from the dying Ottoman Empire, struggles to survive vicious persecution; and Nadine, a contemporary first-gen teen in a far-flung diaspora, searches for her true identity and home."
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