Menta is a wonderful youth comic by Italian Christian Galli published by cARTEm, an initially ordinary story turns into a meaningful experience on the part of the main character.

CARTEm publishing house presents a story of CARTEm publishing house where the reader does not know what to expect at first impression. rather than European painting. From that uncertainty, a great story begins with the main character of Lamia.

Conspiracy

Lamia is a young woman who is very close to her dog Otto, with whom she has had a thousand and one adventures since she was a baby and a girl. Similarly, Lamia is very close to her neighbor Marzia, but unfortunately, she has to face the loss of both of them. From then on, nothing will be the same.

With a new horizon to explore, together with her friend Lucia -Lu-, Lamia, Michelle, a new neighbor, began to celebrate that strange events have happened in the neighborhood where she came. Lamia only trusts her friend Lu to help her cope with all these new developments and problems.

Lamia is determined to make herself known to Menta readers, making her smile, because she is a different girl, with signs of determination and strength, the strength conveyed in the song of Albachiara by Vasco Rasi; But, when her angry friend dies, something inside her changes.

With the loss of Otto, Lamia often begins to argue, as a teenager she has to find her place in the world, especially now that her reference points are shattered and it is necessary to find a new light that will give her the necessary light. To reach a good port, Lamia is the manifestation of pure spirit and human love, so managing her pain will not be easy.

The pain of loss is very important to Lamia and she uses the scents of plants to reflect and improve, so Lou smells like peaches or her mother smells like vanilla and she assigns the good qualities of plants to those characters.

The characters are deeply developed from a psychological point of view, which makes them very attractive and close to the ordinary people who meet them on the street every day, to enjoy the wonderful story, the doubt that has flooded the daily life and Lamia stands as a protective height in a little world.

Accepting pain is not easy, but through this story you can see how shameful and powerful this feeling is. Lamia is able to learn from her mistakes and, like any teenage girl, thanks to her family and peers, she is reborn as a phoenix from her ashes.

The author

Christian Galli is an Italian artist who graduated in Fine Arts from the University of Bologna and trained at the Reggio Emilia Design School. This illustrator worked for various independent magazines and in turn was the head of children’s work for Il Calore della Neve, published by the Transalpine publishing house Tunue.

With a light-hearted and bright script, Christian Galli proposes a graphic novel with a critical and realistic tone that overwhelms the reader like the smell of mint. Through the experiences and expressions of the main characters, the reader can immerse himself in the story and enjoy the true essence of the story presented by the author.

The lead of the story is amazing, but the ending designed by Gali is even more so, hitting the reader right, after going through the real lamia, fantasy and mystery.

The illustrations presented by Menta by Gali are the main characters in colors that represent Lamia’s emotions, creating an enveloping and intense color palette, which can fade or fade depending on the character’s mood and experience.

In any case, as we guessed when we first saw the cover of the work published by cARTEm, perhaps the color throughout the graphic novel is green and when you look at the preview of the book, it is almost nature again. A sense of smelling mint as you turn the pages.

Edition

The soft cover published by cARTEm de Menta is made with a flap, for the success of this work, translated by Inés Sánchez Mesonero, in 17 x 24 cm format, in color, 160 pages, in the CARTEM youth collection, aimed mainly at a young audience.

In short, Menta is a story that engages the reader with suspense and a desire to know every detail of Lamia’s adventures, and Christian Galli delivers a fun and engaging graphic novel.

Lucia is my best friend. Well, she doesn’t read the books I lend her, but we talk about everything and I don’t do anything without her. It smells like peaches.

But my mom and I sometimes don’t get along. It’s a very stressful job. It smells like vanilla.

Our neighbor Marzia has always helped me since day one. It’s attractive! Also, his garden is full of plants. It smells like licorice.

Michelle suddenly came out of nowhere. He’s a special boy, but he makes me curious. It smells like mint.

A graphic novel of mystery, sadness and paranormal events

Lamia is an introverted and sympathetic teenager who lives in a vibrant neighborhood full of colorful personalities and secrets. Accompanied by her old dog Otto and her wise neighbor Marzia, she enjoys a daily life full of special moments. However, their deaths plunge Lamia into deep grief, leaving her with an emotional void.

As she tries to process her grief, strange events begin to occur in her home and surroundings. Things that belong to Otto and Marzia appear in unlikely places, and Lamia sees images and hears whispers of people she loves. These events make her question the reality of life after death and the relationship between the living and the dead.

Amidst the confusion, Michelle encounters an enigmatic new neighbor whose past and true motives are a mystery. His arrival seems to coincide with paranormal events that lead Lamia to mistrust and at the same time inexplicably draw her to him.

Lu, a brave and loyal girl, is led by her best friend, Lamia, on a quest to uncover the mysteries that surround her. Together they explore theories about the afterlife, conduct small investigations, and discover ancient rituals and local stories that may explain recent events.

As they delve deeper into the unknown, each clue weaves a dense web of unanswered questions, leaving an eternal mystery in the air: what lurks the thin line between life and death?

Summer Reading: A fascinating story about death and life after death

“Mentha” combines mystery, wonder, and poignancy to deliver a compelling story of grief and personal growth, making it an ideal summer read for young adults. Readers are immersed in an engrossing plot that not only explores loss through supernatural and reason-challenging events, but also celebrates friendship and emotional support. These content-rich chapters help young people understand and manage their emotions in complex situations while stimulating their curiosity about the afterlife.

This summer, “Menta” promises to not only entertain, but also encourage and comfort teenagers, as they face their own personal secrets and challenges. With its accessible and compassionate approach, this graphic novel is the perfect addition to any summer reading list, offering an escape into the unknown and a profound reflection on human resilience and spiritual connections beyond death.